Paddle Steamers Raddampfer Vapeurs Roues Aubes

Welcome to the Foundation for Paddle Steamers Worldwide International Website
incorporating the Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape database, the internet's leading source of Paddle Steamer information

Rhone at montreux 2007.jpg

PS Rhone, seen above at Montreux in 2007, is one of a fleet of eight paddlers (five in steam and six in regular service) on Switzerland's Lake Geneva
Scroll down for the main menu of the Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape database, the internet's leading source of Paddle Steamer information

Paddle Steamers have some distinctive features which set them apart from other ships .........


PADDLE WHEELS	STEAM ENGINES	DECORATIVE PADDLE BOXES
The method of propulsion used by the first steamships and still ideal for calm and shallow waters. Many paddlers have viewing port-holes on the main deck so the turning wheels and splashing waters can be seen to good effect.	Unlike screw-propelled steamships, the location of the paddle shaft at or near main deck level means that there is more of the machinery to see from passenger areas. On most paddle steamers the engines are promoted as a major on-board attraction. Here, lubrication oil is topped-up on Lake Lucerne's PS Schiller.	From a distance, Paddle Steamers can often be identified by their distinctive paddle boxes, with vents of different sizes and shapes, often highly decorated. The Paddle Steamer Waverley's port side vents gets a touch-up of paint whilst she waits at Tighnabruaich for a return trip to Glasgow

Unlike screw steamships, of which many survive, genuine paddle steamers are now a rare but treasured genre.....

THE PADDLE STEAMER RESOURCES BY TRAMSCAPE DATABASE
Click on the links in the left hand column of the table below to go to the required section of the database

DATABASE MAIN MENU	USE THIS MENU OR ANY APPROPRIATE UNDERLINED HYPERLINK TO MOVE AROUND THE DATABASE
Homepage	The Foundation for Paddle Steamers Worldwide. Main menu for the Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape Database How to contact the webmaster - acknowledgements - about this site
Operational Paddle Steamers Paddle Steamers Under Construction Laid up and Statically Preserved Paddle Steamers Lost Paddle Steamers Paddle Steamer Engines Historical Database Clyde Steamers British Paddle Steamer Index Paddle Steamer Support Organisations Photograph Archive External website links Stern-wheelers	In public service, their operating companies and website links (includes motor paddlers) Projects for completely new-build paddle steamers Paddlers awaiting their fate or with new roles as restaurants, museums etc Vessels scrapped in recent years Operational and preserved paddle steamer engines By country and area : Paddle Steamers and service operators of the past The ultimate fleet of coastal cruising steamers Search here for British Paddle Steamers Organisations you can join or channel financial assistance through The webmaster's photograph collection in thumbnail form Sites listed in the database plus other sites of interest (European ships) Steamships or diesel conversions propelled by a stern wheel (Mississippi-style)
In Greater Depth Webmaster's Blog	Articles and photographs : current issues and vessel profiles Personal comments on matters of steamer preservation interest - your comments welcomed !
OTHER ASSOCIATED WEBSITES
Clyde Turbine Steamer Foundation Steamships with Reciprocating Engines Tramscape Tramway Photographs	Clyde and other passenger turbine steamers, surviving ferries and ocean liners Vessels for which there are photographs in the Tramscape collection only Link to Tramscape's extensive tramway photograph collection

