Amateur film maker A.H. Martin captures the SS Mona’s Isle V at work two years before the ship stars for Hugh Hudson in Chariots of Fire.

Watch from the shore as this magnificent vessel cruises through Northern Irish waters, jostling smaller boats scattered in her wake. In this film by A.H. Martin, the SS Mona’s Isle V is a working passenger ship, she would be scrapped two years later. But before joining the Dutch scrapheap she makes a glorious screen debut in Chariots of Fire. There is still time left to race inland to Portadown and scribble down the carriage numbers as mustard passenger trains snake past.

 

The SS Mona’s Isle V operated from 1951 until the 2495 gross register ton vessel was towed to the Netherlands for scrap in 1980. The ship formed part of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company fleet and therefore worked for the world’s oldest continuously operating Passenger Shipping Company. SS Mona’s Isle built like her sister ships had the capacity to carry 2268 passengers with a working crew of 67.

Filmed by A.H. Martin. 

Digitised as part of the BFI's Unlocking Film Heriatage project.

• Railways on Film - BFI