Blog at the Ballast

Festive greetings. Today's photo is of the Invergordan Excursion Coach taking a bunch of sailors somewhere exciting I hope. It comes from Bill's miscellaneous collection of photographs.The Ballast Trust will be closed now until 5th January - Merry Christmas. ...

Continue Reading

A while back I got a request via our flickr pages to use an image from the Dan McDonald collection.  The request came from Danny at Queensferry Passage website.  This website features lots of interesting information and images about the four ferries who worked the route. The image in questions was of the Robert the Bruce ferry, which I've featured on this blog...

Continue Reading

The Juno is today's photo, a passenger car ferry built for the Gourock-Dunoon route in 1974.Juno Originally uploaded by ballasttrustShe was built by James Lamont & Company in Port Glasgow. Full specification details are available from Clydebuilt database here. ...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is of a paddlesteamer built by Fairfields, Govan in 1931.Full specification details are available here. ...

Continue Reading

This is a photo of the paddle steamer Iona built by J G Thompson in Govan in 1864. She has a very long career, serving until she was scrapped in 1936. Full specification details are available here from the Clydebuilt site. ...

Continue Reading

Lots of snow across Scotland so thought it was time for the christmas snow widget to appear for the festive season. Lots of snow across Scotland so thought it was time for the christmas snow widget to appear for the festive season. ...

Continue Reading

In my haste to rush off and get married two weeks ago I forgot to schedule any Friday photo posts which is a shame because I'd been busy uploading the 'Is' so you've missed out on the Irma, Isle of Arran and the Ivernia among others. But they are all available on flickr so head over to there to see them!So, instead I...

Continue Reading

Although there's not many car ferries running in today's weather, I thought I'd put this image of the Isle of Cumbrae up.She was a car passenger ferry built by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company in Troon (1976) for Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd to work the Largs-Cumbrae route in 1977.More specification details are available here. ...

Continue Reading

Today is follow an archive day on twitter, its a chance for archives who are using twitter to promote themselves and their collections and get everyone tweeting about archives. The Ballast Trust isn't on twitter (flickr and this blog are enough web 2.0 for us) but I'll be posting some links to our pictures and blog posts on it from my own account...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is of the Isle of Arran, a paddlesteamer built by Thomas B Seath of Rutherglen in 1892.I've chosen it for the detail of the people on the pier more than anything else but full specification details are available from the Clydebuilt site here. Today's photo is of the Isle of Arran, a paddlesteamer built by Thomas B Seath of Rutherglen in...

Continue Reading

The final photo for October is a bit of a mystery but I like the detail it shows of the ship Harmony. I've not been able to find out anything else about it. ...

Continue Reading

I've spent much of today reading through Bill's correspondence files from the late 1980s when the Ballast Trust was set up and had begun the mammoth task of processing the Scott Lithgow records on site in the Joiners' Shop at the Kingston Yard.This is for a case study I'm putting together about the Ballast Trust and its contribution to Scottish business archives for...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is one of the many 'hoppers' that we have in the Dan Mcdonald collection. This one is Hopper 7 and we also have a great picture of a man (possibly the Captain?) on Flickr as well here.Full specification details are available here. ...

Continue Reading

It has been a very busy week here at the Ballast Trust so I thought it would make a slightly more interesting post to give folks an idea about the variety of things we are involved in. On Monday, we had a new volunteer start work on the Edinburgh City Engineer's Plan Project and a visit from the Glasgow University Archive TraineesOn Tuesday,...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is of the Hebrides built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon in 1898.Hebrides Flags 2Specification details available from clydebuilt database here.From the flags and information provided by flickr users I think that this photo probably dates from around the time of the Festival of Britain in 1951. ...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is the first of the H's I have uploaded and will be using for October's photos. It was built in 1967 by Barclay Curle & Co., according to the Clydebuilt site it was actually their last ship.Specification details are available here. ...

Continue Reading

In the original brief for the Pacesetter project we hoped to be finished in October. However, because of the extra information that needs to be captured for the Montague Smith collection this will result in a delay to the inputting of the Montague Smith collection. For this reason I have decided to extend the formal project by 5-6 months. This should give us...

Continue Reading

Glenfinlas Originally uploaded by ballasttrustA great picture of the Glenfinlas surrounded by cranes. Check it out on flickr for a bigger version. She was built by John Brown & Co in 1966 and was the fourth Glenfinlas built and operated by the Glen Shipping Line.Specification details available from clydebuilt database here. Glenfinlas Originally uploaded by ballasttrustA great picture of the Glenfinlas surrounded by...

Continue Reading

On Friday we went for a staff and volunteer lunch to Summerlee Museum. I had spent the morning checking some Hugh Smith drawings and as we approached we spotted a large shearing and punching machine built by Hugh Smith in the entrance.The museum was full of interesting stuff and very well laid out, they've got a huge site and make the most of...

Continue Reading

This Glen Sannox is one of three we have pictures of and was built by William Denny & Brothers Dumbarton in 1925.Glen Sannox Originally uploaded by ballasttrustSpecification details are available from clydebuilt database here.The other Glen Sannox ships are a 1957 one built by Ailsa Shipbuilders and a 1892 one by J & G Thompson. ...