In the database, you can research Europe's remaining Operational Paddle Steamers and Statically Preserved Steamers including decommissioned steamers whose survival remains in danger and paddle tugs. Coverage of other world areas is also expanding. As well as Tramscape's data, in most cases you will find a website link where you can find official information, timetables and fares. You can look at and compare many Steam Engines which are particularly characteristic of paddle steamers. Stern-wheel Paddle Steamers, original examples of which are manly to be found outside Europe, are listed separately.
You can browse the Historical Database to research paddle steamers of the past and their operators and read reviews of steamer operations of the past and you can also search for British Paddle Steamers by name in the British Paddle Steamer Index. One topic presented in particular detail relates to Clyde Steamers. You can also go In Greater Depth where numerous topics are discussed in a bit more detail and additional photography presented. Tramscape has an extensive collection of photographs of paddle steamers (and some other passenger vessels) which are presented in thumbnail format in the Photograph Archive. Full-sized photos (webmaster's own work only) are available for purchase in aid of Paddle Steamer preservation. If you would like to help Paddle steamers, there is a summary of appropriate support organisations through which to channel funds or meet other enthusiasts and actively participate in paddle steamer preservation.
The webmaster also gives his personal and sometimes provocative views on important matters relating to steamer preservation issues in the Webmaster's Blog.
Turbine Steamers formed an important part of the steamer fleet on the Clyde and these are featured in a separate but associated database. Screw steamships with reciprocating engines which feature in the Tramscape photograph collection are also in a separate website.
The blue Main Menu below leads you to all major sections of the database.

Vessels included in this database:

This database only covers river, estuarine and coastal excursion vessels. Vessels with overnight accommodation are included (eg Russian 737 class, Stadt Passau/Stadt Wien, Emmylou and the Mississippi "Queens") where their role is or has been for river transport where an overnight passage was required are included. There are no longer any "short-sea" paddle steamers in operation and paddlers on these type of services in the past (such as cross-channel services from the UK to Europe) are not included in the historical database section.

SIDE WHEELERS : Steam-powered or driven by diesel or diesel-electric drives, either where put in as replacements for steam engines (eg MPVs Italie, Vevey and Helvetie) or where built new with diesel engines (eg Stadt Wien/Stadt Passau, Herrsching). Very small modern diesel-powered paddlers primarily used for short river cruises are also excluded (eg Elbis, Jagienka, Svanen, Helene) unless there are photos in the webmaster's collection

STERN WHEELERS : The database includes steam powered stern-wheelers. Due to the very large number of modern vessels with diesel drive, generally modelled on Mississippi-type vessels which have been built in recent years for tourist excursions in many parts of the world, and also as "Casino boats" in the USA, no attempt is made to catalogue these and they can be regarded as excluded from the database although some mention may be made. This means that it is generally older, steam powered vessels which are included - and almost all such vessels are in the USA.
Please note : Stern-wheelers are listed in separate pages to Side-wheelers. The Main menu page for stern-wheelers can be accessed by clicking the appropriate link on the blue menu.

Not included :

TURBINE STEAMERS and OTHER STEAMSHIPS (with reciprocating engines) are covered in separate associated websites (see below or on the main menu for links)
Passenger Motor Vessels and Car Ferries are not included in the on-line database (webmaster access only)

PADDLE STEAMERS IN THE NEWS
If you have any up-to-the-minute news, please let the Webmaster, Gordon Stewart, know

URGENT ALERT:
Paddle Steamer Lincoln Castle For Sale

Until recently, the Clyde-built former Hull-new Holland ferry has been operating as a pub in the docks at Grimsby. She has been put up for sale for the very modest sum of GBP 20,000 although there will be a considerable cost in even getting her out of the dock she is in .

Her triple expansion steam engines are still in place although the boiler has long since been removed.
She would make an ideal pub or maritime museum at a suitable location and a return to revenue service, although likely to be expensive, would not be impossible, especially compared with the costs of restoring many other vessels.

Can you take her on in a suitable role?
Sales agents : click here : Photo (2008) by David Ornsby

July 22nd 2009 : Austria's PS Schonbrunn was rammed by the river cruise boat "Avalon Tranquility" whilst tied up at Linz and the damage caused was so severe that she will miss the rest of the 2009 season. The passenger cruiser, owned by Premicon AG but operated by the USA company Avalon Waterways was attempting a manoevre at Linz when she hit the paddle steamer.
Pictures can be seen on this link to the website of the Austrian broadcaster ORF : http://ooe.orf.at/stories/377348/

THE FOUNDATION FOR PADDLE STEAMERS WORLDWIDE'S AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the Foundation for Paddle Steamers Worldwide is to raise awareness of and interest in Paddle Steamers through a presence on the internet where enthusiasts and the general public alike can, through the the regularly updated Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape database, learn about Paddle Steamers and their operations, past and present.

