Glasgow & Southwestern Railway Steamers

on May 15, 2016

The opening of the Gourock and Ardrossan routes by the Caledonian Railway and the associated steamer services had immediate impacts of the business of the Glasgow & Southwestern Railway and Captain Alexander Williamson who ran his steamboats in association with the railway at Greenock and Captain William Buchanan who provided the service from Ardrossan to Arran. New steamers at Craigendoran had also secured for the North British Railway, the bulk of the Arrochar traffic in connection with their Loch Lomond tours. Faced with these inroads in multiple fronts, the Glasgow & Southwestern Railway made application to Parliament to run its own steamboat service. The Bill was passed in August 1891 but it placed some restrictions on the Glasgow & Southwestern steamers, preventing them sailing to the Lochfyne and Kintyre ports, and the west coast of Arran. They also could not extend...

Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Ltd.

on May 7, 2016

The opening of Princes Pier in 1870 for the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway Co. had signaled a downturn on the coast traffic carried by the Caledonian Railway Co. to Greenock Central with its remote and inconvenient approach to Greenock Quay. The situation was exacerbated when the Greenock and Ayrshire was absorbed into the Glasgow and South Western Railway Co. in 1872. While most steamers called at both Greenock Piers, the bulk of the traffic used the South Western route and with fast steamers such as Messrs Williamson’s Sultana on the station, the express services could even compete on the Rothesay station with the shorter crossing from Wemyss Bay. A plan to extend the Caledonian Railway further down the coast to Gourock was floated in 1877 but the proposal was rejected after opposition from the Greenock Harbour Trust. The North British Steam Packet Co. route through Craigendoran...

Marchioness of Lorne 1935

on Apr 20, 2016

As a replacement for the Marchioness of Breadalbane in 1935, the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. went to Fairfields for a smaller version of the paddlers Caledonia and Mercury built the previous year. She was well photographed by the Messrs Adamson and Robertson during her trials when sporting the Fairfield flag. Marchioness of Lorne on trials (Adamson) Marchioness of Lorne on trials (Robertson) Marchioness of Lorne was designed for the Holy Loch ferry route where the ability to maneuver at the many piers is more important than speed. The new steamer was capable of just 12 knots in service, requiring some adjustments to the time table. Despite some misgivings, the improved accommodation, meant that the new steamer became a strong favourite with the Holy Loch regulars Marchioness of Lorne (Feilden) Marchioness of Lorne in 1936 Marchioness of Lorne’s summer schedule was demanding,...

Sunday Steamers at Dunoon

on Mar 31, 2016

The pier at Dunoon is one of the most important on the Clyde, the major approach to the Cowal peninsula and an important hub for the major tours. The original pier, dating from about 1835, was built by a joint stock company but the rights to the pier and the ferry belonged to the Hafton Estate. This original pier was replaced by a new structure in 1845 and again in 1865 but by the end of the century, the single berth was a major source of congestion for the expanding steamer services on the Firth. The Trustees of the Hafton Estate, who owned the pier had proposed extensions as early as 1880 and had offered the pier to the Burgh on a number of occasions. Agreement on a price was finally reached and the Burgh purchased the structure on 31st December 1895 for £27,000 with an immediate plan to extend and reconstruct the pier for a further £15,000 that was put into action. Glasgow &...

Malwa—Messrs Caird & Co.,1908

on Mar 11, 2016

The P&O liner, Malwa, was launched from the yard of Messrs Caird & Co., Ltd at Greenock on October 10, 1908. As order number 315, she cost just almost £310,000 and was 540 ft long by 61.3 ft in the beam and a depth of 24.6 ft, giving a gross tonnage of 11,600. Her power plant was two quadruple-expansion steam engines, supplied by her builders and they developed 15,000 hp, driving the twin screws to achieve a speed of 18 knots. She was completed just before Christmas in 1908, and after being fitted with Marconi telegraph equipment, made her maiden voyage from London to Australia by way of the Suez Canal and Colombo. Malwa entering the water at Greenock Malwa afloat for the first time Initially she could accommodate 327 first-class passengers and 280 second-class and carried a crew of almost 350. She was the first P&O liner to visit Auckland, New Zealand, in 1910, and the...

North British Steamers

on Feb 28, 2016

The North British Railway Company had taken over the Helensburgh Railway in July 1866, a subsidiary, the North British Steam Packet Co., formed to run steamer services with their new well-appointed saloon steamers Meg Merrilies and Dandie Dinmont, immediately pressured the Helensburgh authorities for improved steamboat accommodation and a railway connection with the pier. The failure of this initial venture to attract a greater portion of the coast trade with steamers so obviously superior to those on other routes with the exception of the Iona must have been a tremendous blow to those involved. At the end of the season, Meg Merrilies and Dandie Dinmont were laid up in Bowling and offered for sale. The former was sold in 1868 to Turkish owners. Meg Merrilies Dandie Dinmont was moved to the Forth and tried on ferry services there. Her deck space was unsuitable for the requirements of...