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The Atlantic Steam Navigation company commenced operations with the chartered tank landing craft Empire Cedric between the Lancashire port of
Preston and Larne in May 1948. Her success saw the further charters of the
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just lorries but had sufficient headroom of their vehicle decks to accommodate a double decker bus. Government requirements meant that the vehicle decks were strengthened to carry tanks in case of future emergencies and up to twenty containers could be carried on their upper decks. First and Second Class accommodation for |
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Empire Doric, Empire Gaelic and Empire Cymric
and the opening of a second link to Belfast by the
'Gaelic' in 1950.
During 1956 the entire fleet of LSTs (Landing Ship
(Tank)) was requisitioned by the Government
during the Suez Crisis and chartered German
ships were hastily introduced to keep the services
going while in the following year the company
acquired their first purpose-built ships. A product
of the Wm. Denny & Bros. yard at Dumbarton the
Bardic Ferry and Ionic Ferry were the World's first
commercial roll on - roll off vessels and carried not |
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55 passengers was provided, each with their own dining rooms and lounges.
A splendid looking lorry of The Bentley Tileries Ltd.
Group on board one of the early LSTs of the Company. |
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