It is hoped that increased interest will lead to increased patronage of existing Paddle Steamers and growing support for the organisations which are now closely involved in ensuring that they will continue to sail on long into the future and which are working towards restoring decommissioned ships for future service.

Passengers queue up for a trip on PS Blumlisalp on lake Thun (right). This paddler was derelict before being saved by enthusiasts. The Foundation believes that Paddle Steamers add something extra to a boat trip, generate a lot of public interest and inspire enthusiasts to support them in other ways also. Click here to find out why.

THE FOUNDATION FOR PADDLE STEAMERS WORLDWIDE'S VIEW

A commercial ship has little future unless it is doing what it was built to do - sail in revenue service. Paddle Steamers can have good long-term prospects because they are significant revenue earners for their operators and are also recognised as having exceptional tourism-generating potential by public authorities in the areas in which they operate.

However, steamships generally do have higher operating costs than modern motor vessels and it is accepted that operators do need some external support in maintaining their paddle steamer fleets.
The organisations through which enthusiasts can make a real difference in helping to ensure the continued operation of these classic vessels are already there and have been extremely successful in their efforts. This makes Paddle Steamers ideal vessels for the wider marine enthusiast community to support.

Paddle Steamers became very successful on rivers, lakes and in estuarine waters, but just when their final demise was anticipated, a remarkable renaissance began. Rather than heading to the scrap yard, "life-expired" paddlers such as "Savoie" on Lake Geneva, seen here in dry dock in 2005 are now being totally refurbished for many more years' service. Click here for more.

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY HELP KEEP PADDLE STEAMERS SAILING INTO THE FUTURE

ENTHUSIASTS
Please support operational paddle steamers by sailing on these vessels as often as possible
Would you like to help either financially or practically - or join groups of like-minded people trying to do the same ? Paddle Steamer Waverley (right) is one such paddle steamer supported successfully by enthusiasts.
Click here for Paddle Steamer Support Organisations

ENTHUSIASTIC ENTREPRENEURS and PHILANTHROPISTS
Do you have the resources available to buy, refurbish, operate and maintain a paddle steamer ?
Could you buy a derelict steamer and at least refurbish it and operate it in a static role ?
Here are paddle steamers out of service which may be for sale to the right buyer and which could be brought back into revenue service
Sept 2009 : PS Lincoln Castle Placed in the hands of agents to negotiate a sale : see this web page for details http://commercial.apolloduck.com/display.phtml?aid=124525

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC PADDLE STEAMER INFORMATION ?

Most of the information available to me is presented in abbreviated form in this database and it is unlikely that I will be able to help with ships which are not included in this database, but please Send the webmaster an e-mail and I will give as much assistance as I can. I can for example also give general guidance about paddle steamer services in Europe (e.g. Swiss lake steamers operations) and guide you to the best sources of external information. For more specific, detailed or obscure enquiries, particularly with respect to British paddle steamer history, why not post a message on the board at www.heritagesteamers.co.uk The website www.paddleducks.co.uk is the home of the world-wide modelling community where there is a lively forum. Paddleducks members often have access to ship plans and other information of specific relevance to modellers.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR PADDLE STEAMER BOOKS/VIDEOS/DVDs ?

www.heritagesteamers.co.uk : The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society's heritage Collections Site. Follow "publications" to browse and buy.
PS Kingswear Castle Trust - profits go to the upkeep of the paddle steamer
Loch Lomond related books and souvenirs - proceeds to PS Maid of the Loch
PS Medway Queen : Additionally, if you link to a range of other internet sellers' sites via this site, the MQ Preservation Society gets a commission on sales from the supplier.

