Duke of Lancaster

[Tonysmedley]

Is the beached ship, the Duke of Lancaster, included in the North Wales Coast MSTS route?
Perhaps following the success of the “Lydia”, a disused ferry which was deliberately beached at les Barcares in the South of France and used as an entertainment centre, a Liverpool company bought the no longer required Irish ferry the “Duke of Lancaster” and beached it near Mostyn on the North Wales coast around 1979.
Intended as a an entertainment centre and market the project was a failure and the ship has remained at its site for more than 30 years, slowly decaying. It would probably not now be economic to dismantle it for scrap. One problem is that the only road access is by a low brifdge under the railway!

[alexnick]

I can confirm that it was included in the MSTS route scenery. It looked very weird the first time I saw it as I'd never heard about it before.

AN

[terrycunliffe]

I drive past it virtually every week, and it is, as you say, slowly decaying.
Saying that, I've seen some pictures somewhere, of the interior, which appeared to be in reasonable condition.

How they will ever scrap / dispose of it would be interesting to learn, as I understand that the lower hull was pumped full of concrete after it was 'beached' for extra stability.

[Tonysmedley]

The “Lydia”, beached at the French Mediterranean resort of Barcares was originally the “Moonta”, built in Denmark in 1931 for service in Australia.
In 1955 it was sold to a Greek company and renamed “Lydia” used as a feery between Beirut and Marseille.
After 1967 it changed hands several times before being beached at Barcares and converted into an entertainment centre with restaurants and a casino. I believe that it is still in service in that capacity. Although of modest tonnage – 2,600 tonnes gross -- it looks huge in its place near the top of the beach.

The “Duke of Lancaster”, a bigger ship, of 4,450 tonnes gross, seemed to have been cursed from the start of its intended role as a static entertainment centre. It is difficult to imagine any potential use for it and a shame that it is just going to become an eyesore.

Tony