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LONDON
DUCK TOURS
This
tour in a nicely converted DUKW takes around 75 minutes. In this bus on the land,
or boat in the river, London Duck Tours will guide you around the City of London
in style. They will show you around the original London, or Londinium, as the Romans named it over 2000 years ago. An ancient city with layer upon layer of history, drama and world renowned landmarks! An ever changing metropolis with sky scraping office blocks and secret underground treasures.
To start they give you one of the best views in London – the majestic sweep of the Thames as seen from Waterloo Bridge. Then we’ll whisk you past Covent Garden and along the elegant thoroughfare of Fleet Street, birthplace of British journalism, the Royal Courts of Justice and home of the infamous demon barber Sweeney Todd! Then we’ll waddle up Ludgate Hill to Wren’s magnificent domed masterpiece St Paul’s Cathedral. This is the heart of the old city where fire and finance rub shoulders: the Great Fire of London started here in 1666, standing right beside the classical grandeur of the Bank of England and Royal Exchange, where Bankers have traded and schemed for centuries.
And then over London Bridge into Southwark, once notorious as a haven for theatre, vice and general after hours naughtiness! This is the old stomping ground of the Great Bard himself,
William
Shakespeare, and the location of some of Dickens most famous works! Admire the mighty Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast before heading past the Imperial War Museum to James Bond’s HQ, MI6 for our famous Splashdown….because as you know, nobody does it better than London Duck Tours!
THE
SPLASH - The amphibious tour bus enters the River Thames. This is the
moment that all the passengers have been waiting for, but with the
reported sinkings, the trip enters into a new dimension, adding a little
spice as to whether or not the excursion will end with a swim to the river
banks.
DAILY
MAIL 15 JUNE 2013 - AMPHIBIOUS DUCK BUS SINKS IN ALBERT DOCK TWICE
Tourist terror as amphibious duck bus carrying 31 people sinks in Liverpool's Albert Dock for the SECOND time in three months
Screaming children were among 31 people who had to be rescued yesterday when an amphibious tourist bus sank within minutes of entering a dock.
The terrified passengers were plunged into the water in Liverpool’s Albert Dock after the Yellow Duckmarine’s ‘splash down’ landing went wrong.
Coastguards arrived to rescue passengers from the freezing cold water just before 4pm as locals tried to help on nearby barges
The Royal Liverpool Hospital treated 17 people following the incident - the youngest was just two-years-old and the eldest was in their sixties.
This is the second time this year that the Yellow Duckmarine amphibious bus has sunk while driving from the dockside into the water.
Kayak instructor Liam Langley, 18, was teaching a group of teenagers when he was alerted to reports of distress on his
radio.
He said: 'Our group paddled over to help but were told emergency services were on the
way.
'The Duckmarine looked top heavy when it went in the water, like its buoyancy had gone and it just went down like a lead balloon.'
Another eyewitness Tim Olsen said: 'It only took about four minutes to go down. The police, ambulance and air ambulance services arrived on the scene quickly'.
Large crowds gathered around the scene in front of Salthouse Dock, a busy shopping area, as 19 ambulances and a
Royal Navy air rescue helicopter arrived.
A spokeswoman for the North West Ambulance Service said: 'Police are continuing to search the water just to see if there is anybody else affected and we are on stand-by.
Some of the passengers were treated for shock but no other major injuries have been reported.
Salvage crews have now managed to retrieve the vessel out of the water.
The future of the boats has been brought into question as another Yellow Duckmarine tour boat sank in March this year.
The climax of the tour is intended to be the moment when the boat moves from land to water but the company's permission to take the boats into the river was suspended while a safety investigation was carried out.
The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson tweeted this afternoon: 'I will not make any official comment on future of these ducks until we know people are all ok.'
One angry Twitter user from Liverpool wrote: 'questions for regulators after 2nd
sinking today e.g why probe into 1st sinking not revealed before tours restarted?'
Another wrote: 'Can't see Liverpool Duck tours surviving after another vehicle sank today, Obviously no longer safe.'
Their four boats are adapted from World War Two landing vehicles. Between 700 and 1,000 are currently thought to still exist.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have previously been passengers on the Yellow Duckmarine, when they toured Merseyside as part of the Diamond Jubilee tour last year.
Other high-profile passengers include Richard Branson and Sir Paul McCartney.
A spokesman for Yellow Duckmarine said: 'We are working closely with our regulatory body, The Maritime & Coastguard Agency and Merseyside Police.
'The craft involved in the incident holds a valid passenger carrying certificate.
'The craft has now been recovered and following consultation with MCA it has been taken to a place of safe and secure storage in order that a full investigation can take place. That will continue tomorrow morning.
'Our team followed their emergency response procedure, ensuring the safe disembarkation of passengers on board.
'We were aided in this regard by a number of canal boat owners berthed in Salthouse Dock to whom we would like to express our thanks.'