CAN YOU HELP WITH THIS DATABASE ?

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, Wikimedia etc may be used so long a the copyright tag (Creative Commons etc) allocated to the photo at the time of downloading allows. if you wish to re-use these photos you will need to comply with the appropriate licence conditions. material regarded as in the public domain should still be attributed where possible.

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

Please note : Copyright for all photos on this website or in the Photograph Archive belongs to Gordon Stewart, Tramscape or the acknowledged photographer, where this is not Gordon Stewart. Please do not reproduce these photos on any other website or publication without express permission from the webmaster.

ASSOCIATED WEBSITE : THE CLYDE TURBINE STEAMER FOUNDATION

The steam turbine superceded the vertical reciprocating steam engine for most marine engineering applications in the 20th century. Only in paddle steamers, where the turbine principle was not practical, and smaller excursion steamships,where the marine diesel, once fully developed, would take over directly did it not make an impression. The great ocean liners, naval and cargo ships and short sea ferries all adopted the turbine almost universally -yet whilst some paddle steamers and numerous small steamships still survive, turbine steamers are all but extinct.

The turbine was first demonstrated in a launch for the British Navy, but was first adoped for use in a passenger ship in the pioneering King Edward of 1901, an excursion steamer on Scotland's Firth of Clyde, an area where numerous paddle steamers plied their trade. Shipbuilders Wm Denny of Dumbarton went on to deliver more turbines for excursion work on the Clyde and became well known for their work on larger short-sea ferries. The Foundation supports attempts to preserve the last of these excursion steamers (Queen Mary, left) in a static role, and the website tracks the development of the turbine in estauarine and coastal excursion steamers in detail and reviews the last remaining passenger turbine ships of all classes.

Go to website

Turbine power never caught on for excursion vessels despite its success with larger ships. The Clyde was most unusual in having a magnificent fleet of turbine steamers as a result of the forward thinking of Wm Denny & bros, the Dumbarton shipbuilder and Captain John Williamson, a local excursion steamer owner. The success of the pioneering passsenger turbine steamer King Edward led to more similar vessels being ordered by many of the companies involved in the Clyde ferry and excursion trade. Despite their higher capital cost, their speed on the longer distance cruises was a very attractive feature and they won much public approval for their quietness and smoothness of operation. It was only on the Clyde that turbines and paddlers mixed in together and for this reason, no appreciation of paddle steamers is complete without detailed mention of the sleek and beautiful turbines which sailed in conjunction with them in one of the world's foremost paddle steamer operating areas.

ASSOCIATED WEBSITE : SCREW STEAMER PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE WEBMASTER'S ARCHIVE

Fortunately, steam propulsion is still in existence and there are numerous ships around the world which still use this method of power. Most ships are excursion vessels or working vessels such as icebreakers or tugs which have been saved and are used for excursions, generally owned and run by enthusiast groups. Tramscape makes no attempt to catalogue these vessels

This site includes photographs from the Tramscape collection of passenger steamships which do not fit into the two main websites. Included are such vessels as SS Sir Walter Scott, Bohuslan at Gothenburg, the four still in steam in Stockholm (plus the numerous diesel conversions) and steamers in Berlin and Potsdam. Now out of service, the much-loved the Fairfield-built steamers at Istanbul (photo, above) were photographed in 1994. Two of the original eight sisters still survive in static roles

Go to website

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR PADDLE STEAMERS WORLDWIDE
and the PADDLE STEAMER RESOURCES DATABASE

The Foundation for Paddle Steamers Worldwide is not a registered company, association or society. It is an internet-based information resource and its aim is to raise interest in and awareness of Paddle Steamers to assist their successful operation long into the future. It is a development of the Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape internet database and relies on this database for its information.
It remains operated by Tramscape and it is researched, designed and maintained Gordon Stewart and is based in England
This is a private venture aiming to raise awareness of and interest in paddle steamers and is not associated with any external organisation although support and cooperation from other organisations with the same objectives is encouraged. Links to external websites are provided to take viewers to steamer operators' websites and for general research purposes.The website aims to be a source of basic reference, setting the scene for those who wish to understand the general situation regarding paddle steamers. Those who wish to research further are directed to the appropriate sources shown in the bibliography sections of the relevant past of the historical database.

