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THE ULTIMATE FLEET - CLYDE STEAMERS OF THE 1930s
Review of Clyde
Steamer Operations and new ships built in the 1930s
by Gordon
Stewart
Left : T.S. Duchess of Hamilton (1932)
at Campbeltown in the 1960s
For onward links to more details about
Clyde Steamers in the
Paddle Steamer Resources database
see bottom of this page
More details about the Turbine Steamers built in the 1930s
for which there are no vessel links can be found on our associated website :
Clyde
Turbine Steamer Foundation
World War II and its
AftermathMay 1945. The days were getting longer. A
warm summer was expected. Europe was, once again, at peace. British
holidaymakers could once again dream of a day at the coast without
fear of enemy attack or for family members at the front line. Not
since 1939, with the ominous threat of war casting a shadow over what
might otherwise have been a carefree summer, had vistors to the Firth
of Clyde been able to enjoy unrestricted cruising throughout one of
Britain's most popular stretches of water. The declaration of war
brought that season to a premature end. A submarine protection "boom"
was strung across the Firth, the happy tourists enlisted into the
forces and the majority of the magnificent steamships which had for
over 100 years been a focal point of Clyde holidays, were sent to the
local shipyards to be fitted with guns and minesweeping equipment.
Leaving the shipyards with new all-over grey paintwork, they went to
war as their predecessors had in 1914. For several of the ships it
was their second call-up into His Majesty's service.
For five seasons, a very restricted service had been operated on the
Clyde, with ferry services to Dunoon and Rothesay, the Holy Loch and
Arran piers, providing a lifeline for those resorts and the chance
for at least some people to enjoy a brief respite from the war.
Despite being on the north-western extremity of Europe and far less
affected by the war and its aftermath than central Europe, the west
of Scotland had suffered heavy bombing during air raids and the Clyde
had become highly militarised as a naval base. The Clyde fleet, like
its potential patrons, had suffered heavy losses. The roll of honour
for lost vessels read like a departure roster for a busy summer's day
at Rothesay: Mercury, Juno, Kylemore, Waverley and Marmion. Duchess
of Rothesay, Eagle III and Queen-Empress struggled back from duty but
failed to make it back into post-war service on account of their poor
condition.
Clearly no vessels would be available to restore a peace time service
that summer : the Admiralty retained many ships for some time after
the ending of hostilities and shipyards were busy re-converting
others for their civilian role. Only in 1946 was the Firth
recognisable from ten years earlier, but it had also gained a large
American naval presence as the World War was increasingly turning
into a Cold War with the former partner in victory, the Soviet
Union.
Like the Great War before it, the effects of the Second World War
were such that life could never return to how it had been beforehand.
The same applied to Clyde cruising. Whilst there was a brief surge in
cruising popularity in the immediate post-war years, changes in
economics, technology and personal circumstances resulted in the long
term decline of cruising. This was not immediately apparent and
attention turned to what new ships would be needed for the restored
services. The London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) suffered the
largest proportionate losses. They had lost two of their five vessels
(Marmion and Waverley, the latter having been laid up for the 1939
season) and planned two replacements. The larger Caledonian Steam
Packet Co (CSP) losses included the modern steamers Juno and
Mercury.
The LNER dusted down drawings from it's highly popular Jeanie Deans
of 1931 and Inglis' Glasgow yard turned out, for the 1947 season, a
new Waverley which looked similar to Jeanie Deans as she reappeared
after her post-war rebuild. Waverley's power plant - triple expansion
engines - replicated closely those of her older fleet-mate, and the
LNER persisted with paddle-wheel vessels on account of low water at
their base at Craigendoran on the north bank of the Clyde. The CSP
did not immediately add new tonnage. The only other new paddlers
built for British waters were the Cardiff Queen and Bristol Queen for
the fleet of P & A Campbell on the Bristol Channel.
Of significant importance to the future of the steamer as a cruise
vessel was the outcome of the deliberations of the Southern Railway
when it came to the two vessels ordered in 1946 to make good the war
losses of its Portsmouth - Ryde ferry and Solent cruising fleet.
