In 1873 a company was formed to construct the first railway across Canada. It soon branched out into shipping, chartering ships from the Cunard Line for service between Vancouver, Yokohama, Shanghai and Hong Kong. In 1889 Canadian Pacific would be awarded the mail contract for the service across the Pacific and, by 1903, they would purchase Elder Dempster & Company and begin sailing from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal. They obtained control of the Atlantic, rail and Pacific routes, and later interest in the Canadian-Australasian Line, becoming 'the world's greatest transportation system', bridging two oceans and linking four continents. Canada's largest operator of Atlantic and Pacific steamships until after the Second World War, CP Ships boasted such names as Empress of Britain, Empress of Ireland and Empress of Canada. This new history of the shipping side of Canadian Pacific includes a wealth of illustrations and a detailed fleet list that will enthral maritime enthusiasts.

Sealink's antecedents go back to the packet boats of the days before steam. The invention of the steam engine greatly assisted the development of the railways and led to the growth of the packet boats. The private railway companies recognised the need for an integrated transport system which included operating services across the sea routes. The Big Four railway companies were nationalised in 1948 and their shipping services came under the control of the British Transport ommission. In 1968 a Shipping and International Services Division of the British Railways Board was formed. This separate division operated under the brand name of Sealink. In 1979 the assets of the Shipping and International Services Division were transferred to Sealink UK Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary company. With a wealth of previously unpublished images, Ian Collard tells the fascinating story of this unique shipping company.

In the late 1960s, P&O established ferry services in the North Sea and English Channel. Roll-on/roll-off operations and containerisation were introduced and new ships, facilities and investment was needed to take advantage of developments. What followed was several decades of growth, buyouts and divisions. The twenty-first century saw the closure of several routes as the ferries saw increased competition from low-cost airline and the Channel Tunnel. Throughout this period, P&O attracted a loyal customer base and became one of the most recognisable names on the sea. Utilising a selection of rare and previously unpublished images, maritime historian Ian Collard delves into the story of this iconic company and its ships.

Ellerman Lines was formed by John Reeves Ellerman at the end of the nineteenth century. Ellerman left home at age 14, and at 24 he established J. Ellerman & Co. in London; by 1893, he had been appointed chair of a shipping company. Following the acquisition of various companies, Ellerman Lines Ltd was formed on 22 January 1902, becoming one of the greatest shipping lines in the world. Services were offered to the Mediterranean, India, South America and East and South Africa as the Ellerman group grew and grew. Ellerman Lines traded successfully throughout war and peace, heavily involved in the war effort, until the third quarter of the century, when many countries gained their independence from Britain and 1960s containerisation saw this once great shipping line close for good. Using many previously unpublished photographs illustrating the different types of vessels owned by Ellerman Lines, experienced maritime author Ian Collard turns his attention to the company's history, from its establishment in 1886 until the shipping business was bought by its management in 1985. It was then sold to the Trafalgar House conglomerate, which merged it with its ownership of the Cunard Line to form Cunard-Ellerman in 1987. In 1991 it passed to the Andrew Weir Shipping Group and in 2003 the Mediterranean, Middle East, African, Indian and Pakistan services were acquired by Hamburg Sud and the Ellerman brand was replaced by them exactly two years later.

In this book, Ian Collard uses his collection of rare and previously unpublished images to tell the story of the Irish sea ports located on the River Mersey and River Dee. The history of these ports stretches back hundreds of years. The Mersey Docks & Harbour Board took control in 1858, and a variety of boards and groups have controlled various elements along both the Mersey and Dee ever since. Illustrated profusely throughout, this book tells the fascinating history of these hubs of business and activity.

The major company in the short-sea passenger and freight business in 2020 is the Swedish Stena Line, who operate services to Europe, Scandinavia and Ireland from United Kingdom ports. The company was founded in 1962 by Sten A. Olsson in Gothenburg, Sweden, and was one of the first ferry operators in Europe to introduce a computer-based reservation system. In the 1980s, Stena took over three other ferry companies and their ships. Various other acquisitions followed, including the Harwich to Hook of Holland route The company doubled in size in 1990 following its takeover of Sealink British Ferries and Sea Containers. The company became Sealink Stena Line, then Stena Sealink Line, and finally Stena Line. With a wealth of rare and previously unpublished images, Ian Collard celebrates this famous company.

