Doon the Watter 1955-56

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Doon the Watter 1955-56

When the Clyde from Glasgow to the Tail of the Bank was still full of ships

A sail from the Bridge Wharf on Glasgow's turbine steamer Queen Mary II

Points of note

On departing from Bridge Wharf (beside KGV Bridge) - brief view of dredger and William Sloan's vessels (traded to Bristol and London at Windmilcroft Quay (south) and Burns Laird and Coast Line vessels engaged on the various Glasgow - Ireland route berthed at the Broomielaw and Anderston Quay including Lairds Loch, Irish Coast and the Royal Scotsman or Royal Ulsterman

Vehicular Ferryboat No 4 at the Lancefield Quay terminal (bottom of Elliot Street) - relocated from Finnieston Quay when the Stobcross Crane was constructed (1931-32) Ferry still in the old Clyde Navigation Trust maroon livery

New ships berthed under the Stobcross (Finnieston) crane - funel-less awaiting engines

Fairfields yard (now BAE Govan) with the Canadian Pacific's third liner to be named Empress of Britain fitting out in the basin

A near full KGV Dock - with one of the old CNT steam dredgers - Shieldhill or Cairndhu?

Chain ferries at Renfrew and Erskine

Stemer band with Braehead Power Station (where shopping centre now sits) in the background

Fitting out basin of the dredger building specialists Lobnitz & Co at Renfrew

John Browns and Singers at Clydebank - Singers factor was one of the largest in the world of any type - workforce of over 20,000 - own railway station and very famous clock tower.

Vessels in Dalmuir Basin with the base of the Benrather cantilever crane - first one on the Clyde and (unlike the 5 others on the river) a real 'hammerhead crane. Built in 1905 for Beardmore's by the short lived Glasgow Electric Hoist & Crane Company at their Nuneaton Street works in the Parkhead district of the city to a design by the German Benrather engineering company. Crane was demolished ca 1971

Introduction by Alex Norton

Bit different from today's river viewed from Waverley

Stuart Cameron

The Society

The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) is Britain's longest established, largest and most successful steamship preservation group.
A registered charity founded in 1959, we have over 3000 members and through our associated charitable companies we operate the only two working paddle steamers in Great Britain.
Without the PSPS there would no longer be the opportunity to sail on a Paddle Steamer in Great Britain.

Our aims
i) to preserve paddle steamers in sailing condition
ii) to educate the public in the historic significance of paddle steamers in the Nation's maritime and industrial heritage
iii) to acquire, preserve and exhibit a collection of equipment and material associated with paddle steamers.

Our Ships

Flagship of our fleet is Waverley the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world. Built in 1947 Waverley was gifted to the Society for just £1. As well as operating on her native Clyde each summer she visits other coastal areas around the UK during the spring and autumn each year.

Kingswear Castle is Britain's only operational coal-fired paddle steamer. Built in 1924 to sail on the River Dart she was purchased by the Society in 1967. From 1985 until 2012 she sailed the Thames and Medway. In 2013 Kingswear Castle returned to the Dart where she now operates public sailings during the summer season.

The society is composed of five branches: Scottish, London & Home Counties, Bristol Channel, Wessex & Dart and North England - all of which help raise money to keep our paddle steamers sailing.

The Scottish Branch

The Scottish Branch was formed in 1969 by Douglas McGowan, now our Honorary Branch President. In November 1973 Douglas was invited to attend a meeting with CalMac which resulted in Paddle Steamer Waverley being gifted to the PSPS for £1! It was then on 8th August 1974 that the PSPS took ownership of the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world and her second career in preservation had begun. Since 1974 the Scottish Branch has been directly linked to supporting Waverley.

The Scottish Branch is proud of its achievements. We are an active and forward thinking branch with a thriving membership of over 800 - we are proud to be the branch which secured an operational future for Waverley. Our members are regularly involved with voluntary work which helps ensure Waverley continues to sail. During the summer sailing season we help raise funds through the Society's Grand Draw and our annual fundraising cruise on Waverley. The Branch meets in Glasgow each month during the non-sailing season (October - April) and we extend an invitation to join the Society and indeed join the Scottish Branch.

Wednesday 11 August 2010