Originally anticipating receiving two vessels similar to the paddle
steamer Ryde which they had built ten years earlier, they were
persuaded to order two diesel-powered vessels which were launched at
Wm Denny 's Dumbarton shipyard as the Brading and Southsea. Denny had
a close association with the Caledonian Steam Packet Company and had
built a number of ground-breaking vessels for that company. They had
traditionally been at the forefront of engineering technology,
whether in terms of compounding of steam engines or the steam
turbine. Although they had delivered paddlers along traditional lines
to the CSP in the 1930s, they were increasingly turning to motors as
their preferred power plant and by the end of the war were working
closely with the Swiss company, Sulzer, who were leaders in this
field.
The economics of cruise ship and ferry operation after the war
changed in favour of motor vessels and the introduction of four such
ships on the Clyde in 1953 sealed their ascendancy, much to the
dismay of the traditionalists. One year later, three motor powered
ships were put into service, specially designed to carry cars and
heralding an even more fundamental change to the future of Clyde
cruising.
Twenty-five years earlier, steam was still "king" and tourists in
their thousands flocked to the Clyde. New ships were needed and the
spate of new construction produced twelve new steamers : seven
paddlers and five turbines, including several classics of their
timeKing George
V : A New Class of SteamerThe revolutionary King Edward, built
in 1901 for Clyde service was the world's first steam turbine powered
passenger ship, using a form of propulsion first demonstrated by the
engineer Charles Parsons on the launch Turbinia in 1896. A more
efficient user of steam, the turbine was to replace the reciprocating
engine as the main power source for screw steamers and the speed and
economy of King Edward soon made the turbine the chosen method of
propulsion for Clyde steamers on the long-haul cruise routes such as
to Campbeltown and Inveraray.
King Edward was followed on the Clyde by Queen Alexandra in 1902 and
the CSP's Duchess of Argyll in 1906. Queen Alexandra was seriously
damaged by fire and replaced by a similar vessel of the same name in
1912. After a long hiatus during which very few steamers were built
for the Clyde, the CSP replaced their ageing and expensive to run
paddler Glen Sannox with a new "Sannox" in 1925. This vessel was
little different to her half-sisters built 20 years earlier and
indicated that the CSP had lost the pioneering spirit which had led
it to embrace technological advances in the 1890s and early
1900s.
King Edward and Queen Alexandra were run by Turbine Steamers Ltd, a
company established in association with John Williamson, a Clyde
captain and steamboat owner and younger brother of James and
Alexander, respectively marine Superintendents of the Caledonian and
Glasgow & South Western Railway fleets. In 1926, Turbine Steamers
teamed up with the Parsons company who had become well established as
leaders in the manufacture of turbines, Yarrow Boilers and the
William Denny shipyard at Dumbarton to produce King George V, a
genuine development on the vessel introduced a quarter of a century
earlier.
In outward appearance, King George V was a striking looking ship, her
promenade deck saloon was extended the full width of the hull and ran
for half the length of the vessel amidships, allowing an extended
observation deck above and giving the impression of a mini-liner. The
increased passenger accommodation allowed the restaurant to be moved
to the main deck aft where large observation windows enabled diners
to enjoy the passing scenery. The design was repeated in two later
tubines which were to become among the most loved of all Clyde
steamers.
In terms of machinery, the main development was the the use of higher
pressure in the turbine, linked by gears to twin propellors. The
experiment with high pressure had disastrous effects and the boiler
had to be replaced twice after tubes burst. The first incidence
occurred off Irvine as the ship approached the port for her winter
lay-up after the 1927 season. Two firemen were killed as a result of
burns following the explosion. A second, in Kilbrannan Sound,
thankfully caused no loss of life, but no further risks could be
taken.
King George V continued in operation and was to give almost 50 years
loyal service. Although transferred to David MacBrayne's fleet in
1936 as a result of the break up of the Turbine Steamers and
Williamson - Buchanan Steamers companies, she was still seen on her
new owners' Gourock - Ardrishaig mail service from time to time.
Normally based at Oban and cruising around Mull, she was reunited
with one of her surviving ex-fleetmates when the Caledonian and
MacBrayne operations were merged from January 1973. She sailed for a
further two summers before being sold for potential use as a pub on
the River Thames at London. Whilst under conversion at Cardiff in
1981 a serious fire broke out and the remains of the hull were
finally scrapped in 1984.Clyde
Cruising Fleets at the end of the
1920sThe Caledonian Steam Packet
Company, the marine subsidiary of the former Caledonian Railway
maintained its base at Gourock, serving Dunoon and the Holy Loch
piers and operated the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay and the link from
Ardrossan to the Arran piers as well as a wide range of cruises.