Founded in 1838 in Liverpool, the Pacific Steam Navigation Company was the first to operate steamships in the Pacific and primarily traded from the UK to the Pacific coasts of South America. Its most famous ships included the Reina del Pacifico and the Reina del Mar. With a line of notable firsts to its name, the Pacific Steam Navigation Company name had disappeared by 1984, part of the rationalization of Furness Withy Group. In 1990, Furness Withy itself was sold to Hamburg Sud, another line which had operated on the South Atlantic and Pacific routes. Many in Liverpool and in South and Central America, from Panama to Tierra del Fuego have fond memories of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company and this history and fleet list will bring back memories of those vessels of the line, both deep sea and coastal, which once operated on the South American run.

The Cunard Line's Britannia was the first steamship to establish regular communication across the Atlantic. She sailed on her maiden voyage on 4 July 1840, setting in motion the first regular steamship line. Iron supplanted wood in hull construction and the screw propeller was gradually replacing the paddle wheel. The line became a public company in 1878 and became the Cunard Steam Ship Company Ltd. The construction of many famous ships such as Mauretania, Lusitania, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth followed, and the company continued to trade in profit until the introduction of the jet aircraft in the 1960s and 1970s. Following various restructuring and takeovers, the Cunard Line was acquired by the Carnival Corporation and now offers cruises on the Three Queens. Utilising many rare and unpublished images, Ian Collard offers a superbly illustrated look at the cruise ships operated by Cunard. Included here are images of the ships in many guises and liveries, with comprehensive annotation of these iconic liners.

A history of Isle of Man shipping

Over the course of 100 years, the Isle of Man developed from a collection of fishing villages into one of the main holiday destinations for people working in the Lancashire mills and coal mines. Hotels and other holiday accommodation were built and developed during the late Victorian era and people travelled to the Island by steamer from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. This influx of holiday makers brought great prosperity to the Island, which was also boosted by the annual TT motorcycle races. Illustrated with over 150 archive images, this collection of photographs and postcards provides a nostalgic insight into the changing history of the Isle of Man over the last century. Each image is accompanied by a detailed caption, bringing the past to life and describing many aspects of life on the Island, including work, recreation and leisure. This book will appeal to everyone with an interest in the history of the Isle of Man, and also awaken memories of a bygone time for those who worked, lived or have ever visited the Island.

Cammell Laird's shipyard has brought tremendous benefit to the social and economic fabric of the area. For Ian Collard, who grew up in the Wirrall, it was a place he always imagined being there. However, severe competition from European and Far Eastern shipyards and the move to 'high technology' employment threatened its future. Furthermore, yards like Cammell Laird suffered when the size, type and numbers of naval ships were reduced. Ian Collard's interest in ships and shipping developed over the years as he witnessed the launch of many famous, illustrious ships, such as the Mauretania. He takes us on a voyage of discovery with absorbing captions to over 100 photographs of the vessels at Cammell Laird and the yard itself, which will appeal to ship enthusiasts and local people alike.

The history of the great shipping groups of the nineteenth century is about family dynasties, business acumen, investment, risk taking and entrepreneurial skills. It is about everything that epitomises the Victorian age. Men of vision identified market trends and gaps in the provision of shipping services throughout the world. They were responsible for initiating routes that were that were to develop and blossom providing them with excellent returns on their original investment. The main British shipping lines in this book, including among others Brocklebank, Cunard, Blue Funnel, Booth, Elder Dempster, Ellerman, Hall Lines, Lamport Holt and Cayzer, Irvine had their origins in Liverpool, once the premier port in the United Kingdom. Head offices were located in Merseyside as were many ancillary departments. Over the past four decades the shape of British Shipping has changed and some of the established shipping lines that had been in business since Victorian times did not survive and many of the names in this book are now a memory of a different age. Others have been taken over by larger groups and their names have gradually vanished from the shipping records as their ships have been replaced or renamed. It was difficult to imagine in the 1960s that the shipping scene would change so dramatically in such a relatively period. Liverpool's Shipping Groups is a celebration of a period that will not be forgotten by anyone with an interest in ships and the sea.

The busy River Mersey and its two ports, Liverpool and Birkenhead, have seen great changes in recent years. In Mersey Ports - Liverpool and Birkenhead, Ian Collard charts the developments that have taken place in maritime life on the Mersey, from the 1950s and 1960s through to the present day. Ships of all shapes and sizes have been found on the Mersey, from the old Mersey ferries and the motor ferries that replaced them, to huge passenger liners and container ships. as well as tall ships, tugs and seacats. All of them feature in this detailed photographic history. A host of international shipping companies are represented, including Blue Funnel, Ellerman, Harrison and Elder Dempster lines. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. wintered its fleet in Morpeth Dock at Birkenhead, and Princes Landing Stage was once the focal point of activity at the docks, as passenger liners queued to berth.