ROYAL
TOUR - The Queen takes a ride on the Thames with her husband, Prince
Philip. They both love nautical curiosities, presumably stemming from
British maritime tradition and the fact that the Prince was a Navy man.
With all the security it is just as well that this trip went without a
hitch.
BUDAPEST - The
Riverride is also a popular sightseeing land tour in Budapest.
ABOUT RIVERRIDE THE FLOATING BUS
The RiverRide floating bus resembles the Millennium Underground line in
that both are yellow, both operate in Budapest and it is claimed that both were the first of
their kind in continental Europe.
This floating bus started its conquering journey 113 years after the
"little" underground. Many people think that the greatest advantage
of this bus is that we can wade into the Danube and navigate a tour.
It’s possibly even more important that we can also get out of it. When
you see this bus on the water please don't call the emergency services to
tell that that there is a yellow bus floating in the Danube, because this is the bus that can swim in the
Danube.
Befor this tour splashes into the water, the guide shows you Budapest’s places of interest on dry land.
Riverride departs from Széchenyi István Square (formerly Roosevelt Square) near the Academy Of Sciences,
taking the Akadémia Street-Garibaldi Street-Nádor Street-József Attila Street route to reach the „Little Boulevard”.
It
then goes to the Synagogue in Dohány Street, then hurries on to Andrássy Avenue. Before reaching Heroes’ Square
you will see the Opera House, with stories about the Oktogon, about Kodály Circus and about the past and the present of Andrássy Avenue. Turning on to Dózsa György Road
the tour bus targets the Danube, meanwhile sharing a few interesting facts about the Zoo and the amphibious
bus.
After the splash
you will descend below the Parliament, in between you will see Margaret Island, Margaret Bridge, the Royal Palace, the Parliament, the Chain Bridge and of course the Danube which divides Budapest in half. On the way back those who have learnt a thing or two about the amphibious bus, can win gifts. After reaching the shore
you will travel towards Széchenyi István Square through the Pest lower quayside. In the case of dry land road blockages and high water level the route of the tour can change.
RIVER RIDE CONTACT DETAILS
5. district, 7/8 Széchenyi István Square 7/8 (volt Roosevelt tér)
Phone: +36 1 33 22 555
Fax: +36 1 30 22 768
E-mail: info@riverride.com
GROUP RESERVATION
Phone: +36 1 35 43 939
Fax: +36 1 30 22 768
E-mail: info@riverride.com
OFFICE
5. district, 1. Akadémia St.
Opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm
BETTER -
That's more like it. The shark vinyl graphics are much better, but you
don't get any great
whites in rivers in Europe.
A
BUS ON THE CLYDE - The amphibious bus (or coach) takes to the murky
waters of the famous river. The vehicle has a wheelbase of 6.8 m, is 13.80 m
long and 2.55 m wide. She is 3.8 m high with a kerb weight og 22.000 kg.
The bus is powered by a Volvo DH12E six cylinder diesel engine.
The Amfibus is
a 55 seat amphibious bus which was considered as a replacement for the Renfrew Ferry across the River Clyde.
The Amfibus is based on a Volvo chassis and made by Dutch Amphibious Transport Vehicles BV, Nijmegen, Gelderland. Each Amfibus costs Ł700,000.
Propulsion in the water is by water jets. The Amfibus is capable of 60 mph (97 km/h) on land and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) on water.
When SPT ceased to operate the Renfrew Ferry on 31 March 2010, one option for replacement was the Amfibus, capable of both driving on the road and sailing across the river. The Amfibus had previously been trialled by Splashtours in Rotterdam Harbour, where it successfully coped with the wash from tugs and cargo ships. Trials on the Clyde took place on 8 and 9 February 2010. It was not without problems as one of the bus' airbags worked loose. The Amfibus was not selected to continue the service. However, in July 2011 a similar vehicle started a tourist cruise service running direct from Schiphol airport to the Amsterdam canals.
The contract to run the Renfrew Ferry was awarded to Silvers Marine, of Rosneath, who took over the running of the ferry from 1 April 2010 using fast
boats making the river bus a non contender. Stagecoach proposed operating the Amfibus on a route between Braehead and Clydebank, entering and leaving the Clyde via existing slipways at Renfrew and
Yoker.
DAILY
MAIL 9 FEB 2010 - AMPHIBIOUS BUS BREAK DOWN
Land ahoy! Amphibious bus plan sinks after floating coach breaks down just 60 minutes into test run
An amphibious bus that can travel on water and roads was grounded today - less than an hour after taking to the water.
Trials of the 'amfibus' on the River Clyde had to be abandoned because of a technical problem.
Operators Stagecoach were carrying out a two-day test and demonstration of the bus between Renfrew and Yoker this morning.
But the trial was interrupted on the second run when the bus developed a problem with its suspension as it drove up the slipway at Renfrew.