Whilst the Caledonian had been incorporated into the London, Midland
and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923, it maintained its independence
and the vessels of the former Glasgow and South Western Railway,
based at Greenock, became owned directly by the new LMS. These two
former bitter commercial competitors still retained strong rivalries
despite timetable coordination and other cooperation. As a result of
earlier legislation, the LMS vessels remained limited in the scope of
their cruise services.
The vessels of the London and North East Railway (LNER) remained
totally independent and continued their rivalry with their bigger
cousins across the Clyde. Based on the north bank of the estuary at
Craigendoran, a specially built railhead close to Helensburgh, they
maintained a service to Dunoon and Rothesay, but due to the location
of their home port, always ran at a disadvantage on these routes.
They did, however, concentrate on services up Loch Long to Arrochar
and one of the most popular of tourist outings was to combine this
cruise with a return via the steamers on Loch Lomond as that loch's
pier at Tarbet lay only a brisk walk or short coach ride from
Arrochar.
Although the three main railway companies came to dominate services
very quickly after 1890, the Clyde had a long tradition of
independent steamboat operators, often owner-captains with one vessel
to their name. By 1930, apart from the Turbine Steamers Company, only
two independent names remained on the main sailing rosters - those of
Williamson and Buchanan, whose operations had come together as
Williamson-Buchanan Steamers Ltd. Williamson, as earlier indicated,
had continued the operations of his father whilst his elder brothers
had been the driving forces behind two of the three railway fleets.
The Buchanan name was associated with Clyde shipowning from 1853 and
remained as the name of a limited company from 1905 and as part of
the Williamson operation from 1919. Independent owners had
traditionally been associated with the so-called "All the Way" runs
from central Glasgow, the starting point of most services prior to
the railways reaching the coast on the Firth. After the 1880s, "All
the Way" services became associated with tourists either not in a
hurry to reach the coastal resorts or those wishing to take advantage
of the cheaper fares on offer. The vessels used were often of
utilitarian design and sometimes second-hand vessels purchased from
the railway companies.
David MacBrayne was a well known steamer operator from the nineteenth
century and his company had quickly grown to dominate services in the
West Highlands, where railway companies were not active and the
market not as lucrative as the Clyde. The company continued for many
years after the death of MacBrayne as a limited company and was
reconstituted as David MacBrayne (1928) limited with joint owners
being the LMS Railway and Coast Lines Ltd. The Clyde leg of the
so-called "Royal Route" to the Highlands, popularised after a visit
by Queen Victoria, was operated by MacBraynes, with passengers from
Glasgow being conveyed through the Kyles of Bute to Ardrishaig and
onwards,with change of vessel, via the Crinan Canal and the Sound of
Jura to Oban. The well appointed but ageing steamers Iona and Columba
were the mainstays of the route, with Columba taking the main summer
season, and although remaining entirely on the one route, becoming
possibly the best loved of all Clyde steamers.
The fleets comprised the following vessels (click on Company for details and
vessel histories): Caledonian Steam Packet Company
Caledonia (1889)
Marchioness of Bredalbane (1890)
Duchess of Rothesay (1895)
Duchess of Fife (1903)
Duchess of Argyll (turbine steamer, 1906)
By 1929, the fleets of the various ferry and cruise operators were
becoming decidedly old and new investment badly needed, and although
services were never lucrative in themselves, they were important for
the revenue which they brought to the connecting railway services.
The Caledonia were the first to make a move as the new decade
approached. 1930 :
Duchess of
Montrose joins the Caledonian
fleet.At the end of 1929, the
Caledonian Steam Packet Company became increasingly concerned at the
success of the Turbine Steamers' domination of longer-distance
cruising, especially after the introduction of the King George V
released the equally fast King Edward for work on the upper Clyde.
They placed an order with Wm. Denny and Co of Dumbarton for a new
turbine steamer.
At 806 Gross Registered Tons and 273 feet in overall length, Duchess
of Montrose shared the basic dimensions and, with minor differences,
the outward appearance of the highly-successful King George V .
