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Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
Firth
of Clyde, UK
North
British
Railway
(1866-1923)
Traded as
North British Steam Packet Co Ltd until 1902
The North British
Railway was earlier than its rivals in operating its own steamers
rather than relying on private owners to provide connections at the
railheads. The Railway established the North British Steam Packet
Company to run services from the railhead at Helensburgh to Dunoon
and Rothesay and also to Ardrishaig, in competition with the route to
the West Highlands operated by David Hutcheson. Two large steamers
were ordered for the 1866 season which ended in operational and
financial failure. A more limited service was resumed in 1869 and a
regular service was established from the north bank of the Clyde. The
North British (NB) suffered several disadvantages in comparison with
its south bank rivals, the CSP and GSWR, (particularly the longer
rail route from Glasgow and longer sea route to the main resorts) but
services from Craigendoran, which replaced Helensburgh from 1882,
continued up until 1972. The North British took direct control of its
steamship subsidiary in 1902 until 1923 when the NB was amalgamated
with other railway lines into the London & North Eastern Railway
(LNER). Railway amalgamation left the LNER steamers independent, but
facing a stronger combined CSP/LMS fleet operating from Gourock on
the south bank and from other Ayrshire
piers.
PS
Meg Merrilies (1866-1867)
PS Dandie Dinmont (1866 and
1869-1885)
PS Carham (1869-1872)
PS Gareloch (1872-1891)
PS Sheila
(1882-1894, renamed Guy Mannering)
PS Meg Merrilies (1883)
PS Jeanie Deans
(1884-1896)
PS Diana Vernon (1885-1901)
PS Lucy Ashton (from 1888)
PS Lady Rowena (1891-1903)
PS Lady Clare (1891-1906)
PS Redgauntlet (1895-1909)
PS Dandie Dinmont (from 1895)
PS Talisman (from 1896)
PS Kenilworth (from 1898)
PS Waverley (from 1899)
PS Marmion (from 1906)
PS Fair Maid (never sailed for the NB -
lost during World War I)
Vessels transferred to
the LNER : Lucy Ashton, Dandie Dinmont (1895), Talisman, Kenilworth,
Waverley and
Marmion
Above : Photo by Kenny Whyte of the derelict remains of the NB/LNER
railhead at Craigendoran shows how the ships had a direct route across
to Dunoon and the Cowal coast, seen in the far distance in the photo.
However, in the mid-distance on the left is the pier at Gourock -
the railhead for the company's rivals. From this picture it is clear
how the opening of the railway to Gourock conferred a significant time
advantage on the Caledonian Steam Packet Company.
Bibliography
Craigendoran
Steamers
Alan Brown
Published in 1979 by Aggregate Publications, Johnstone, Renfrewshire,
Scotland
A detailed history of the NB, LNER and the Craigendoran services of the
post-war Caledonian Steam Packet Company.
Steamers of the Clyde : NB & LNER
Alistair Deayton
Published in 2000 by Tempus Publishing Ltd
ISBN 0-7524-2107-7
Brief historical summary followed by numerous photos with extended descriptive captions
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