THE CHAOTIC CASE OF THE SLOW-MOVING PROPELLER

This photo appeared in the Daily Telegraph a few days ago recording the start of an 18-hour, 79-mile journey for what was thought to be the heaviest load ever to go on Britain’s roads.

 

 The 600-tonne monster truck and trailer was transporting an electrical component from Tilbury to Millbrook Power Station in Bedfordshire.  

 

Can’t imagine this on Cornwall’s roads somehow, can you, especially if Satnav was taking it down some of our lanes.

 

However . . . there was an epic, slow-moving, heavy-load journey down to Falmouth that attracted much press coverage back in the early 1960s.

 

I told the tale in Reflections*, a collection of my Falmouth Packet columns of the same name, accompanied by original Brian Thomas cartoons and published in 2014.

 

Here they are, the column and its cartoons (three pages-worth):--

 

By way of a change, I bring you today The Chaotic Case Of The Slow-Moving Propeller, as featured in the Packet and the national press 50 years ago. 

 

In those dim, distant days, there was much less motorway across England and precious little dual carriageway in Devon and Cornwall.  That spelt trouble for the delivery by road of a 35-ton propeller from Birkenhead to Falmouth Docks. 

 

The journey took 16 days – twice as long as planned – and caused a big delay in work on the BP tanker British Lantern.

 

Attracting wrath and publicity all along the way, the snail-pace transporter was hauled along by “the drivers and crews” of two tractors.

 

“It went relatively smoothly until Devon,” said Dennis Proffit, one of the drivers, “but oh, those narrow, hilly Devon roads.”

 

By Exeter, with holiday traffic building up, an extra heavy traction vehicle was hired.  In Truro, the propeller was hauled up Lemon Street – yes, Lemon Street - “at no more than walking pace.” 

 

Exactly why it had to come by road, with long spells in lay-bys, was a mystery.  The Birkenhead firm responsible refused to comment, and Falmouth Docks had “absolutely no control” over its dispatch.

 

Mr  R J Veal, of Coast Lines Ltd (remember them, with their coasters coming up Penryn River?), said they could easily have transported it by sea, in just three days.

 

There would have been no need for the additional costs in terms of police escorts, long delays for motorists and goods vehicles, the unexpected hire of another vehicle, and “damage caused en route.”

 

And the Packet gave the last word to Mr Proffit: “Just let my wife suggest coming to Cornwall for a holiday after this lot!”

 

 * I am reproducing extracts from Reflections – the columns and cartoons – on an occasional basis throughout this year to mark the 10^th anniversary of my retirement and the start of my fund-raising for Cancer Research UK. To date, I have donated around £25,000 to the charity from the sale of my books and, latterly, my paintings.

 

For previous extracts from Reflections, see blog dated December 30, January 12 and 26, February 27.