Internally, improvements could be made as she was the first Clyde
Steamer to be a one-class vessel, thus not having to duplicate
facilities for the exclusive use of passengers holding the two
differing ticket types.
Her double-ended coal-fired Scotch boiler operated at a more
traditional pressure (180 lbs / square inch) than those trialled on
the "King" and the screws were driven directly, thus eliminating the
gear equipment of the earlier vessel. Three screws were used - a
centre screw driven by the centrally-aligned high-pressure turbine
and two screws driven by the two low pressure turbines into which the
steam from the high pressure unit exhausted. The two low pressure
turbines incorporated "astern turbines" for reversing.
Launched on May 10th, 1930, she was ready for trials on June 27th,
and her performance on the Skelmorlie Measured Mile did not
disappoint; she recorded a speed of slightly over 20 knots.
Her career got off to an inauspicious start. Her first scheduled
cruise on July 1 was aborted before she had even reached Dunoon from
Gourock and she was taken back to Denny's for attention to her
machinery.She came back into service for an evening cruise on July
7th, and on the following day left Gourock at 9 am for a cruise round
Arran which passed off without mishap. Her programme included cruises
round Bute, Arran, Ailsa Craig and on Thursdays, the long expedition
to Stranraer via one of three Arran piers. The new Duchess did not
cruise to Campbeltown or Inveraray, territory still controlled by
Turbine Steamers Ltd, but her popularity won a significant amount of
business for the CSP and her season was extended to include the
September Glasgow holiday rather than conclude at the end of August
as originally scheduled. Additionally, CSP decided that, in future,
the vessel's season would commence in June.
With this new vessel, the CSP made major inroads into the cruise
market. For the time being, the Williamson-Buchanan position was
secure, but the LNER was being increasingly consigned to the margins
despite it's long tradition , dating back to 1866, and its dedicated
band of "supporters". 1931 : A new
Jeanie
Deans for the
LNERThe LNER's newest boat, Marmion,
was 24 years old as the new decade opened. Although a fine ship, she
was outclassed in all respects by the CSP's turbines. She returned
from the First World War with the plating of her main deck extended
to the bow and whilst this improved her passenger accomodation, it
had a serious effect on speed and maneovrability. The plating was
soon cut back to remedy the problem. Waverley of 1889 was, however,
regarded as a flier but the other fleet members, whilst having a
reasonable turn of speed were no match for the competition.
The LNER and the North British Railway before them always had a
tenuous grip on services and on many occasions, their continued
presence on the Clyde was hotly debated by managers and shareholders.
Their railway line hugged the north bank of the Clyde estuary,
reaching the popular resort and commuter town of Helensburgh, before
turning north towards the West Highlands. Helensburgh pier was
originally the main departure point, but being a few minutes walk
from the railway station and being more distant from the main resorts
of Dunoon and Rothesay than the south bank railheads at Greenock and
Gourock, the LNER was always at a disadvantage in the race for the
coast with her CSP and GSWR rivals.
To remedy this problem, a new railhead had been opened in 1882 at Craigendoran,
where a new pier with four faces was built and the trains were run
directly to the pierhead. Precious minutes were saved in getting
passengers to the boats at the pier. Although it involved a half-mile longer
sea journey to the coastal resorts, this was offset by a reduction of around
one mile in the rail journey from Glasgow - so long as the North British and
then the LNER had a speedy vessel on station.
The North British had eschewed purchasing vessels of the expense of
those ordered by the CSP and GSWR and attempted to maintain a service
with as little loss to the railway company as possible. The
utilitarian vessels did, however, have to have a turn of speed and
good fuel economy at low initial capital cost. Expensive turbine
steamers would not be considered by the LNER and in any case, the low
water at Craigendoran meant that a shallow-draught paddler was
essential. The Inglis yard at Pointhouse, Glasgow had built the last
six ships for the north bank fleet, including Fair Maid which went
straight into Admiralty service in 1915 and never returned to her
intended role. It was some surprise, therefore, that the order for
Jeanie Deans was placed with the Fairfield yard - builders more
commonly associated with sea-going ships than the smaller Clyde
excursion vessel.
The new Jeanie Deans was launched on April 7th, 1931, taking the name
of an earlier fleet member and continuing the tradition of the North
British Railway using characters from Sir Walter Scott's novels for
their vessels. On May 7th, she reached the contracted speed of 18.5
knots on her trials on the Skelmorlie Mile , powered by her
three-crank, triple expansion engine - relatively old technology, but
a first for a Clyde steamer.