Any views expressed, including especially those in the Webmaster's Blog section, are those of the webmaster alone unless otherwise indicated.
All material and photographs displayed on this website are the property of Gordon Stewart, Tramscape or accredited photographer where shown and not for use without permission
All information is presented in good faith based on meticulous research. If any information is clearly wrong, please advise the webmaster and it shall be corrected

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The webmaster gratefully acknowledges many sources of information, including websites shown on the links page, magazines such as Paddle Wheels and Dampferzeitung and published books which he has read and absorbed information from. Many of these are listed in the Bibliography sections of the main pages to which they refer and readers of this website are referred to these books for much more detailed information about the relevant subjects .

Relevant contributions to the database (news, photos), feedback (about the website) or enquiries (about paddle steamers in general) are welcome.
Write in English, German (Deutsch) or French (Francais)

Thanks go to many people who have helped with photos and information : Martin Roberts, Olivier Bachmann, Andreas Heene, Trevor Batchelor, Zsolt Szabo, Jack Woodhams, Robert Horlacher, Len Knight, Dave Ornsby, Mark Young, Ronnie McLeod, Glenda Owler, Joe Dalrymple, Donald Bain, Nigel Lawrence, Jessica Drescher, Ian Stenton, Alex Naughton, Gillon Ferguson, Syd Harper, Tony Jarram, Mike Griffiths, Hubert Kraaivanger, Tony Hadley, Nigel Clark, Paul Coombs, Reg Johnson, Avidis Hacinliyan, Nick Quarmby, Milos Vasiljevic, Jim McCreery, Howard Ahmun, Hamish Coutts, Chris Miles. Plus those who have kindly put their photos into the public domain and which I have used any others not yet listed who have kindly been of assistance

Tramscape and Gordon Stewart.
All photographs displayed are with the permission of the acknowledged photographer but are not to be copied for re-use for any other website or publication without the specific authorisation of the photographer. You are welcome to use the text from this website as a research source and basis for your own work but it should not be copied and republished elsewhere verbatim or only slightly altered.
All material on these websites : tramways.awardspace.com, paddlesteamers.awardspace.com, steamships.awardspace.com, turbinesteamers.awardspace.com, paddlesteamers.freehostia.com and turbinesteamers.freehostia.com are Tramscape and Gordon Stewart or the individual photographer where acknowledged. Photos not otherwised attributed are by Gordon Stewart

CONTACT THE WEBMASTER

Send an e-mail to the Webmaster, Gordon Stewart

Your comments and views, information requests etc are welcomed

OTHER ASSOCIATED WEBSITES		Webmaster
Clyde Turbine Steamer Foundation Steamships with Reciprocating Engines Tramscape Tramway Photographs	Clyde and other passenger turbine steamers, surviving ferries and ocean liners Vessels for which there are photographs in the Tramscape collection only Link to Tramscape's extensive tramway photograph collection	Turbine Steamers Screw Steamers Tram Photos

Raddampfer : Geschichte und Aktuell - Vapeurs à roues à aubes : le passé et le présent
Classic ships which will not be going to Alang for scrap : Cruise holidays : great days out :

Please note : Copyright for all photos on this website or in the Photograph Archive belongs to Gordon Stewart, Tramscape or the acknowledged photographer, where this is not Gordon Stewart. Please do not reproduce these photos on any other website or publication without express permission from the webmaster.

Tramscape 2001-2009