The DUKW that didn't take to water

As its Plymouth History Festival this month I thought I would mention a little bit of transport history that didn't happen:

November 2005

A Somerset-based company is launching a new way of sightseeing in Plymouth . Porcellio is to offer visitors tours with a difference aboard its fleet of restored and updated Second World War amphibious vehicles, which can operate on both land and water.

March 2006

Plymouth City Council has granted permission for a company to use World War Two-style vehicles called 'Ducks' from the Guildhall and Teats Hill slipway.Asellus Ltd want initially to run one bright yellow 30-seat Duck taking three tours a day around the city centre, the Barbican and part of the Hoe as well as a half-hour tour from Sutton Harbour.

The Plymouth tours, dubbed Ducks and Drake, will feature a costumed driver and a guide. They should run for eight months and will cost £12 for an adult and £8 for children. Mr Slater said that the company wanted to take advantage of Plymouth's rich naval history. The vehicles will be new but are modelled on the original amphibious DUKWs, which played a vital part in the Allied invasion of Normandy during the Second World War.

June 2006

It seems like ages ago I reported on this blog that a new City Tour operation using DUKWs was due to start in Plymouth. This tour is to use the Teats Hill slipway. Well the BBC reports that the vehicle has been tested in Exmouth and is almost ready for service.

An armoured vehicle originally built during World War II is to become a permanent tourism feature in Devon. The amphibious carrier, known as a Dukw (or Duck), has been converted to take tourists around Plymouth Sound. A modern top has been put on the vehicle's original 1942 chassis after it was to taken to east Devon where it was stripped and rebuilt.

http://www.plymothiantransit.com/2006/06/ducks-are-coming.html

The DUKW that was planned to operate in Plymouth never did. The photo (©Dave Godley) shows the vehicle sat in a yard at Teignmouth in August 2006.

I have no idea why it never happened. Its a shame though as it would have made a really interesting tour.

Full Blog post can be found at www.plymothiantransit.com