The RMS Queen Mary & The Yarrow Project: Part 1 of 2

[Shipwright1918]

I think it can be done, given enough money and the right circumstances. It'd be neat to have at least one functional boiler thrown in to generate steam for her famous Tyfon steam horns....

Any word on when and if the Yarrow Project will get underway? I'd certainly like to see it when it's finished!

[slugworth63]

Great idea and a nice gesture, but unfortunately, utterly impossible due to cost.

[JackSVL]

In 1967 I was on one of the U.S. Navy Minesweepers that escorted Queen Mary into Long Beacn and to her new berth at Pier E

[Jazzguitarist123]

@JackSVL, Wow that is really cool! I'm From LongBeach, I just never knew about the history of it.

[ibsys2008]

In 1967 I was on a train to Southampton and from the train I saw both the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth together, a rare sight and what an experience!

[titanicboss]

you have to remebber the normadie burned out but the queen had to work harder than the nromande ie had to to achive her spped

[theblueriband]

The Normandie's propulsion system was faster than the Queen Mary's at normal cruising speeds. However, the Normandie was limited to the extent of speed records she could achieve due to having an electric motor drive system (steam boilers feed turbo-generators, feeding electricity to them). The Queen Mary's traditional steam-turbine engines and water-tube boilers were so well-built, temperatures and pressures could be pushed to exceed way beyond their official limits, thus giving her more speed

[stevecurwin]

do they still due repairs on her hull today

[theblueriband]

Her hull is inspected regularly by divers through the Long Beach Harbor Dept. to check for corrosion and inspect all 98 hull patches, the propeller box, and the zinc anodes that were fastened to her hull in 1968 which is what is known as a cathodic protection system. These zinc plates have a very small electrical charge and sacrafice themselves and corrode to help divert corrosion to the steel hull itself. They have to be replaced immediately to avoid corrosion beginning on the hull.

[SSUnitedStateslife]

Patches, has her hull been patched while in Long Beach, do you have any idea on her plating?

[crazystarwarsguy1006]

I'm not quite sure what the guy mumbles at 0.23. It sounds like " A marvel of American engineering" ?

[theblueriband]

"A marvel of maritime engineering."

[theblueriband]

Our project proposal in 2006 was abruptly put on hold in 2007 when the operators of the QM filed for bankruptcy. In October, 2007, the new operatoring management came aboard, leaving almost no one behind from the previous management. This forced us to start from scratch. We've taken this time preparing a new campaign and introduction. This includes a new promotional video (narrated by Oscar-winning actor, Ernest Borgnine) which we will be presenting soon and will later be posted here.

[546TC]

So when are the Yarrow's going in??? It would be awesome to see the boiler rooms as they were when the ship was in operation.

[theblueriband]

All I can say for now is to stay tuned for news and our upcoming new video.

[Louizalass]

Did I say Long Island? I meant Long Beach! *doh*

[Louizalass]

Thank you for this video. My husband and I went to the States to stay with our daughter and, on a whim, decided to go to LA and stop over. Hubby had been just itching to get aboard rms Queen Mary. Our American son-in-law had no idea what awaited him - and now he's as hooked as we are. We had a marvellous time and despite what the pessimists say, if she hadn't gone to Long Island - who'd have taken her on?

[soremongs]

This is a very well done and interesting production that I enjoyed very much. Ken Behrmann did a great job narrating!!

[AmanullahR]

It is unfortunate that the "guts" and much of the structural integrity were ripped out of the Queen Mary shortly after her arrival to Long Beach, California. Due to the massive damage that has been caused, it is impossible that the Queen Mary would even set to sea again.

[oldsteinar]

We took the Queen Mary over to Scotland in early 1944. Then on to the rest of the war. My story is on YouTube under Grandpa Clarence Jones. Thank you. This is really interesting.

[xxsimayixx]

It is not job 534.

It is hull 534.

[theblueriband]

She was hull #534 for John Brown, but ANYTHING related to the construction of the vessel was given the designation of "Job 534" and is numerously stated this way on documents and stamped on parts and castings for the ship.

[xxsimayixx]

This narrator talking is disgusting.

