TS Queen Alexandra (1902)
part of the Clyde Turbine Steamers website from
paddlesteamers.info
CANADA
Princess Patricia was the first turbine steamer in the Canadian Pacific Railway fleet and set the course for a successful application of the turbine for ferries sailing on the west coast of Canada. A number of other turbine steamers were delivered to the CP and they remained, as far as practical, loyal to Clyde shipyards for their vessels which were much larger than the Clyde Steamers and more comparable to short-sea vessels such as British cross-channel steamers.
The Canadian Pacific, of course developed an extensive cross-atlantic liner
service linking Britain and Europe with the east coast of Canada and operated
a number of famous and well loved ships, many of British and Clyde construction.
The last of these to survive was the 1956-built Empress of Britain, which was
built by Fairfields at Govan, one of three British-built near-sisters, and whilst
her life as a liner was short, she became a successful cruise ship. In her final
years she was known as the Topaz and ended her days when she was beached at
Alang, India on 4th July 2008 for scrapping, at an extremely old age for such
a ship.
Empress of Britain, which retained its turbine steam power plant
throughout was one of the very last operational steam liners and the very last
Clyde-built steam powered liner in service.