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Thank You Doc Vernon
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7th May 2020, 06:30 AM
#61
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
From my understanding of UCL ships it was only the regular passenger ones that carried Gold and the mail.
It had to be carried on a regular run, some of the fruit ships did not do that.
When a body was going over the side for a sea burial the ship was normally slowed to about 5 knots for about 30 minutes.
Last edited by happy daze john in oz; 7th May 2020 at 06:31 AM.


Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller

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7th May 2020, 08:20 AM
#62
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
The Rowallan Castle carried gold from Cape Town to Southampton in 1949 as I have tried to say before.
Terry Sullivan R340406
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7th May 2020, 10:08 AM
#63
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
That's Brilliant BUT
I was on the ROXBURGH CASTLE not the ROTHERICK CASTLE
Graham Bell
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8th May 2020, 06:19 AM
#64
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
Terry #62, yes that may well have been the case back then.
But after the war with regular sailings Gold and mail were only carried on the passenger ships.


Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller

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8th May 2020, 10:53 PM
#65
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
Wow! Murder at sea now. I will not include that in this story, but who knows about the future? Bryon, the picture of the gold loading train in South Africa. Do you know what year it is? (It somehow doesn't seem like a 1963 picture).
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8th May 2020, 11:03 PM
#66
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
It is 1963 by the Coach i see as i worked on the Trains there at one stage a bit earlier though,but that looks the same as about that Era
Cheers
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10th May 2020, 01:54 PM
#67
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
Hello Doc, just to make sure I'm not confusing myself and everyone else. Is it the color pic, or the B&W one that is the bullion van in SA in 1963?gold train pretoria castle.jpggold loading capetown- durban.jpg
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10th May 2020, 10:25 PM
#68
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
Well it could be either of them as they both look like the SA Carriages??
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11th May 2020, 06:08 AM
#69
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
The Black and white photo is similar to the one I have of Gold being loaded in Durban.
I doubt if over time there would have been much change in the carriages used.


Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
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11th May 2020, 06:40 AM
#70
Re: Union Castle at Southampton 1963
All the Years that the Rail was owned and run by the South African Railways and Harbours there was llittle change as said , it was only when it was taken over bt Spoornet and other Companies that the Carriages started to change, and may i say not entirely for the better either!
The old Carriages we had when i was a Steward on the Trains were so much better , much larger inside with a lot more class too.
The Dining Saloons were really grand. Cannot beat the old ones! LOL
cHEERS
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