An old passenger ship lay abandoned at anchor for decades. Inside the ship were 50 arcade game machines that a collector wanted to spectacularly save from decay.
Game machines with their arcade games from the early 1980s are a great way for fans of these devices to dive into that past era. However, many machines are showing signs of age, and fewer and fewer machines are in working condition. Sometimes the machines are also unknowingly disposed of.
Fortunately, there are passionate collectors around the world who locate and repair old arcade machines. One of these enthusiastic collectors is Oliver Moazzezi, who was willing to invest a lot of time and money into a risky project to salvage a gaming treasure from an abandoned ship. Our colleagues from 3djuegos.com also reported about it.
Rescue operation for a piece of video game history
What kind of gaming treasure was it? The find consists of about 50 arcade game machines from the years 1980/81. Among them were titles like Space Invaders, Ground Shaker, and Galaxian. The machines were discovered in 2009 by a few adventurers who gained access to the old passenger ship Duke of Lancaster.
They made their find public on the internet. This discovery attracted the attention of fans of such arcade machines. Among these fans was also the passionate collector Oliver Moazzezi. Impressed by this find, he did everything in his power to salvage this gaming treasure. His commitment and eventual success secured this piece of video game history. Today, gamers honor these games in their own way.
How did the collector proceed? The ambitious project demanded a lot from Moazzezi. First, he wanted to track down the owner of the passenger ferry which dates back to 1956.
Over several months, he tried to obtain contact details. After conversations with local authorities and businesses, he finally succeeded. Ultimately, a family member of the owner was able to help and establish contact with him. (via arcadeblogger.com)
After an initial meeting on site, the collector and two other colleagues were able to get an overview of the discovered gaming treasure. They assessed the condition of the machines that were located in the former arcade on the ship.
The old game consoles on board the Duke of Lancaster (via arcadeblogger.com)
Were the machines now able to be saved? No, at least not immediately. After the visit, it apparently took several more months for Moazzezi and the owner to agree on a sale price. In the meantime, the collector had already given up all hope for the machines’ salvation.
To the dismay of all involved, the circumstances in which the machines were situated had changed drastically. During a second visit, Moazzezi found that thieves had apparently stolen the metal window frames of the ship.
As rain and the weather could now penetrate the wreck of the ship unimpeded, this had adverse effects on the arcade game machines. Contact with high humidity severely worsened their condition.
It was clear that Moazzezi and his team had to act quickly. At the same time, the owner only granted them 10 days to remove all machines from the ship. The seller justified this with maintenance work that was to take place on the old steamer.
What did the salvage look like in detail? During this so-called “arcade raid” in early 2012, the helpers had their hands full. First, the arcade machines had to be brought up to the upper deck. From there, they were loaded onto a trailer that was hoisted onto the main deck of the ship with a crane.
This way, all the machines were gradually brought to solid ground and securely loaded. Thanks to the efforts of the helpers on site, the machines could be saved and subsequently restored by collectors from all over Europe. Unfortunately, it is not known how many of the arcade machines could be repaired.
Why was there an arcade hall with arcade machines on the ship? The Duke of Lancaster was originally commissioned in 1956 and used as a passenger ferry. After being converted to a car ferry in 1970, it was decommissioned just a few years later.
Since 1979, it has stood in its well-known spot in dry dock in North Wales. Under the name “The Fun Ship,” the old steamer was meant to find a new use as a hotel and leisure attraction. For this purpose, the arcade hall with the 50 arcade machines was also set up on board.
After a few years, operations had to be shut down in 1983 for legal reasons. The Duke of Lancaster fell into oblivion. And with it, the gaming treasure until its rediscovery in 2009.
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