paddlesteamers.info : The Internet's leading website for
Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
Austria
Motor
Paddle Tugs - DDSG (Erste Donau
Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft)
The Wachau of 1937
heralded a new era in the DDSG tug fleet - she was built as a screw
ship with a diesel power plant. Alhough this propulsion combination
was to become the new standard, there remained the advantage that
paddlers held over screw ships - their relatively shallower draught.
The steam ship Gwinner was purchased in 1941 and given a new
Deutz-built six-cylinder engine and put into service with the new
name Rax. Rust and Ried joined the fleet new in 1942, and a similar
but higher powered set of 4 sisters, the "-egg" series appeared in
1943. The steamer Goliath of 1914 was converted to diesel operation
in 1956, and although no further vessels were converted, the four
"-egg" series ships received new, more powerful, Deutz diesels in
1964.
Rax left the fleet in 1968, and Ried in 1969 (Rust was lost sunk in
1944). Langegg was withdrawn in 1970, Kranzegg in 1972, Kammegg two
years later and Kolmegg in 1976. Kolmegg was the last survivor of her
type. Goliath had been withdrawn in 1974, but her engines survived
for further use in the passenger paddler, Helvetie,
which was withdrawn from service on Lake Geneva in Switzerland in 2002.
Her engine was removed but the ship itself remains maintained by the
local ship oprator with a view to restoring her for service in the
future.
Rax
Rust
Ried
Langegg
Kranzegg
Kolmegg
Kammegg
Goliath
Return
to
DDSG
DDSG - Steam Paddle
Tugs