Continue Reading

The Society for Nautical Research is organising a conference in November called Maritime Scotland.Its going to be held at the Mitchell Library on Saturday the 13th November at 2pm.If you are interested, you will need to book a place. Details are in the conference leaflet here ...

Continue Reading

Events have overtaken us here with our pacesetter project. As I explained earlier we are still capturing the extra information required for the Montague Smith collection before we can start using Archivist's Toolkit (AT) to input the data.However, we have in the meantime started another collection which is being catalogued straight into the AT. Its the Edinburgh City Engineers' Plan collection which currently...

Continue Reading

Glasgow Dock WorkersOriginally uploaded by ballasttrust No ship this week but instead a great picture from the Dan McDonald collection of Glasgow dock works. Not sure which docks this was taken at so any suggestions would be welcome. ...

Continue Reading

Congratulations to artist Patricia Cain who was awarded the Threadneedle Prize for her work 'Building the Riverside Museum'. Some images of her work are available here.Patricia has visited the Ballast Trust recently to discuss the processes of construction with Duncan and look at some of the images we have in the Lind collection of shipyards and the construction of large liners.More information is...

Continue Reading

The University of Glasgow Archive Services have put together this great video about their collections. It includes information about their shipbuilding and railway collections, some of which the Ballast Trust has helped to process. ...

Continue Reading

...

Continue Reading

Its the 43rd anniversary of the launch of the QEII this year, check out this post on the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society blog about a walking tour and talk being organised in Clydebank on the 20th September. Its the 43rd anniversary of the launch of the QEII this year, check out this post on the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society blog about a walking...

Continue Reading

Today's photo marks the first of the 'Gs' and is the sailing vessel the GRACE HARWAR built by William Hamilton & Co. , Port Glasgow in 1889.There are five images in total that Dan took, the rest will appear on our flickr site.Full specification details are available from Clydebuilt here.There is a great action shot of her in a storm from the National...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is the Flying Kite, a tug built by Bow McLachlan & Co, Paisley in 1929.Specification details are available here. ...

Continue Reading

With my other non-work hat on, I've written a post for the UKLON Cultural Heritage blog about the benefits of using web 2.0 tools like blogs and flickr in an archive. Part of my post discusses the benefits we've gained by using a blog and joining flickr at the Ballast Trust.If you'd like to read about it, the post is here. ...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is of the FLYING FULMAR. Built as the EMPIRE ASH by John Crown & Sons Ltd in Sunderland in 1941.She became the FLYING FULMAR in 1946 when she was sold to Clyde Shipping Co Ltd. She ended her days as the SEA ALARM.I had originally struggled to find anything for this ship as she is labelled the FLYING FULMER in our...

Continue Reading

I've spent a lot of time this week wrestling with graphic design to prepare a publicity leaflet for the Ballast Trust. I'm off to pick them up from the printers this afternoon but a pdf version of the leaflet can also be downloaded below.Ballast Trust leaflet I've spent a lot of time this week wrestling with graphic design to prepare a publicity leaflet...

Continue Reading

Jimmy Reid, a Scottish trade unionist and journalist died this week (several obituaries are available here, here and here). He is famous for leading the upper clyde shipbuilders work-in in 1971 which helped to keep Govan, Linthouse and Scotstoun shipyards going. The records from some of companies in these yards have since been processed by the Ballast Trust.There is a good post on...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is a bit of a mystery, I know its called the Flying Falcon and is obviously a tug but I can't track down who built her or where. Suggestions are welcome if people have them?I think I have discovered that she was one of the tugs used to escort the QUEEN MARY from the Clyde in 1936 (info from NLS here)....

Continue Reading

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Graham Robinson, a volunteer with the Ballast Trust. Graham had worked as a volunteer for 10 years and was a valued colleague and friend.During his time with us he applied his many technical skills to the identification and listing of the Grahame E Langmuir collection of railway photographs which is...

Continue Reading

Colonel Michael Cobb, compiler of the Railways of Great Britain - a historical atlas has died. Colonel Michael Cobb, compiler of the Railways of Great Britain - a historical atlas has died. ...

Continue Reading

Welcome to accession BT.2010.004!This is our first new big accession and at nearly 40 linear metres it is probably now the second biggest collection we have to process.It is a collection of drawings and plans from the Edinburgh City Council's City Engineers' Office so includes plans of roads, bridges, housing schemes, transport projects and improvements.These pictures are from when it first arrived, it...

Continue Reading

August already! A new month means a new batch of Dan McDonald photographs and we're now onto the 'Fs'. So, today's photo is of a tug called the Flying Hurricane.She was originally built by Clelands (Successors) Ltd at Willington Quay-on-Tyne and launched as the Empire Thistle in 1941. This picture shows her working for the Clyde Shipping Co Ltd when she was renamed...

Continue Reading

The Business Archives Council (BAC) Cataloguing Grant awards 2010 were announced today and they have gone to two collections close to our hearts here at the Ballast Trust (railways and paddle steamers).The Dorset History Centre - to catalogue the archives of Cosens of Weymouth, Paddle Steamer Company."Operating out of Weymouth, Dorset for nearly 150 years, Cosens’ fleet of pleasure paddle steamers were once...

