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Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
Dartmouth - Kingswear
The
short crossing of the River Dart from the railhead on the east bank at
Kingswear to the main resort town of Dartmouth, famous for its Royal
Naval College was established to link the new railhead at Kingswear
after the Dartmouth & Torbay Railway were granted powers to run a ferry in 1857. The railway company became part of the Great Western Railway and operation was leased to the Dartmouth Steam Packet Company until 1872.
Louisa (1864-1870) Originally built in 1856 for J Moody & Co of Dartmouth
Perseverance (1864-1869)
Newcomin (1864-1880)
Dolphin (1869-1908)
Dartmouth - Kingswear (Higher Ferry)
A
second ferry service operated slightly upstream, originally
chain-drawn, first operated in the 1820s. It was of modest success and
for a time the chains were powered by horses. Steam was restored in
1867. Closing again in 1908, it reopened in 1912 under new ownership,
wire guided. Local shipbuilders Philip & Son took over the service
in 1918 and put in service a new paddle-powered but wire-guided vessel.
This was replaced by a diesel-electric paddle vessel which served from
1960 to 2009 before replacement by a screw propelled ferry.
Above
: Photo taken from the Dartmouth side in 1967. The statically moored
paddle steamers Totnes Castle and Consul can be seen. Photo from an
unknown photographer purchased by Istvan Radi and shown by kind
permission
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Historical Database