paddlesteamers.info : The Internet's leading website for
Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
DEPV Talisman (1935) : Diesel-Electric drive
Above : Talisman as built. Courtesy of the Peter Rolf collection
Built in 1935 by A & J Inglis,
Pointhouse, Glasgow, Scotland for the London & North Eastern
Railway
Diesel-electric direct drive Paddle propulsion
Dimensions : 215 ft x 27 ft 8 in
544 Gross Registered Tons
Employed on year-round
runs from Craigendoran to Rothesay and the Kyles of Bute for the London & North Eastern Railway
Despite good fuel economy, her diesel engines gave regular trouble and she was withdrawn in the summer of 1939
War service as HMS Aristocrat included acting as a HQ ship at the
Normandy landings
Ownership passed to the BTC in 1948 and later to the Caledonian Steam Packet
Co Ltd
Unreliability of the engines led to withdrawal in 1953
The replacement vessel (Marchioness of Lorne) was found to be too slow for her re-assignement to
the Millport route, leading to a reprieve for Talisman
Talisman's diesels were replaced leading to better reliability
Characterised by the din and vibration of her diesels but otherwise a
popular vessel,
Talisman was a success on the Wemyss Bay - Largs - Millport ferry route
Withdrawn after the 1966 season
Sold for scrap and broken up in 1967 by W H Arnott, Young & Co at
Dalmuir,
Scotland
Above
: Talisman at Dunoon in 1951 by James Dobie (by kind courtesy of Gordon
Provan). The following year her deckhouses were painted white to match
the Caledonian Steam Packet Co livery ..... but her paddle wheels were to
remain black for a little longer
Above : Talisman - photo by Jimmy Reid taken in the 1952-1955 period (by kind courtesy of Ronnie McLeod)
Above : Talisman at Kichattan Bay. Photo by kind courtesy of Alasdair Young
Above : Talisman
in the early 1960s approaching Rothesay - Photo by Alexander Bain by kind courtesy
of Donald Bain
Above : Talisman at Rothesay on 10th August 1964, having just arrived from
Largs - Photo by Ian Stewart
Above: At Fairlie in 1965 - by Gordon Stewart
TALISMAN IN CONTEMPORARY POST CARDS FROM THE GORDON STEWART
COLLECTION
Above
: Colours from the period spring 1952 to late 1955. In this period she
sailed with white deckhouses but still retained her black "LNER" paddle
boxes. This post card view by Valentine & Sons was still on sale in
1964. The webmaster posted this at Largs on 26th August of that year
Above : Talisman approaches Dunoon on 24th June 1966, seen in her final colours. Photo by kind courtesy of Tom Lee
Above
: From late 1955 to 1964 - full Caledonian Steam Packet Company colours
- but not jet with blue hull and lions rampant on the funnel
TALISMAN IN CONTEMPORARY POST CARDS FROM THE PETER ROLF
COLLECTION
Above : Talisman approaching Helensburgh on her trials after her post-war refit
Bilbiography
Talisman
: The Solitary Crusader
By Alan Brown
Published by Aggregate Publications, Johnstone, Scotland in 1980
Detailed story of this highly unusual and interesting
vessel
Return
to
Caledonian
Steam Packet Co
BTC
London & North Eastern Railway
(LNER)
Clyde Steamers of the 1930s
British Paddle Steamer
Index
Clyde Steamers
Historical Database