The tests may continue later today or tomorrow once engineers have resolved the glitch.
Stagecoach spokesman Steve Stewart said: 'We had a couple of trips very smoothly back and forward across the Clyde but when we came back on one of the journeys part of the suspension which involves an airbag popped out so we are going to have to do some work to put that back in.
'But it's all part of the challenges that you face when you have a technical trial and that will go back into the evaluation process.'
Stagecoach had intended to have two hours of tests this morning but had to stop after half an hour.
Based on a bus chassis, the amfibus uses a hull that allows the vehicle to float. While it operates like a normal coach on the road, when it is in water it is driven by twin water jets and can achieve a speed of eight knots.
The Ł700,000 Dutch-made vehicle can carry 50 passengers and may replace the ferry service between Renfrew and Yoker, which is to be scrapped to save money.
LEISURE
VEHICLE - A leisure vehicle becomes regular transport the moment that
it keeps to timetables and operates routinely without undue down time.
The 500-year-old service will stop running in March because operators Strathclyde Partnership for Transport said it needs to save money.
An amfibus has never been used in the UK for commuters. The technology has only been used for leisure and excursions, Stagecoach said.
Mr Stewart said: 'We though that the bus would be particularly suited to linking the two sides of the Clyde where you can have one seamless journey from one side to the other.
'We often look at our rivers and estuaries and see them as a bit of a barrier to travel but we actually think they can be a link between two communities.
'This service we think has got big potential.'
The amfibus would use slipways at Renfrew and Yoker although they would need to be extended beyond the sill at the end of the ramps so it can work at all tide levels.
Stagecoach has already tested the amfibus in Rotterdam, where it said the vehicle performed well. It is also involved in a joint project with New York Waterways operating an amfibus which does leisure trips on the Hudson River in New York.
ABOUT THE
OCEAN BUS
You can experience Stockholm from both land and water in one single vehicle - an amphibious bus! You will get to see many of
Stockholm's most known attractions whilst our guide tells fun and interesting stories along the way.
The tour start at Djurgardsbron - the main bridge to the island of Djurgarden and takes approximately 75 minutes
from beginning to end.
75
MINUTES
- Their trip is also a 75 minute adventure on water. This was the original
vinyl graphics that we think were improved with the photo real shark, but
perhaps could still be better.
JAWS -
The shark teeth are gone, replaced by a photo of a real denizen of
the ocean.
STOCKHOLM -
Not strictly accurate, in that this bus is not ocean crossing capable, but
maybe a short trip along the coastline. Regardless of that teensy
marketing fopar, the converted coach looks like a fun way to see the
sights.
MILITARY
AMPHIBIANS - Armies around the world have been fascinated by
amphibious vehicles, some of which serve a useful purpose, but today are
mainly outdated curiosities. Even in their heyday they had limited
success. The FV 620 Stalwart, informally known by servicemen as the 'Stolly', is a highly mobile amphibious military truck built by Alvis that served with the British Army from 1966 until the 1980s.
The Stalwart could carry 5 tonnes of stores, or tow 10 tonnes. In the water it could be driven at about 6 knots by vectored thrust water-jet propulsion units.
MOST
POPULAR -
This WWII VW Schwimmwagen 4x4 from Germany holds the record for the most
produced amphibious vehicle ever. It is a superb example of good design,
based on the legendary VW Beetle running gear, but without the flat
floorpan that proved to be unsuitable for boating adaptation. The example
above is a beautifully painted example in great condition, for a 73 year
old vehicle - and trendy with it. As with most military vehicles, while it
is an outstanding design exercise, they were very slow in the water. In
fact the infantrymen it was supposed to have transported across river
would have done better wading across.
LINKS
& REFERENCE Daily
Mail Land-ahoy-Amphibious-bus-plan-sinks-floating-coach-breaks-down Trip
advisor attraction_reviews Ocean_Bus_Stockholm Wikipedia
Amfibus
Daily
mail UK news
tourist-terror-amphibious-duck-bus-carrying-31-people-sinks-Liverpools-Albert-Dock-SECOND-time-months London
duck tours UK River
ride http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1249388/Land-ahoy-Amphibious-bus-plan-sinks-floating-coach-breaks-down.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g189852-d7131161-Reviews-Ocean_Bus_Stockholm-Stockholm.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amfibus
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2342226/Tourist-terror-amphibious-duck-bus-carrying-31-people-sinks-Liverpools-Albert-Dock-SECOND-time-months.html
https://www.londonducktours.co.uk/
http://riverride.com/about_us/
AMPHIBIOUS
LAUNCH - AMPHIMAX
- CAB
- CHASSIS
- DIESELS -
FLOATATION - HYDRAULICS
- LAUNCH
SITE - MODEL
1/20 - TIMETABLE -
TRACKS
- TRAILER
- THRUSTERS - WHEELS
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