RUMCars Forum
General Category => Off Topic Lounge => Topic started by: Barry on June 13, 2013, 09:25:55 AM
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On land and water - interesting
http://www.gibbssports.com/
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A bit more sporty than an Argo or Amphicat.
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Hopeful a bit safer than those DUCKS! Two of them have sunk this year!
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Didn't know it was TWO , I wonder what brought that on . I do know that the Liverpool tourist DUKW sank I'm the Albert Dock. I took my son on it with his friends on his 11th.birhday 10 years ago.. Forgotten what DUKW stands for but sure someone knows
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One sank in Liverpool yesterday
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One sank in Dollyworld theme park last year iirc.
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amazing ! should think this will be the end of them , they are generally covered in a clear polythene hood - very diffucult to get out of i bet , particularly if it's sinking like a lead balloon - see coverage of yesterdays rescue
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2342226/Tourist-terror-amphibious-duck-bus-carrying-31-people-sinks-Liverpools-Albert-Dock-SECOND-time-months.html
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We have some DUKWs in London. About three years ago Squeak and I were driving past Halitosis Hall and overtook one. All the tourists stopped photographing and looking at Big Ben and turned their attention to us in my Trojan!
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i think all the dukw's are owned by the yellow duck company or suchlike but this recent thing will surely ground them for a while - can you "ground " an amphibious vehicle ?
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You certainly can ground a DUKW...when you reach the bottom of the dock!
Personally I hope they found out what went wrong, how to prevent it happening again, and get back into business safely, because it must be great fun and I would hate to see another activity banished because of Health and Safety concerns, even if this does now seem justified with DUKWs.
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They were not made with longevity in mind and as a pontoon with a truck chassis hanging out the bottom there are loads of rust traps. Used to be 10's of these at the stores near Tewksbury, where they auction them off. Many were already duff and I remember seeing one, newly acquired, barely leaving the Thames in time, as the weakened areas failed in action. They do not have great freeboard. They are notorious for being hard to restore. There was a pink one for sale for ages for around £54k. Not sure it was not on the Mersey. A pink one used to be at Wickstead park. I believe there are several at Morecombe bay somewhere in case they can get to stranded people. They have Argo too. However if your in a really unstable area even these cannot get out as they get stuck and the suction of the sand is quite dramatic enough to swamp the rescuers. Part of the reason the Chinese immigrants sent out cockling could not be rescued. Nasty business. A rare sight now, is a DUKW.
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A better piece of kit from Land Rover?
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I think the Stalwart were made by Alvis and had a bad habit of setting themselves on fire
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I, to, thought it was Alvis, but it was all rolled up by then, really. Apparently the Stalwart is a very expensive and complex vehicle to run and maintain. More so than the DUKW. Pity as I always rather fancied one. Used to be a dead one on the way to Stoney Stratford/Wolverton on the Buckingham road for a long time. I think its gone but the guy always has something interesting in the garden.
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Used to be another Stalwart along the course of the Basingstoke & Alton light railway, but I think I would rather have had the Matchbox version rather than the real thing.
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Daughters treated me to a London dukw trip/flight/voyage 3 years ago. Felt unsafe on both land and Thames. Land Driver had to stop and change places with a captain just before water entry. Captain kept to the shore side crossed over and shore hugged up the other side---not so far to swim??? then crossed back and after much crunching and lever pulling moved up a slipway. Swopped back to road driver and returned to start finish . Have just found oictures BUT failed to insert them as yet
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would you believe it another ex-army DUKW sank today in London this time , on The Thames . pics just seen seen a rather odd combination of a semi submerged DUKW on FIRE as well - this surely will mean the end for them , all very odd after quite a few years with no incidents that i am aware of
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On news 5 minutes ago apparently the enquiry shows the foam used , to stop them sinking , was packed to tight around machinery causing the problem. After correction they will be cleared to go again .
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It will take quite a lot to convince me to go on one now. Let's face it, they were designed to do one or two landings!
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They were not made with longevity in mind and as a pontoon with a truck chassis hanging out the bottom there are loads of rust traps. Used to be 10's of these at the stores near Tewksbury, where they auction them off. Many were already duff and I remember seeing one, newly acquired, barely leaving the Thames in time, as the weakened areas failed in action. They do not have great freeboard. They are notorious for being hard to restore. There was a pink one for sale for ages for around £54k. Not sure it was not on the Mersey. A pink one used to be at Wickstead park. I believe there are several at Morecombe bay somewhere in case they can get to stranded people. They have Argo too. However if your in a really unstable area even these cannot get out as they get stuck and the suction of the sand is quite dramatic enough to swamp the rescuers. Part of the reason the Chinese immigrants sent out cockling could not be rescued. Nasty business. A rare sight now, is a DUKW.
As Al says above,
But things like these are much easier to restore now.
friend of mine runs a scootershop in Weston and also owns a DUKW, after a ride on the Thames a few years ago he was so hooked on them, he came back and home and bought one.
Owning a scootershop and metal fabrication shop he tasked the workers with a full bare bones restoration over the winter, and ended up with a nigh on concourse DUKW.
Recently the only stray from factory is a 12v conversion for better starting, lights and cheaper battteries.
I was tasked with fitting the tyres, and after 60 odd years on the rims, they were troublesome to say the least :-/
When the problems of new panels arose, he tasked the fabricators to fabricate, and spares were made and are now sold world wide,
On the back of this he is now doing a healthy business in GPA restoration, fabricating spare parts for them and has also just imported another 10 Willy's jeeps to restore/sell as is.
He also owned for a while, and I had the pleasure to work on and drive for a bit a Schwimmwagen, that was amazing fun, if a bit cramped.
I am glad the DUKW's aren't being blamed for the sinking just for being old, and hope they continue to tour the waterways and roads for all to enjoy.
Just my garbled 2 penneth ;)
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Suddenly those DUKs have a REAL use in all these floods!
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Wynford might need one. Had Prince Chas round his area last week. Flitzer does not float and the Mink has probably escaped!
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Wynford might need one. Had Prince Chas round his area last week. Flitzer does not float and the Mink has probably escaped!
Could it be the Mink has seen its chance and is trying to float it's way back to Bermuda as we speak...
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The owner might have to be careful I, with all this cold and wet he will have to be careful it doesn't get stole. Get it ? ;)
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Nearly muffed it, Richard., but keep it under your hat.
Perhaps Chas was collecting the Mink. He was scheduled to be down there before the flooding got to be such a public issue, indeed he helped make it so. A microcar by Royal Appointment. Lord Snowdon had a Goggo. It is rumored the Queen had a lift in the back of a Schmitt belonging to an employee during inclement weather on one of her Estates. Someone must be able to do better than those near misses.
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Didn't D of E have Nobel pock up or should that be under wraps al x x x