At just over 250 feet in length, she was significantly larger than
any of her fleet mates and not much shorter than the Duchess of
Montrose. She was, however of much more traditional design, but
designed to have her main deck enclosed to the bow, giving her very
sleek lines. Two small deckhouses were provided, the forward one
supporting the open navigation bridge and a slightly larger one aft
of the twin funnels protecting the companionway. This left her
accomodation far inferior to the new Caledonian turbine, but the
accomodation provided for first and second class passengers on the
main and lower decks was more spacious than on older LNER
vessels.
On June 15th, Jeanie took the company's flagship Lochgoilhead and
Arrochar via Dunoon roster as the new season opened, but also
provided an early morning run to Dunoon and evening service to
Rothesay, matching her against her competitors on the key commuter
runs. On Sundays she was employed on cruises down the Firth as the
LNER tried to make inroads into that market. With the CSP and LMS
companies by now operating in conjunction with each other, it was the
LNER boat which could engage in a spot of steamboat racing - a
regular feature of the earlier century as competitors jostled for
trade (and pride). From time to time on a Sunday, Jeanie would come
up against King Edward, and although thirty years younger, the odd
occasion on which she outstripped the turbine steamer along the Cowal
coast was regarded with glee by paddle traditionalists and supporters
of the north-bank boats.
The LNER could be pleased with their new boat, but changes were made
for the 1932 season. A large observation saloon for first class
passengers was built forward on the promenade deck improving her
accommodation, being especially useful in poor weather. Two new
funnels were fitted - narrower and taller than the originals, six
feet in the case of the forward funnel and four feet in the case of
the after smokestack in an attempt to ensure that cinders did not
fall on the decks. The changes were to alter her profile
significantly, but she was ready to take the fight further into
Caledonian territory. 1932 : The
Duchess of
Hamilton - a new sister for the
MontroseAs a result of their extreme
satisfaction with Duchess of Montrose, the CSP management ordered a
virtually identical sister from the Govan yard of Harland and Wolff
and placed her at Ayr, a large holiday resort on the Scottish
mainland at the lower end of the Firth. As well as a destination for
cruises from the upper Firth, there was a reasoanble market for
cruises across exposed waters to the Isle of Arran and further to
Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula. The CSP hoped that the
"Hamilton" would be equally as popular as the "Montrose", and at Ayr
she replaced the ageing and somewhat coal-hungry Juno. There was also
the added advantage that the Duchess was registered in the CSP name,
whilst Juno had remained a LMS boat, with the cruising restrictions
that that had entailed, dating back to the establishment of the GSWR
fleet in the early 1890s. Cruises to Campbeltown and around Arran
would now be in scope for the Ayr-based ship.
The 1932 season saw the LNER put Jeanie Deans on a varied programme
of cruises down to the lower Firth, visiting Ayr on Tuesdays and
Thursdays and offering onward cruises around Ailsa Craig. The Ayr
trips did not clash with the CSP's schedule of cruises from Gourock,
but put the "Jeanie" into direct contact with the Duchess of
Hamilton.
The Duchess was a resounding success and the LNER activities in the
lower Firth detracted little from the more confident feeling at the
CSP headquarters. Indeed, a new "Golden Era" was being entered, with
cruising opportunities for the general public the best for many
years. Things were to improve even further in 1933 when
Williamson-Buchanan Steamers introduced their own new vessel. 1933 :
Queen
Mary sets new standards in cruising
comfortWhen the turbine steamer Queen
Mary, launched in 1933 from Denny's Dumbarton yard, entered service,
she even improved upon the standards of comfort and spaciousness
introduced by the two Duchesses. Slightly shorter at 263 feet, but
beamier, the new vessel, owed much of her external appearance to her
two fore-runners. Comfort was achieved with little sacrifice of speed
but speed was not traditionally the main factor for "all the way"
cruises from which she relegated King Edward from the 10.00 am to the
11.00 am departure slot held for 20 years by Eagle III.
As previously indicated, the fleets of John Williamson and Buchanan
Steamers, the two remaining "independents" were merged in 1919. The
Turbine Steamers company, set up in 1901 to operate the then
experimental King Edward, remained separate, but with John Williamson
the original manager and driving force, its independence from
Williamson's own operation was only financial.
