# Titanic key sold for £90,000



## Gulpers (Sep 8, 2005)

BBC News report *here*. (==D) 

Anonymous telephone bidder - that Tmac1720 chap's got more money than sense! (Jester)


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## Cord (Sep 21, 2007)

Wow that's very interesting; Makes me want to play Titanic Adventure out of Time.


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## MikeK (Jul 3, 2007)

I find it hard to comprehend that a simple lock defeated the ingenuity of the crew of the Titanic. Surely on finding the locked box the normal solution would be some gentle probing with a knife etc or borrow a spare set of binoculars from the bridge. (Also, of course, the Mate always has a locker of spare keys) But then that would knock a few thousand off the auction value eh ?
Or maybe I'm being too cynical ..............(A) There again major misshapps often start from a sequence of minor events, so who knows ?
MikeK


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## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

Ray its Tom who sold it


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## Peter4447 (Jan 26, 2006)

It gives "For want of a nail the shoe was lost" a whole new meaning!

Peter4447(Smoke)


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## stevecz (Feb 12, 2005)

MikeK said:


> I find it hard to comprehend that a simple lock defeated the ingenuity of the crew of the Titanic. Surely on finding the locked box the normal solution would be some gentle probing with a knife etc or borrow a spare set of binoculars from the bridge. (Also, of course, the Mate always has a locker of spare keys) But then that would knock a few thousand off the auction value eh ?
> Or maybe I'm being too cynical ..............(A) There again major misshapps often start from a sequence of minor events, so who knows ?
> MikeK


I agree with you MikeK, someone has been conned out of £90,000, still he sounds as if he can afford it.


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

heh heh heh...TMacs got a dozen more keys like that for sale....LOL


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

Sussssh !! or everybody will want one (Jester) I've been up all night making the tags for the other keys I've just "found" for the fog locker and the sluice valve switchboard.(*)) 
I have to agree with the other lads, talk about a fool and his money soon being parted especially as the ships binoculars were not kept in a locker but on an open shelf above the signal flag locker on the bridge. In now appears the key tag, according to press reports had the inscription "crows nest telephone locker" where apparently they just happend to store the binoculars. Are we seriously expected to believe a simple wooden locker defeated the combined skills of the four carpenters on board as well as the Harland and Wolff party? somehow I can't see it can you? Any of us could take the ruddy door off in an emergency and get the chippy to make a new one. As a point of interest the bridge procedure was for the lookout to report to the bridge *before* taking up station to collect the binoculars *and* to have them adjusted prior to ascending to the crows nest. (These instructions were found in the H&W archives) I realise this is probably going to start a debate among the "Titanoracks" but is it possible perhaps that Fred Fleet was late for duty and decided to go straight to the crows nest hoping to "borrow" his reliefs binoculars however as his "mate" had signed them out and was therefore responsible for them refused and took them back down with him to the bridge as he went off duty. In any event all the bridge officers had their own binoculars.


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

I gather one of the next items to be auctioned off is the collision bulkhead from the Titantic, apparently it was to have been installed by the night shift, but they forgot and the foreman took it home with him to avoid any criticism; it has been lying in his garden shed all these years and is seeminfgly as good as new, in fact experts from the _Folk Museum_ allegedly report that it is such good condition, with the High Tensile Steel so perfect, it could have been made yesterday. ....


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## duquesa (Aug 31, 2006)

*titanic key*

Tonga, must be something about Houlder's training - I was mulling over putting something similar in print. Pipped to the post so I'll shut up. I just find it amazing that -- well it's all been said above. I actually have a bit of the "T" in my safe, but I think I mentioned that before.


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Duquesa, sorry about that - I know how tedious it can be to have written a long answer/comment only to post it and find someone has done likewise a minute before.


Houlders have a lot to answer for, apparently my sense of humour was normal before I joined the Firey Kipper Fleet.... (Jester)


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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

I have acquired a spare kick-start pedal for Titanic's main engine which was found in the fog locker just before departure and thown onto the quay where it was picked up by the great-uncle of a friend of a bloke down the pub who's nephew later found it in his granny's knitting bag when she was arrested for prostitution in Belfast. 

It will be going onto eBay next Sunday with a starting price of £10,000. If anyone wants to get in first please send me a PM and I will do you a deal for cash. Tmac has confirmed it is the genuine article and only wanted 3% commission - which I think was very reasonable.

Photo below:



Brian


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Clearly if it has been verified by Tmac, then that seems conclusive, but I cannot help but notice the colour of the cloth – Brian are you sure this is not a _Flue Stirrer_? – There were quite a few of these, but they were considered dangerous (or unfair depending on your background).


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## Santos (Mar 16, 2005)

Reminds me of a brake pedal off a winch Brian - I think you have been done - its not off the main engine, those pedals where 16 feet long with toe grippers so the stokers didnt fall off and brackets to hang their shovels whilst they jumped up and down in unison, - come to think of it, no it could not have been unison that union wasnt around then - anyway they jumped up and down together. I would suggest you have a Titanic winch brake pedal in immaculate condition, possibly mint condition. Could be worth a packet -- packet of Mints that is !!!!! (Jester) 

Chris.

PS I consider TMacs commission very reasonable under the cir***stances.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

dunno why they didnt just switch the radar on.............


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## captkenn (Aug 16, 2007)

sparkie2182 said:


> dunno why they didnt just switch the radar on.............


On the iceberg?


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

I still blame the lookouts on the iceburg..it was way off course anyway.


