Concorde's final journey - 1st stage successful
The Terra Marique loaded with Concorde GB-OAA successfully completed its journey down the river Thames on Tuesday and is now heading out into the North Sea en route to Scotland.
The movement took place amidst a blaze of media coverage as the Terra Marique paused outside the Houses of Parliament to give the London public a farewell glimpse of the iconic aircraft. The Terra Marique’s unique moveable roadway was employed to lift the 110 tonne trailer and Concord 6.5metres from the base of the hold and above the level of the vessel’s side.
The journey from Isleworth Quay, West London, to Dartford, Kent, was a complex and challenging operation. The Terra Marique had to pass under 25 bridges, with clearance agreed with the Port of London Authority to be a minimum of 1 metre headroom and 0.5 metre below the keel. The movement had been planned in meticulous detail and, since this is the largest vessel ever to have sailed such distance up the Thames, the outbound movement was programmed to ensure tidal conditions were optimal.
Concorde had been disassembled due to road routing and aircraft integrity issues and was of such a size to fit entirely inside the hold of the Terra Marique. The tail was removed to permit passage underneath overhead structures. If moved by road, it would have had to be further dismantled, complicating the already lengthy process of reassembling the aircraft at the National Museum of Flight in East Fortune, Scotland.
The passage along the Thames was completed with the hatch covers of the Terra Marique removed to maximise clearances underneath the bridges. However, before heading out to sea, the hatch covers will be put in place to protect Concorde from the elements. The lowest bridge, Hammersmith, was successfully negotiated at 23 20 on Monday the 12th April. Earlier on that evening, Kew, Chiswick and Barnes bridges had been negotiated with several hundred spectators cheering the passage of the Terra Marique and her very special cargo as she made her way downstream.
Weather condition permitting, it is anticipated that the Concorde will arrive at Torness Nuclear Power Station in Scotland on 18th April and then be transported by road, along the A1, to its new home.
for further information