Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape
The Internet's largest database of Paddle Steamers past and present 

Benjamim Guimaraes

Built in 1913by James Rees & Co. of Pittsburgh PA, USA, this stern wheeler is of traditional mid-west American design and remains wood-fired.
In the 1920s period it was bought by the firm Julio Guimaraes & Cia and renamed "Bejamim Guimaraes" after the ancestor of the firm's owner.
During World War II she was frequently used for transporting troops from inland to the sea at Pernambuco
In the 1940s her ownershipwas transferred to the Navegacao e Comercio do Sao Francisco company then quickly integrated into the  Companhia Industria e Viacao de Pirapora.
In 1955, shipping on the San Francisco was nationalised and she became part of the fleet of CVSF (Servico de Navigacao do Vale do Sao Francisco
This company later became FRANAVE ( Companhia de Navigacao do Sao Francisco)
Based at Pirapora deep inland on the San Francisco river in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais she primarily transported goods but also passengers. Goods traffic tailed off sharply and by the 1980s she was amsost fully a tourist boat and received an overhaul and now recognised officially as a siate historical site, she returned to service in October 1986 in a ceremony attended by the Minister of Transport. She offered longer trips out of Pirapora as well as three-hour cruises on a Saturday which were sponsored by local hotels.
Withdrawn in 1995 due to boiler trouble, she was transferred to the ownership of the city of Pirapora in 1997 and underwent another re-furbishment before returning to service in August 2004.
She now makes a regular 9-hour long cruise on Sundays and cruises on other days as arranged with various tourist companies.

Internet Pages

Video footage on YouTube

Pictures on the local Pirapora town website
Picture on Trek Earth website
Report on Norte.net website (in Portuguese)
Photo on Flickr website

STATICALLY PRESERVED PADDLE STEAMER

Saldanha Morinho

Side wheeler built in the USA and sailed on the Mississippi before being transferred to the Brazilian Amazon basin.
Served on the Velhas River (a tributary of the Sao Francisco) and also sailed on the latter based at the city of Sao Francisco and later at Pirapora
Now preserved at Petrolina (Juazeiro) alongside the Sao Francisco river


Internet Pages

YouTube videos of her being lifted int her new static position
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A95Lg-HDbM&fmt=18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG5f-eTZbF4&feature=related&fmt=18

The webmaster would be delighted to receive any updates of relevant information and photographs (of which you own copyright) which could help to keep this database as up-to-date as possible and fill in gaps in the historical record.

I know that many of you will have photographs of paddle steamers on the internet on photo-sharing websites such as Picasa and Flickr. No photos are used on this website unless they were taken by the webmaster or someone who has given express permission for their own photos to be used. However, some photos from Flickr etc may be used so long a the copyright tag (Creative Commons etc) allocated to the photo at the time of downloading allows.

Tramscape is trying to develop this website as the main source on the internet for paddle steamer information and photos, so the webmaster would be very grateful if you would allow use of your photos in this database so they can be seen by the wider paddle steamer interest group who will be reading this website.

Please e-mail the Webmaster your information and photos or general authorisation to use photos from another website source. Thank you very much

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