Maintenance on board

 

Rusting handrail on portside fo'c's'le.

Example of neglect

Although the Queen Mary is Long Beach's number 1 tourist attraction, the ship's care is not given such a high priority.

The Base Maintenance Plan was drawn up by a city appointed engineer to establish guidelines for the Queen Mary's operation. When ownership of the historic property was transferred to the City of Long Beach from the Port in 1992, sufficient funds were allocated for immediately needed repairs and maintenance.

Some of the unremedied maintenance concerns of the Queen Mary.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge images.
Duct tape and newsprint replace section of golden onyx on First Class Main Lounge torchiere. First Class Main Lounge door with gouged veneer. (See red arrow.) Rain damage evident on First Class Main Lounge ceiling. This occurred FOLLOWING deck 'restoration' in 2001. More water damage in the First Class Smoking Lounge ceiling.
Prom Deck sidelight (window), forward on the starboard side has crack running entire length. Glass thickness is .750 of an inch. Crow's nest shows severe oxidation underneath. View of structural deterioration around bridge wing on the port side. Peeling paint on forward superstructure below wheelhouse.
Buckling linoleum in officers' quarters beneath wheelhouse. 'Tween decks of officers' quarters display area. Chartroom ceiling. Tourist Class Dining area used for storage. Paneled bulkheads are severely damaged.
Gaps opening around First Class Swimming Pool cofferdam. Taken in 1996. Evident cracks and bulges indicate structural stresses. This is known as hogging. Tiled floor in women's forward A-Deck lavy indicates hogging. This was noted in the Rados Report of 1992. Rivet heads in the shaft tunnel at frame 27.
Inside of stem casting on the port side of E-Deck. Picture taken circa 1994. Plywood was bolted down to steel deck and covered with planed teak planks. Closer view of this technique; photographs from May, 2001. Planks on fo'c's'le lifting and deteriorating. Cigarette butt is left on deck.

 

What's wrong here and how can I fix it? Just click and read.What's wrong here and how can I fix it? Just click and read.
Restoration crew of the S.S. Great Britain in Bristol learned that plywood, laid down between the steel deck and teakwood planks, retained moisture. Plywood is composed of wood layers which expand when wet. This eventually displaces the planks covering it. Additives used to flatten and bond the veneers release caustic compounds when moist. This causes the steel deck beneath to oxidize (rust). Click on picture to read more. Rivetheads crumbled under the pressure of a firm grip in 1993. Condition of rivets in starboard shaft tunnel at frame 27 was specifically detailed in the Rados Report in 1992 (structural marine survey). For detailed remedy, please click on photo and view website for rivet repair techniques.

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