Continue Reading

At last our new shelves are in place and look nice and shiny and very new. My hands smell of metal still but I'm sure that will fade.From The Ballast TrustYou can see here that we have put them are at the back of the work room, behind some older, smaller shelves which are getting moved. And we'll be extending the two runs...

Continue Reading

Another liner for you this week, the Empress of Britain. Built by John Brown & Co, Glasgow in 1930 for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company.Further information about the ship's build and career can be found here, including the fact that her launch by the Prince of Wales was a civic holiday for the people of Glasgow.Incidentally, Clydebuilt, my usually reference source the specifics...

Continue Reading

The Cunard liner the Queen Victoria arrived in Greenock yesterday. She was joined by the Waverley and the Scotsman had a good picture today of the two of them showing the difference in sizes. The Queen Victoria is four times longer than the Waverley (pictured below)Interestingly the ship's website has a live webcam view from the bridge so you can see where she's...

Continue Reading

Two photos today of the same ship or are they?These are both photographs of the Empress of Australia, except one has three funnels and one only has two. To complicate things further there are two Empress of Australia's built in a similar period working as passenger liners for the Canadian Pacific Line.There is a 1919 ship built in 1913 as the SS Tirpitz...

Continue Reading

The other week, we had a helpful comment appear for this image (shown below) on our flickr site.It suggested that these four vessels were steam lighters rather than barges as I had described them. Not being a ship expert, I had taken the description from the back of the photo and my understanding of the difference between lighters and barges was that they...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is of the Eddystone built by D & W Henderson in 1927 for the Clyde Shipping Co. Ltd.Specification details are available here.During the second world war, she was used as a convoy rescue ship from June 1943 and she sailed with 24 convoys and rescued 64 survivors.* The picture below shows her fitted out and repainted for this service.* Figures taken...

Continue Reading

Glasgow Life is the new website for museums, libraries, archives and sport in Glasgow. The Archive pages have some lovely pictures on them and information about their collections, several of which have passed through the Ballast Trust at some point, for example:The Clyde Navigation Trust (inc Clyde Pilotage Authority which was recently returned)Shipbuilding Collections (inc Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd, Langmuir Collection, Fairfield...

Continue Reading

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the rescue and return of the SS Great Britain from the Falklands to the UK. The BBC is showing a programme tonight (only in on BBC One West) called 'when Brunel's ship came home' but it will be available on the iplayer for the rest of the country to watch.The BBC Archive site has a video...

Continue Reading

More supplies we received this week!This time it was some wonderful moo cards to replenish our stock of business cards and allow us to include all our links on them this time now the website, blog and flickr pages are up and running.I also ordered some postcards with a blurb about what we do and who we are on the back to give...

Continue Reading

Built by Napier & Miller in Old Kilpatrick, the Eagle III was a paddle steamer launched in 1910 and originally owned by Buchanan Steamers.In the First World War she was used as a minesweeper by Admiralty and in the Second World War took part in the Dunkirk evacuation as HMS Oriole. When interestingly she was deliberately ran aground by her skipper to allow...

Continue Reading

On Wednesday our new shelves for the workroom arrived from BiGDUG, I had ordered 18 bays and was expecting them to take up quite a lot of room while we assembled them and cleared some space for them but when they arrived they were all on one pallet like this: From Blog at the Ballast And now thanks to someone more expert than...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is of the Duchess of Fife, a paddle steamer built by Barclay Curle & Co. Ltd in 1903.She worked the Gourock to Kyles run for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company.Specification details can be found here. ...

Continue Reading

This week we've filled another skip with the last of the dump pile and as you can see several metal filing cabinets which we seem to have stashed everywhere.There's definitely at least another skip's worth of rubbish to go but there's also quite a few items that we can't use but it would be a shame to throw them out so we'll be...

Continue Reading

Today's photo is a lighter built by J & J Hay of Kirkintilloch called DRUID.Hay built two lighters called Druid, one in 1899 and one in 1905. This picture is of the later one and the specifications details of it can be found on the Clydebuilt site here. ...

Continue Reading

Friday photo is not changing to puppy of the week but it so happens that today's choice of ship shares its name with a breed of terrier - the Dandie Dinmont. The dog breed is named after a "jovial farmer" who appears in the Walter Scott novel Guy Mannering, perhaps the ship was too...Regardless, it is now my new favourite name for a...

Continue Reading

Our Volunteer Policy was approved by the Trustees yesterday so we now have an official statement of what we can offer volunteers and what we would expect from them.We're very fortunate to have three great volunteers already at the Trust who between them must know everything there is about railways and locomotives. However, we still have plenty of work for new volunteers and...

Continue Reading

A little update on where we are with our archive pace setter scheme project. I posted about it here when we were awarded pace setter status. But I never really explained it on the blog, although the project plan is available on our website here.Basically the project is going to test our use of the Archivists Toolkit (AT) by using it to catalogue...

Continue Reading