[theblueriband]

Ken Behrmann is currently a ship's officer aboard the Queen Mary and is recently retired from the US Naval Reserve. He is by no means, a professional narrator... and when we recorded the narration, we had a few issues with sound clarity... and I appologize if the narration is not to your standard... However (cont)

[Chiswick2]

That is not true about the QM being the largest ship in the world at the time. The Normandie was, and the Queen Mary never held the title.

[theblueriband]

When the Queen Mary's hull was launched in 1934, her hull was slightly larger than the Normandie's. Hastily, the French Line modified the Normandie to surpass the Queen Mary in gross tonnage, bumping her to the 2nd largest until the construction of the Queen Elizabeth.

[546TC]

True, BUT, the Queen Mary held the title of being the FASTEST for 14 years, a title the Normandy, with her "fancy" hull design could only hold onto for a year.

[theblueriband]

Between 1936 to 1938, the QM and the Normandie were constantly edging eachother out for the fastest crossing times. However, if WWII had not taken place and the Normandie was able to live a long, competitive with the QM, the QM would have had the final victory for speed. The QM's boilers and steam turbines were so over-built, which allowed her engineering crew to push temperatures, pressures and other operating conditions beyond the builder's "Standard Operating Limits".

[theblueriband]

With the Normandie, although she was also equipped with boilers that could be operated above normal conditions, her absolute limitations were her electric generators and electric shaft drive motors. Generators and motors have a very narrow margin for exceeding operating limits and were easily vulnerable for failure/meltdown if constantly running above their rated limits. This same reason is why the QM2 reached a max speed of 29.62 knots during sea trials, but could NEVER win records today.

[546TC]

I hope you didn't think I was belittling the "Mary", she is my favorite ship, and I am always happy to read that despite her "conservative" design compared to the Normandy, she was always the more popular of the two, more cozy and inviting on the inside, another trait the Normandy could never caputure.

[theblueriband]

Oh no I was just wanting to add further to the topic. The Normandie was beauty and elegance supreme... over the top... which to many regular travelers seemed a bit too intimidating to feel comfortable traveling aboard. Cunard called it right when they chose to stick to a more warm, contemporary style and atmosphere for the QM and QE's interior designs and then add to that the warm, abundant hospitality that the service staff offered.

[digid]

Wow, it seems months making this video on the QM really paid off... I'm glad it was well received, and our hard work paid off and got some attention.

[theblueriband]

LOL it was a lot of fun working with you on that video! Even if we did get at eachother's throats once in a while, we overcame those spouts. I haven't talked to you yet about another video project I may need to do! :P

[digid]

Hahaha, yea i remember. The good thing is we were consistent, and finished in a good amount of time. Getting nearly everything you wanted in it. :thumbs and keep me informed for any future plans.

[mrsniper303]

Long live the queen !!! In Long Beach that is...lol

[gazzaanrver]

Great video, I will fulfill a long held ambition this November when I will visit Long Beach on my tour of the west coast and go on board the Queen, it will be worth the long flight to LA from the UK and now for part 2, Cheers!

[creamofcardstv]

I like your video clip and have rated it as awesome. Please check out my new clip of 1930's cigarette cards of Shirley Ross, George Formby, Errol Flynn, Gracie Fields, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Fred Astaire, and Vivien Leigh.

[extvguy]

PLEASE DO. WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA

[crackwhore69]

Yes she is still a hotel. I stayed there once and it is nice ship but an awful hotel because it is really cold and smells funny.

[fatgirlgrobie]

she still serves as a hotel?

[Evenstar8723]

She still does. It was an incredible stay. She has such an impressive history. I definetely recommend staying there.

[Starangelica]

I know the RMS Queen Mary is haunted by hundreds of ghosts that are trapped there in another realm and I've heard many real paranormal stories of people seeing ghosts and Hearing them all over the ship day and Night.

[crackwhore69]

Beautiful ship, but I like the French S.S. Normandie better.

[adde31]

so menny RMS liners have ben black and white

[STS107]

Let the ss-United states have the same faith as the queen.. dock her along side the queen mary and restore the ship before its to late... just a thought.

[skot66]

Oh God ..please say you will do this...