The man who killed the MN

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi all.
The man credited with ending the golden era of the merchant navy died recently; aged 92.
Keith Tantlinger was the builder of the modern Container in the 1950. His containers were the first with the stacking and locking mechanisms that enabled containers to be locked down on ships and trucks, this modern way of cargo handling spelled the demise of the old cargo ships we sailed on.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Like so many before him, either a man of vision or a devil in disguise. But had he not done it then someone else no doubt would have come up with the idea.

[Gulliver]

Thanks for that article,Des.
OBITUARY HERE

I have ambivalent feelings then about Mr.Tatlinger(with a hard “g”).

Sad because he crossed the bar,happy for his inspired invention,sad for his grieving family,happy he left them loads of money, and sad he contributed, in a way, to containerization which accelerated the ultimate demise of the Merchant Navy……
　
Hard to imagine. Almost 60 years ago now…..

Gulliver

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates. there is allways a faster cheaper way to do any job too the man of vision, This is what made the British merchant navy the best at that time, progress sweeps. away the old ways but all the workers in the old industrys are left behind unless they change and adapt into new roles thats the modern way!!!! The containers ships made it easier and cheaper for industry to ship all types of cargo around the world at the cost of many thousands of jobs world-wide At sea not just the U.K.the dockers and many others ashore . Who won ? who made, more profit? The ship owners. The ones who adapted quickly.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Thanks for that article,Des.
OBITUARY HERE

I have ambivalent feelings then about Mr.Tatlinger(with a hard “g”).

Sad because he crossed the bar,happy for his inspired invention,sad for his grieving family,happy he left them loads of money, and sad he contributed, in a way, to containerization which accelerated the ultimate demise of the Merchant Navy……
　
Hard to imagine. Almost 60 years ago now…..

Gulliver

Ref your image

The last words you want to hear when the pilot comes aboard "Alright Captain - hard a starboard and full ahead"

[Gulliver]

Ref your image

The last words you want to hear when the pilot comes aboard "Alright Captain - hard a starboard and full ahead"

Heh Heh Ivan !

And those Twistlocks are O.K. -provided they are twisted and locked ! (Alot aren't)

I also wouldn't like to do an inventory of them aboard an E-class Maersk job. 60,000 of them ( + spares ! ) ?




59 thousand nine hundred and eighty four....Damn ! Lost count.! 1...2..3 ..

[Capt Bill Davies]

Hi all.
The man credited with ending the golden era of the merchant navy died recently; aged 92.
Keith Tantlinger was the builder of the modern Container in the 1950. His containers were the first with the stacking and locking mechanisms that enabled containers to be locked down on ships and trucks, this modern way of cargo handling spelled the demise of the old cargo ships we sailed on.
Cheers Des

Des,

I would say that the title of this thread is a little misplaced.

The container concept goes back before the days of the trucker McLean and the 'Ideal X' ?? The American Navy were containerizing commodities in the 30s.
There were several locking mechanisms available around the time of KT's as there were rivals to the TEU. An old employer of mine who backed McLean financially wanted 10 meter containers to be universally accepted.

Let us be frank, the general cargo ships we sailed in pre 1970 were inefficient and if it weren’t containers there would have been a host of cargo handling methods, which were being produced to improved cargo handling efficiency.

Ten-ton gear, yo-yos, topping lift on bits all good nostalgia but alas, not progress.



Brgds

Bill

[Captain Kong]

I remember coming into Singapore in January 1960 on a Blue Funnel Sam Boat, we passed a ship with a couple of containers on deck. The Captain said to the Pilot,"What kind of ship is that?"
The Pilot answered, "That Captain, is the future. "
The Captain said "Rubbish".
Blue Funnel and the associated companies had hundreds of ships, a Decade later they had none.

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

I suppose it would have happened even if Mr.Tatlinger had not prevailed. It was a gift from heaven for the shipowners, and who can blame them for not embracing it? All the benefits are now legend, but I think the biggest effect was in the docks. I know they went down fighting, but the unions knew that their days were numbered. In a way they brought it on themselves with their restrictive practices and unfair selection methods. This was not just the docks in this country but in Oz,NZ and USA. It was this stranglehold that prompted the research into more efficient methods of cargo handling. All this did lead to the death knell of the MN as we knew it. But if it was as a result of these changes or not, other factors should be borne in mind like foreign registration and ownership and permitting foreign crews on British ships, plus the expanding airline industry, they all added up to the end of the way of life we all loved and cherished.

[Captain Gordon Whittaker]

In the 1960s I recall two consecutive trips from Lourenco Marques to Colombo with coal. We were in port, discharging for 7 weeks first cargo, and 6 weeks second cargo. All this plus a couple of weeks loading, and the required steaming, (twice in ballast). This was great for all hands to have time ashore, but what possible profit was gained from four months of charter? What a lovely run, though, better than a cruise, on full pay!