Both the Williamson and Buchanan fleets had traditionally purchased
second hand vessels, generally from the railway fleets, but Eagle III
(Buchanan, 1910) and Queen Empress (Williamson, 1912) had been newly
built at a time when the railway fleets were no longer in the market
for new tonnage. These vessels were therefore relatively young, but
utilitarian in design and no match whatsoever for most other vessels
on the Clyde. "Isle of Arran", dating from 1892 was sold for further
service at London, leaving the Williamson-Buchanan-Turbine Steamers
group with the most modern fleet on the Clyde, including four
turbines and three paddlers.
The new "Queen" became a regular visitor to Arran and King Edward to
the Kyles of Bute and the Cumbraes, whilst King George V and Queen
Alexandra continued to serve the furthest-flung destinations -
Campbeltown and Inveraray. Investing in such a vessel was a bold move
by a company relying totally on it's steamer revenue for survival.
The CSP, having improved its cruise fleet, did not stop its
investments at that - the following year was to see the introduction
of two remarkable new vessels. 1934 :
Caledonia
and
Mercury
: paddlers that didn't look like
paddlers........It was not before time
that the CSP turned their attention to modernising their up-river
fleet. As the dominant railway company, the LMS, owners of the CSP,
relied on a venerable fleet of much-loved paddlers to maintain
connections from its main railheads at Gourock and Wemyss Bay to the
piers at Dunoon and the Cowal Coast and at Rothesay and Craigmore on
the Isle of Bute. As well as excursion traffic in the main summer
season, there was a year-round demand for a regular and reliable
service for commuters up to Glasgow and for the carriage of goods,
including food to the remoter parts of the Firth. Historically this
had been the CSP's "bread and butter", with specially designed ships
taking the strain once the more opulent cruise vessels had retired to
their lay-up berths after what was always a relatively short summer
season.
1933 saw the demise of two Clyde stalwarts - Caledonia of 1889 which
had been the CSP's first new ship and Mercury of 1892, one of the
earliest GSWR steamers. They were replaced by vessels of the same
name and registration of the new ships was in the CSP and LMS names
respectively. Built by Denny and Fairfield, the two ships were
launched in early 1934 and were of similar design although had slight
differences which made them distinguishable to the trained eye. To
the general public, however, they presented a most remarkable
appearance. They were paddle steamers, but rather than have decorated
paddle boxes and vents, plating was carried around the sponsons in
such a way that they looked like screw steamers from a broadside
view. Shorter and broader than the sleek turbines, they nevertheless
were thoroughly modern in appearance with spacious promenade deck
saloons fore and aft, and observation decks above each, linked and
extended to the front of the forward saloon. The navigation bridge
was raised above observation deck level and was placed forward of the
single large elliptical funnel. Triple expansion three-crank engines
were provided, giving a maximum speed of just over 17 knots, three
less than the fastest turbines but more than adequate for most upper
Clyde services.
The manoevrability of the paddler and the advantage over the turbines
in terms of acceleration and deceleration made this type of vessel
suitable for serving the numerous closely-placed piers on the upper
Firth. Caledonia entered service on March 31st, a Glasgow holiday
weekend, when her passenger capacity was most useful, and settled
into a regular programme of connections from Gourock and Wemyss Bay
to Dunoon and Rothesay, extending the afternoon Rothesay run into the
Kyles of Bute and offering short cruises from Largs and Millport.
Both ships caused some concern in their first season - Caledonia with
mechanical breakdowns and Mercury with handling problems, but both
received attention to correct the problems. The CSP/LMS now had two
extremely versatile new vessels - suitable for ferry connections or
shorter cruises and providing excellent covered accommodation and
deck space to suit. 1935 :
Talisman,
a truly revolutionary ship, and
Marchioness
of Lorne, another paddle workhorse
The LNER's forerunners, the North
British had been noted for their conservatism when ordering new
vessels, but with Jeanie Deans, which did not appear until eight
years after the formation of the LNER, they had specified the most up
to date paddle machinery available. Although tied to paddle
propulsion on account of the draught restrictions at Craigendoran,
the company took a great leap into the unknown when looking to
replace their Talisman which had completed 39 seasons, if wartime
service was included. Talisman had been a rather old-fashioned ship
when built in 1896 but her low capital cost and reasonable economy
had served her owners well. The new "Talisman" was to take the next
leap forward in economical operation, but by using the untried method
of using direct acting electrical engines powered by diesels - the
first time a motor had been used for a Clyde Steamer and the first
time that this exact method of propulsion had been attempted anywhere
in the world.
