Silver Transport Trivia Quiz

Answer: Silversides

The first USS Silversides was a Gato class submarine, that was launched in August 1941 and commissioned just over a week after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of the same year. Named for the order of fishes known as silversides, she served with distinction in the Pacific throughout World War II, making fourteen war patrols.

After decommissioning in 1946 she served as a stationary training vessel, and her name was finally struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1969. In 1987 she was moved to Muskegon, Michigan to serve as a Naval Memorial and Museum.

Answer: Silver Streak Zephyr

It might be surprising to learn that the movie connection was not with the Gene Wilder film "Silver Streak" (1976), but with a 1934 movie "The Silver Streak" starring Charles Starrett, and a train known as the Pioneer Zephyr (for exterior shots). The 1934 film was loosely about a record-setting run made by that train.

When the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad began a new service between Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri in 1940, the service was named in honour of the movie. The Silver Streak Zephyr service was discontinued in 1959.

Answer: Silver Cloud

The cruise ship called Silver Cloud made her maiden voyage in 1994, and has travelled in the Caribbean, Atlantic and Mediterranean. After a refit in 2017 she was described as a "spacious ice class" vessel, able to travel in northern waters around Norway, Iceland and Nunavut (Canada). During the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, she was home to the US national basketball teams.

Answer: Silver Jubilee

The seven-coach train operated by the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) was painted silver throughout, and operated between King's Cross Station (London) and Newcastle, commencing in 1935, which was the year of George V's Silver Jubilee. The daily service continued until the beginning of World War II, four years later.

Answer: Silver Wing

The Silver Wing, described as a maxi-scooter, was sold in the US between 2002 and 2013, though sales in Canada were discontinued in 2009. It was capable of 105 mph (170 km/ph) but was less economical than many scooters due to having a large, thirsty engine. Despite its name, the Silver Wing was available in a wide variety of colours.

Answer: Silver Arrows

The origin of the Silver Arrows name for Mercedes racing cars is a matter of some controversy, and may or may not have to do with stripping paint from a car to meet race requirements, thus exposing the silver aluminium fuselage, before a race in the 1930s.

The term has been applied to Mercedes entries in pre-WWII Grands Prix; numerous Le Mans 24 Hours entries and continued in use in the 21st century to refer to the dominant Mercedes Formula 1 team of the second decade of that century.

Answer: Silver Knight

The stallion Silver Knight was foaled in New Zealand in 1967, son of Alcimedes (sire) and Cuban Fox (dam). He won the Melbourne Cup and the New Zealand St Leger, both in 1971. He passed on his obviously good genetic make-up to his son, Black Knight, winner of the 1984 Melbourne Cup.

Answer: Silver Dart

Designed an piloted by J.A.D. McCurdy, with a water-cooled engine designed by Glenn H. Curtiss, Silver Dart had already been flown several times in New York state, before being transported to Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada in crates. Baddeck was chosen because it was the Canadian home of Alexander Graham Bell, who had been involved in Silver Dart's development and building.

The first flight in Canada was from frozen Baddeck Bay, where the aircraft had been towed by horse-drawn sleigh, on February 23, 1909. Only six months later, Silver Dart was damaged beyond repair after a heavy landing during military trials at Petawawa, Ontario.

The National Aviation Museum in Canada's capital city, Ottawa, has a full size model of Silver Dart on display.

Answer: Silver Ghost

The vehicle originally called the Silver Ghost was built in 1907 as a demonstrator that was painted silver, with silver-plated fittings. The name was meant to evoke the smooth, quiet reliability of the new automobile. The press had a tendency to use the name for all cars of the same model, though Rolls Royce did not acknowledge this until many years later. Sold to a private owner in 1908, the original Silver Ghost was recovered by the company forty years later, after which it was put to work travelling the world for publicity events.

Answer: Silver Falcons

The SAAF aerobatics display team founded in 1946 were known as the Bumbling Bees, and disbanded some time in the 1950s. In 1966 the team was reformed, given Italian-made Impala jet trainers to fly, and renamed the Silver Falcons. They were a four aeroplane team until a fifth aircraft was added in 1986, thought in the '90s they reverted to a quartet again.

This coincided with a change of aircraft to the Pilatus Astra, a turboprop trainer. A fifth display aircraft was added again in 2008. The team's pilots have all done double duty as instructors at the Central Flying School.