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## Philthechill (May 8, 2007)

If they'd postponed the maiden voyage, of Titanic, 'til now there wouldn't have been an accident as there wouldn't have been any ice-bergs around as they're all melting due to 'global-warming'. They MUST have known that there was a good chance of global-warming happening so why didn't they just delay the sailing for 95 years? Apart from owt else it would have saved that numpty, who bought that key, £90,000!!! Cheers Phil


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## MikeK (Jul 3, 2007)

Marvelous how a bit of cynicism has released such imaginative ways to get a liner sunk/relieve some d*ck-head of wads of money ! I didn't realize the hidden creative genius on the forum............or is it all true [=P] 
MikeK


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## Chouan (Apr 20, 2006)

Anyway, the "Expert" from my Mother-in-Law's Mail at the weekend said that if the lookout had had binoculars then the collision would never have happened. So there we are.


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

My mummy said that I would never amount to anything if I played with bad boys like you lot (Jester) Oh ye of little faith doubting Brian's kick start pedal and after he went to all the trouble of finding 100 year old plastic too (Jester) And as for that Tonga chap, I know for a fact he has a secret stash of sluice valves which he nicked from Houlders stores and is hoping to flog on e bay to boost his retirement fund.(Thumb)


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

MikeK said:


> Marvelous how a bit of cynicism has released such imaginative ways to get a liner sunk/relieve some d*ck-head of wads of money ! I didn't realize the hidden creative genius on the forum............or is it all true [=P]
> MikeK


Would we lie to you ???? (Smoke) Pssssst I've got a few genuine Titanic rivets for sale, stainless steel and complete with rust streaks, tenner each or six for fifty quid (Thumb)


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## MikeK (Jul 3, 2007)

Question...Where does the last rivet in a ship go ??

Answer..... In the last hole of course ! guffaw, guffaw (Jester) (Jester) 

I'll half a doz of each Mr T (==D) 

Mike


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## John Cassels (Sep 29, 2005)

In one of the Dutch national newspapers was an article today that reported
that this key was the key ( excuse the pun ) as to why the Titanic sank.
It is obvious that they copied it from some other source but their own
intepretations are a bit out of line.
Will send them an e-mail ( in English of course ) tomorrow and point out that
as we all know , the lack of binoculars had nothing to do with not sighting
the berg. Binoculars focus on the part of the horizon that you want to see
and do not give an overall picture.

RUUD , if you read , it was the "pers". I know it is a free newspaper but they
always advertise that they seek the truth.


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## SeaStoryWriter (Dec 31, 2006)

I just want to back up to that part about Irish lasses of dubious virtue. Did know a guy with a 'Titanic' plate once (with providence). It was replacement for turning the ship around in N.Y. and was apparently part of a shipment that was sent ahead-probably with Cunard. LOL WILL


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## Geoff_E (Nov 24, 2006)

Thanks guys!! I was away when the "key" story broke so initially missed the significance. I suppose we'll see the brass tags off the red and green oil cans for the navigation lights soon (Remember; bid late U may get a bargain!!)


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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

I got another lot to put on later if the kick-starter goes. It's an industrial-sized de-icer aerosol that never got loaded on board due to an administrative error.

One good squirt and the problem would have been fixed. 

Brian


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

Perhaps we could get together on this one Brian. I have the handle to the water brake device. Had it been fitted prior to sailing, and used on approach to the iceberg, steel sheets would have protruded from the ships bottom and stopped her very quickly.
The handle still has the "Armstrong" logo on it and the words "pull to stop".....Oh!...if only they had fitted it!


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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

Just occurred to me that if you totalled the sale price of all the crap allegedly related to Titanic that has been sold at auction it would be significantly 
more that the original building price. 

Also H&W could have made a packet out of "parts found in the warehouse", reproductions etc. 

Tmac missed out badly there - but who knows what he has under the bed (other than a pisspot that is!) waiting to go on sale. (Jester) 

Brian


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

How the hell do you know what I have under my bed ??(Smoke) anyway it's not a piss pot it's sluice valve cover.....so there (Jester)


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Tom, what you have overlooked is the fact that Brian came to visit you.... As you are well aware, Brian is not only an IT Wizard, he is an expert at his trade, and when you thought he was just kindly adding an extra little add-on to your MSN, he was adding a direct loop into the hard-drive with a camera embedded in your desk-top monitor, so he can keep any eye on what you are going – frankly, the reports we are getting of you and those replica sluice-vales have to be seen to believed.


Don't worry, he did the same to me and it took me a week to find the camera he left hidden in a hollowed out coconut. (Jester) 

Mark


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

Ahhh that explains it all now Mark (Smoke) many thanks for the heads up. I was wondering how that bounder was so well informed regarding my nocturnal activities. (Jester) Now where did he put that ruddy camera .........(?HUH)


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## SeaStoryWriter (Dec 31, 2006)

Tmac-How's that with noctural activities? Are you the reason I can't find an Irish lass of dubious virtue? Have to go and drown my sorrows with another cold one. LOL WILL


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

TMac! I noticed the "gazunda" has "White star line" printed on it...LOL

Seastorywriter! Irish lasses of doubtful virtue!!!... Now theres a thought!...LOL


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## tom e kelso (May 1, 2005)

For the record, and despite what the press reported, the "Titanic key" fetched £78,000 not £90,000. The difference was made up of other relics belonging to David Blair, including two medals awarded for his rescue of a crew member who fell overboard in the Grand Banks in thick fog. David Blair, 2/O (of Oceanic, if I remember rightly, at the time) jumped in from the boat deck, located the man and supported him until the accident boat arrived. Foolhardy, you may say, but bravery in the extreme too! Also included was a postcard posted to a relative, advising of his "pierhead jump" from Titanic in Southampton before she sailed. (The key in question had been absent-mindely left in David Blair's reefer jacket where it was not discovered until after Titanic's departure.)

The key , together with the other relics, passed through my hands about fifteen years ago, on their way from David Blair's niece's estate to their ultimate destination. 

Tom


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