Forty-three years ago, the last ocean liner to be built in the UK, Queen Elizabeth 2, was launched into the River Clyde at the former John Brown Shipyard, then called Upper Clyde Shipbuilders after consolidation.
Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II named the ship, famously calling her "Queen Elizabeth, the second," and then pushed the button to release the ship down the slipway. After several seconds of delay, and a nudge from a hydraulic ram added to the slipway to ensure the ship would move, she began her decent down the slipway, out into the Clyde.
Due to her length, she carried on into the River Cart opposite the yard, as the previous Queens and countless other ships had done many years ago.
Queen Elizabeth 2 would spend an additional 18 months in the fitting out basin and in sea trials before Cunard would accept the ship for service. The maiden voyage was delayed, reluctantly by Cunard.
Steam turbine problems delayed acceptance along with labor problems that persisted in the yard. Despite all this, Clydebank built a fine ship, the likes of which we will never see built in the once great yards of the Clyde again
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/exhibitions/qe2/qe2photogallery1/ - All photos except the first two, which I thougth were from that site , but apparently not.
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