Kit # HO-1123 HO Scale 39 3/8" long

The Manchester Mercurio & Manchester Rapido were built in Gijon, Spain in 1971. They were chartered to Manchester Lines of England for use on the Great Lakes. Manchester's ocean going ships would deliver containers to the Port of Montreal. The containers would be reloaded onto these smaller ships for final delivery to various ports on the US side of the Great Lakes.

The ships were powered by a 7200BHP Sulzer 6RD68 diesel engine equipped with a reversible pitch propeller. Manchester continued this operation until about 1980 when it was discontinued. At that time the containers were brought into Halifax and transferred to rail for delivery to the US Midwest and by truck to their final destination.

The charter on the ships was allowed to lapse and they were returned to the builder. They were sold to various parties over the years and operated mainly in the Mediterranean and Atlantic under different names. The Mercurio sank in 1999 and the Rapido was cut up for scrap in 2002.

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