Chapter XXIV.
Railway Companies as Steamship Owners.—South Eastern and Chatham.—London, Brighton and South Coast.—London and South Western.—Great Western.—London and North Western.—Lancashire and Yorkshire.—Stranraer and Larne.—Caledonian.—Glasgow and South Western.—North British.—Great Central.—Great Eastern.
There are in Great Britain, as well as in the United States of America, many steamship lines which are either owned or controlled by railway corporations. On the south coast of England, from Harwich to Falmouth inclusive, almost the whole of the Anglo-continental passenger traffic is held by the great railway companies, who have made the various ports along that stretch of coast their termini. In the North Country, both on the east and west coasts, with a few important exceptions, the cross-channel and over-sea traffic is operated by steamship companies, which, while running in connection with the railway systems of their respective ports, are entirely separate and independent undertakings.
The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Co. has now running between Dover and Calais, the new turbine steamer The Queen, and the fast and large paddle steamers Empress, Victoria, Dover, Calais, Lord Warden, Le Nord, and Le pas de Calais.
In connection with the same Company’s service via Folkestone and Boulogne, the fast and powerful steamers Mabel Grace, Princess of Wales, and Duchess of York are employed.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Co. has also added this year (1903) a turbine steamer to its fleet of fast steamers plying between Newhaven and Dieppe. In addition to the turbine steamer referred to, the fleet at present includes the following powerful 21-knot vessels:—Arundel, Calvados, Paris, Rouen, and Trouville.
| Royal Mail S. S. Co. | T. B. Royden. |
| Alfred Rowlands & Co. | J. S. Sellers. |
| Sligo S. N. Co., Ltd. | Henry Tyrer & Co. |
| Waterford S. S. Co., Ltd. | White Star Line. |
| Thos. Wilson, Sons & Co., Ltd. | Yeoward Bros. |
| Stott & Co. | J. & P. Hutchinson. |
| Leyland Line. | Orient-Pacific Line. |
| Palgrave, Murphy & Co. | P. Henderson & Co. |
| N. B. Ry. Co. | Turbine Steamers Ltd. |
| Warren & Co. | J. H. Welsford & Co. |
The London and South Western Railway Co. has a large fleet of about twenty powerful steamers, with which it maintains daily services between Southampton and Havre and tri-weekly services between Southampton and Cherbourg, and Southampton and the Channel Islands.
The Great Western Railway Co. from its southern terminus, Weymouth, runs the Mail Steamers Antelope, Gazelle, Ibex, Lynx, Reindeer, and Roebuck, to the Channel Islands and Brittany; and from its western terminus, Milford, the Mail Steamers Great Western, Limerick, and Waterford, to Waterford.
Arundel. London, Brighton and South Coast Ry. Co.
From Holyhead the London and North Western Railway Co. maintain passenger services to Dublin and Greenore. It is also interested with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co. in the Mail Steamers sailing nightly between Fleetwood and Belfast.
In 1902 the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co. purchased from the Drogheda Steampacket Company, for the sum of £80,000, the entire fleet of the latter Company, consisting of five paddle steamers engaged in the Liverpool and Drogheda Service. The Drogheda Steampacket Company was one of the oldest Irish steampacket companies, having maintained a steampacket service between Liverpool and Drogheda for upwards of sixty years. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co. is also a partner in the Fleetwood and Belfast Mail Service, and has recently extended the sailings of the Fleetwood steamers to Londonderry.
A Joint Committee representing several railway companies operate a Mail Service between Stranraer and Larne. The paddle steamer Princess Victoria or Princess May sails twice daily during the summer months, and once daily during the winter months to and from Stranraer and Larne, making the passage each way in about two hours.
Glen Sannox. Glasgow and South-Western Ry. Co.
On the Firth of Clyde the Caledonian Railway Co. are interested in the handsome steamers of the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. These vessels carry a cream coloured funnel, and sail from Ardrossan to Gourock and Wemyss Bay. All the watering places on the Firth are served by the respective fleets of the various railway companies.
The Glasgow and South Western Railway Company owns, and works from Prince’s Pier, Gourock, a fleet of swift steamers distinguished by their slate coloured hulls, with red funnels and black tops. The fleet includes the Glen Rosa, Glen Sannox, Juno, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Minerva, Neptune, and others.
The North British Railway Company is the premier Railway Company of Scotland; its mileage amounts to 1,303 miles. In conjunction with the Great Northern and North Eastern Railway Companies it forms the “East Coast Route” from England to Scotland, and the fastest booked “Railway run” in the Kingdom is on this route. As an important adjunct to its railway system, the North British Railway Co. employ on the Firth of Clyde (making Craigendoran the headquarters), the well-known paddle passenger steamers Lady Clare, Lady Rowena, Lucy Ashton, Red Gauntlet, Talisman, Waverley, and others; and between Silloth and Liverpool the screw cargo steamers Albatross and Kittiwake.
Lucy Ashton. North British Ry. Co.
No Railway-owned steamers ply on the east coast of Scotland, but from Grimsby the Great Central Railway Co. have a large fleet of passenger and cargo steamers sailing regularly to various continental ports. In July, 1865, this Company (then known as the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Co.) purchased the Anglo-French Steamship Co.’s fleet of boats, and started running steamers from Grimsby to Hamburg. The following April the Railway Company commenced a service of steamers between Grimsby and Rotterdam, and in August, 1867, the service was extended to Antwerp. At the present time the Great Central Railway Co. possesses a fleet of fourteen powerful steamers trading regularly between Grimsby and the continental ports named.
The railway company remaining to be mentioned as a steamship owning company is the Great Eastern Railway Company—the Royal British Mail Route to Holland.
The steamers of this Company have been especially built for the Continental service. The Royal Mail steamers Amsterdam, Berlin, Chelmsford, Dresden, and the Vienna, run on the Harwich-Hook of Holland route. They are powerful twin-screw ocean-going ships of 5,000 indicated horse-power, capable of steaming 18 knots an hour, each with two distinct sets of engines, so that in case of accident to one set the vessel can proceed with the other.
The passenger accommodation is similar to that on the latest Atlantic Liners, a special feature being the large number of private cabins for two passengers. The ships are fitted with electric light, and all latest passenger comforts, including dining, smoking, and ladies’ saloons, and separate sleeping berths.
The vessels running on the Harwich-Antwerp route are similar to those on the Hook of Holland service.
In common with all Railway Companies’ steamers, the Company’s vessels sail under the British flag, and are subject to the British Board of Trade stringent regulations as to safety and life-saving appliances.
