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Post by nickf on Sept 10, 2014 5:49:18 GMT
I see on the news that the wreck of one of Sir John Franklin's ships has been found link. HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were lost on an expedition into the Canadian Arctic in 1845 and have lain in the seabed hidden by ice until now. What is of relevance to this forum is that they both had railway locomotives installed to give them limited power to assist their sails in tight corners. Here is a link to take you to a little thing I wrote about it a few years ago that might be of interest. |
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Post by grahamhewett on Sept 11, 2014 16:34:35 GMT
nickf - it would be truly splendid if the locos were recovered, even if no longer restorable to anything like running condition.
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Post by nickf on Sept 11, 2014 18:07:14 GMT
I see that the wreck is reported to be in excellent condition - but that would be the wooden bits. Not sure how badly the iron used in early locos would corrode. Fingers crossed!
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Post by theblackferret on Sept 11, 2014 19:47:10 GMT
Be interesting to see when the location at which it's been found became the ocean floor?
If recently-melted ice means within the last 20-30 years, then it's possible it was trapped in ice before then, rather than sunk.
Fingers crossed!
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Post by phillw48 on Sept 11, 2014 23:01:27 GMT
Be interesting to see when the location at which it's been found became the ocean floor? If recently-melted ice means within the last 20-30 years, then it's possible it was trapped in ice before then, rather than sunk. Fingers crossed! The ice would have advanced and receded many times in 160 years and in the summer months there would have been patches of clear water. Sonar pictures show the hull of the vessel to be intact with some masts still standing. If it had been trapped in ice the hull would have been crushed, just like Shackleton's ship in the Antarctic. |
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Post by nickf on Oct 3, 2014 8:42:38 GMT
It has been reported today that the ship the Canadians have found is HMS Erebus, in a remarkably good state of preservation. This was poor Lieutenant Irving's ship - his grave was found on King William Island.
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