MacBrayne had earlier become wedded to diesel power plant for their
West Highland steamers and MV Lochfyne of 1931, which in later years
became MacBrayne's Clyde boat, had diesel-electric drives for her
propellors. The Paddle Steamer Geneve on Lake Geneva in Switzerland
had her ageing steam unit replaced for the 1934 season with geared
diesel electric drives. Talisman was the first vessel of her general
type built new with direct drive diesel electric units.
The LNER had invited quotes for both the diesel-electric ship and a
more conventional steam paddler and although the quotes received for
steam power were between 10 and 20 percent lower, the promise of
significantly reduced operating costs both in terms of fuel
consumption and reduced personnel costs convinced the management to
make the bold move.
Fairfield, builders of the Jeanie Deans and Inglis, the North British
Company's traditional yard were the two bidders called into the final
round of negotiations and the contract went to the latter, who
launched the ground-breaking ship from their Pointhouse yard on April
10th. As this was no "off the shelf" ship, there were numerous
investigations and deliberations between the LNER, the builders and
engineers regarding the new Talisman, best researched and presented
by Alan Brown in his book "Talisman - The Solitary Crusader", named
not so much for her revolutionary new power plant as for the fact
that it was never repeated.
Visually, Talisman was of of fairly traditional design, with LNER,
unlike their CSP/LMS rivals, retaining vented paddleboxes. She did
not have the fine lines of Jeanie Deans, but did have large, if not
luxurious, deckhouses fore and aft. Only a single tall funnel
amidships gave her an unusual appearance, at least for a Clyde
Steamer.
Her trials took place on June 2nd, but were cut short when her
machinery failed to achieve full power. Adjustments were made over
sea trials during the following nine days, allowing her to record a
satisfactory performance on June 12th, when she achieved a fraction
over 17 knots. Three days later she entered service, sailing on her
intended route from Craigendoran to Dunoon, Rothesay and the Kyles,
and her owners were delighted with her performance. Less so, however,
were many of her passengers. The surging motion of the old
single-crank paddlers of the previous century had caused some patrons
to suffer sea-sickness, an effect which had been almost entirely
eliminated with the double and especially triple crank engines of
more modern paddlers. For those of sterner constitution, the motion
of the old Talisman was all part of the sailing adventure. It was
quite a shock to many when they took their first cruise on the new
ship. The vibrations caused by the diesel units could be felt and
heard throughout the ship. The constant drone shattered the peace of
sailing across the Firth.The shuddering of the vessel sometimes made
it difficult to keep not only a full cup of tea from spilling, but
the cup and saucer from dancing off the tearoom tables.
Designed for year round service, her route was cut back to Rothesay
after the end of the summer season, and in her first 12 months she
had put in 251 days service and her owners calculated that the annual
saving in expenditure compared with a steamer of similar size was
just over GBP 1000 per year. So pleased were they with the "bottom
line", that the LNER appeared to look no further than more of the
same for their next project - replacing the Kenilworth.
The CSP were happy enough with their new ship, Marchioness of Lorne,
a small paddler of 199 feet in length, built for the Holy Loch
service. For many years, this had been provided by the Caledonia of
1889, but since that ship's withdrawal after the main 1933 season,
had been provided by the Marchioness of Bredalbane. The Marchioness
was only one year younger, so offered little to the residents of
Kilmun and Blairmore who never took to her and were delighted to have
a new steamer built for them. The CSP sold the "Bredalbane" for
scrapping, but she was saved for a short-lived career cruising out of
Great Yarmouth on England's east coast.
