An old passenger ship lay abandoned at anchor for decades. There were 50 arcade game machines in the ship, which a collector wanted to save from decay in a spectacular way.
Slot machines with their arcade games from the early 1980s are a great way for fans of these devices to immerse themselves in this bygone era. But the ravages of time are taking its toll on many devices and fewer and fewer machines are in working condition. Sometimes the machines are thrown away unknowingly.
Luckily, there are passionate collectors around the world who track down and repair vintage arcade machines. One such avid collector is Oliver Moazzezi, who was willing to put a lot of time and money into a risky project to recover a gaming treasure on an abandoned ship. Our colleagues from 3djuegos.com also reported on it.
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Rescue mission for a piece of video game history
What kind of gaming treasure was that? The find consists of around 50 arcade game machines from 1980/81. These included titles like Space Invaders, Ground Shaker and Galaxian. The devices were discovered in 2009 by a few adventurers who gained access to the old passenger ship Duke of Lancaster.
They made their discovery public on the Internet. This discovery caught the attention of fans of such slot machines. Among these fans was the passionate collector Oliver Moazzezi. Impressed by this find, he did everything he could to recover this gaming treasure. His dedication and ultimate success secured this piece of video game history. Nowadays, gamers appreciate these games in their own way.
How did the collector proceed? The ambitious project demanded a lot from Moazzezi. First he wanted to find the owner of the passenger ferry, which dates back to 1956.
He tried to get the contact details for several months. Through discussions with local authorities and businesses, he was finally successful. Ultimately, a family member of the owner was able to help and put him in touch. (via arcadeblogger.com)
After an initial on-site appointment, the collector and two other colleagues were able to get an idea of the gaming treasure they had discovered. They got an overview of the condition of the equipment that was in the former arcade on the ship.
The old game consoles on board the Duke of Lancaster (via arcadeblogger.com)
Could the machines now be saved? No, at least not immediately. After the viewing, it was said to have taken several months before Moazzezi and the owner were able to agree on a selling price. In the meantime, the collection had given up all hope of saving the machines.
To the chagrin of everyone involved, the circumstances surrounding the devices had suddenly changed. On a second visit, Moazzezi discovered that thieves had apparently stolen the ship’s metal window frames.
Since rain and the weather were now able to penetrate the shipwreck unhindered, this had a negative impact on the arcade game machines. Contact with high humidity significantly worsened their condition.
It was clear that the team around Moazzezi had to act quickly. At the same time, the owner only gave them 10 days to get all the machines out of the ship. The seller justified this with maintenance work that needed to be done on the old steamer.
What did the rescue look like in detail? During this so-called “Arcade Raid” at the beginning of 2012, the helpers had their hands full. First the slot machines had to be brought to the upper deck. From there they were loaded onto a trailer, which was hoisted onto the ship’s main deck using a crane.
In this way, all devices gradually reached safe ground and were safely loaded. Thanks to the helpers on site, the machines were saved and then restored by collectors from all over Europe. Unfortunately, it is not known how many of the arcade machines were repaired.
A crane is used to recover the slot machines
Why was there an arcade game room on the ship? The Duke of Lancaster originally entered service in 1956 and was used as a passenger ferry. After being converted into a car ferry in 1970, it became obsolete just a few years later and was taken out of service.
Since 1979 she has stood in her familiar place in dry dock in North Wales. With the name “The Fun Ship” the old steamer was to find a new use as a hotel and leisure attraction. For this purpose, the arcade with 50 arcade machines was also set up on board.
After a few years, operations had to be stopped in 1983 for legal reasons. The Duke of Lancaster was forgotten. And with it the gaming treasure, until its rediscovery in 2009.
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