towing

RMS Orion was an ocean liner launched by the Orient Steam Navigation Company in 1934 and retired from the water in 1963 after carrying about 500,000 passengers. A 23,371 ton passenger ship, the Orion was built to carry 486 first class, 653 tourist class and 466 crew passengers from Europe through the Pacific to Australia. The construction of the ship was documented in Paul Rotha's 1935 film Shipyard. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Orion

Our Steam Tug Forceful was built in 1925. Forceful served the port of Brisbane for 45 years, being the last coal-fired tug in operation on the river. In Brisbane, Forceful was employed mainly in the Brisbane River. In July 1926, she went to the aid of Cooma, stranded on North Reef, off Heron Island. As the ship was being towed off the reef, the towline snapped and Cooma again grounded, where she remained until destroyed by fire some months later. In September 1926, Forceful went to the aid of the Rio Claro, grounded on Scott’s Reef, near Cairns. Forceful teamed with another tug to tow Rio Claro off. Forceful’s finest hour was February 1929 when she assisted in towing the stricken steamer Arafura through a cyclone some 300km to Brisbane. As a consequence of World War 2, Forceful was chartered by the British government for service in the Middle East. However, approval was withdrawn and she was commissioned as HMAS Forceful on 16 February 1942. She worked around Fremantle until October 1942, when she sailed for Darwin. From October 1942 to August 1943, she engaged in harbor work around Darwin, towed lighters to Merauke in Dutch New Guinea, and, on occasions, acted as a rescue vessel for aircraft and crews returning from bombing missions. In August 1943, she towed a landing ship to Brisbane where, on 11 October 1943, she paid off and returned to her owners. Source: maritimemuseum.com.au/learn/collections/vessels/forceful/

there is snow flakes raining down here! It is SO cool Love the elephant! (Snowflakes? xD PINK SNOWFLAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Animal slavery!

Big ships on the Tyne. There's something very special about these images.

Thank you for the series. It's been amazing watching her come together.

I agree, such a great series, fascinating and often astonishing.

Thanks for all your kind words. It's been a pleasure to be able to share these with you - and there are more to come.

Wonderful.