For differing reasons, both ships were to become problematic to their
owners, but for the time being, all parties were happy and confidence
continued to build.1936 :
Marchioness of
Graham - a multi-purpose turbine for the
Arran StationThe 1936 season opened
with a totally new set of circumstances on the Clyde. The CSP/LMS
had, in partnership with MacBraynes, itself half owned by the LMS,
agreed the takeover of both the Williamson-Buchanan Steamers and
Turbine Steamers operations. The result was that CSP/LMS hegemony on
the Clyde was almost complete and any hopes that the LNER had of
competing were dashed. Williamson-Buchanan (1936) Ltd was established
as a sister company of the CSP, it's ships retaining their white
funnels as a gesture of independence, but in reality operating as
units of the CSP fleet. Turbine Steamers Ltd was dissolved with King
George V and Queen Alexandra being assigned to the MacBrayne fleet,
King Edward to the CSP. Sadly, the winter of 1935 saw the withdrawal
of the MacBrayne favourites, Iona and Columba which had been popular
mainstays on the Clyde for so long, but the new vessels were ideal
direct replacements. The goodwill of the Inveraray and Campbeltown
routes was vested in the CSP , who were able to assign Duchess of
Montrose as well as the older Duchess of Argyll and King Edward to
cover the rosters, using Queen Mary, which by this time had been
renamed Queen Mary II, to cover for upper Firth cruises.
The name Queen Mary had generously been given to the Cunard company
who wanted to use if for their new luxury liner, built at John
Brown's Clydebank yard. This new ship, the world's largest, became
not only an enormous source of pride for Clydesiders, but also did
much to pull the area's large shipbuilding and engineering industry
through the troubled economic times of the 1930s. Steamer trips to
view her on the stocks and leaving her home river had also provided
much needed revenue for "up-river" cruise operators, so the new Queen
Mary had indirectly helped the old Queen Mary, and the gesture was
recognised by the gifting of a portrait of the monarch by the Cunard
company. The portrait was to hang in the upper deck saloon of the
Williamson-Buchanan ship.
The CSP had withdrawn their old paddler, Jupiter, and rejigged the
rosters of the remaining fleet to allow a new vessel to be placed on
the Ardrossan - Arran station alongside Glen Sannox. Marchioness of
Graham, built by Fairfields at Govan, was a turbine steamer, but
quite different from the two palatial Duchesses. A replacement
for the LMS-registered Atalanta of 1906, and at 220 feet, a full 50
feet shorter than the Duchesses, her design reminded of the factors
which had resulted in Glen Sannox being built without extensive deck
shelters. Arran residents preferred the cosier saloons of the main or
lower decks for the comparatively long crossing across the open lower
Firth. Outside the main summer season, the weather could be
unpredictable, the seas choppy and visibility poor. Large observation
saloons may have been suitable for the transient summer tourist, but
for the Arran locals, large open decks were required. Essential
cargoes were carried on barrows to and from the island by the
steamers and increasing numbers of motor cars needed to be conveyed.
These had either to be driven along planks on to the promenade deck
or hoisted aboard. Either way, top hamper on the vessel would not
make these precarious manoeuvres easier and may in fact have posed
dangers. As well as these cargoes, Arran had a particular interest in
getting it's large population of sheep across to mainland markets.
Large open decks were essential for sheep pens, and at certain times
of the year, sheep far outnumbered human passengers. 1937 :
Jupiter
and
Juno
- further improving CSP/LMS "upper-Firth" Railway
ConnectionsJupiter and Juno emerged from the Fairfield
yard and took their place on the Dunoon, Rothesay and Kyles run in
1937. With fore and aft deck saloons and generous space across their
considerable beam amidships, the sisters were excellent utility
vessels. They retained the CSP/LMS style of enclosed paddle boxes,
but reverted to a twin-funnel design. No provision was made for an
observation area above the saloons.
After less than three full seasons, World War II intervened and the
two youngest members of the fleet left their home waters in His
Majesty's service, hoping for survival, victory and glorious return.
For Juno, this was not to be. She was lost in an enemy bombing raid
over London in 1941. For Jupiter, the first major steamer to reenter
service in 1946, the world she came back to would be one changed for
ever................
If you have enjoyed reading
this
story I would be delighted if you would help to support PS Waverley,
the last operational Clyde Steamer by contributing to thePaddle Steamer Preservation Society
who are now beneficial owners of the vessel. As a registered charity they are
able to accept donations under the Gift Aid scheme which allows certain UK taxpayers
to reduce their tax bill in respect of donations made under the scheme and also
allows the charity to reclaim addition money from the UK treasury.
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