Double ended ferries in Toronto - SS Trillium

[jamesgardiner]

Hi folks How do I put photos on the post or suggest another way
please? I have several photos of the SS Trillium belonging to the
City of Toronto. She celebrated her 90 th birthday in 2000. When she
was in Heedle's drydock 2 years ago I was able to get many photos of
her paddlewheels etc. One of the things I foundout she has a bo.w
thruster at each end of the vessel. The engine is orginal from 1910
and istrumentation came from the Toronto Water works built about the
same time Also City of Toronto achives have plans of this interesting
vessel Before the refit the pilot houses were quite short and windows
can be seen inpladdle boxes. After the refit the pilot houses were
enlarged and the windows over the paddle boxes were scrapped thus
allowing the vessel to appear as in 1910. take care.

[Paulrjordan]

James..thank you for posting those images of "Trillium."

I am very familiar with this ferry having climbed all over her during
the early 1970's as she lay abandoned in the lagoons of Toronto
Islands. I watched her restoration and clearly remember her first
day of operation for the Metro Parks Ferry Service. After that I
travelled on her many times and, operating a smaller Ferry in the
harbour, had to watch out for her and her sisters constantly.

I never got any PD comments on my observation that a paddler with
feathering wheels might not be considered a true double-ender in
function. The unequal thrust between concave and convex surfaces
might be unsuitable for a ship which requires true "push-pull" double-
ended characteristics.

Then I started thinking (ouch!). A feathering wheel with flat blades
(buckets)would push-pull a paddler with equal thrust in both
directions. (Wow! that took some working out!!!) After all, the
blades are going to be presented to the water in exactly the same
position no matter which direction they go.

Knowing that she is in every way a double-ended "push-pull" paddle
ferry, I therefore decided to take another closer look at James'
pictures of "Trillium. Eureka! exactly as I expected! She certainly
has feathering wheels but with FLAT blades rather than curved ones.
In keeping with her operating requirements the flat blades give her
equal thrust in either direction. PT "Aid" has curved blades which
kind of confirms my thoughts that she is double ended in design but
not in function! One might reasonably suggest, therefore, that
PT "Aid", in spite of her hull configuration is not a true double-
ender although she was no doubt highly maneuverable in both
directions.

This might all be of some help to Tony in figuring out the design
for "Britannia's" wheels. Chances are if she was made for push-pull
service with feathering wheels then they'd likely have been flat
blades.

Tony, I hope these musings do help a little. Also thanks again to
James for linking "Trillium" into our discussion...and for reminding
me of those wonderful, balmy, carefree days when I was a suntanned 24-
year-old water rat working in Toronto Harbour!

Best regards

PJ
Victoria, BC Canada.

[Tony Mattson]

Hmmm,

interesting observations on Trillium's flat paddle blades, Paul, and
thanks for the photos, James. She's got a very similar profile to our
Albatross class steam screw ferries - looks as though passengers
embarked/disembarked at the ends?

I noticed that Graupner's plastic fantastic version has curved
blades, but every other picture I can think of has flat blades.

Is the flat blade a more common feature of feathering paddles? Or is
the curved blade more common than I think?

Had a call from Auckland Public Library last evening. They have found
a copy of WW Stewart's book "Steam on the Waitemata" and I hope to
pick it up this evening. I've crossed my fingers for a good photo of
Britannia, high and dry on Flat Rock. Will post a copy if it is
worthy of this fine website!

In the meantime I've added a single photo to the collection (no
separate folder so can be found at the very end of the folders and
other photos). The shot is Auckland Anniversary Day January 1903 and
shows a paddlebox parade of double ended side wheel ferries. From
left to right are The Osprey, Alexandra, Tainui and Britannia.

Cheers for now
Tony
Auckland, NZ

[B Worden]

Paul,

Some random thoughts.

I, too remember Trillium in the lagoon -- climbed on by climbing up the paddlewheel and in the door in the paddlebox. She did, and I presume still does, have flat blades.

That's not restricted to double-enders, though; Sudan on the Nile has flat blades as well, and she's not at all a double-ender. There must be others as well, but I don't remember what I've seen where without looking at photos.

I'm not going to swear to this, but I think we might find that flat blades are made with wooden planks and curved ones with metal. The wooden boards are easily replaced if the wheel encounters a log or other wheel-breaker; replacing a curved steel blade is an altogether more difficult matter. So maybe the likelihood of floating trash influences the choice.

Finally, I would think that whether a feathering wheel was as efficient in reverse as in forward would depend to some extent on the angle at which the blade enters or leaves the water. Feathering works toward the vertical, but I'm not sure it ever quite attains it, so there might be a little difference if the blade is slightly off vertical when entering (or in reverse leaving) the water.

Bill Worden

[Tony Mattson]

Leighton wrote:

<<In The Mineralogical Museum at the Thames School of Mines (in Thames
NZ)there is a painting of side wheelers high and dry on the sand at
Thames being unloaded by horse and dray. One of them appears to be a
double ender (the boat not the horse!!)
At the height of the gold mining there were 36 side wheelers and
steamers a week travelling between Auckland and Thames.>>

Many grateful thanks Leighton. I haven't been to Thames for a few years
but now have a good reason to skive off work for a day and take a trip
down there.

Cheers and thanks again for the lead.
Tony
Auckland, NZ

[jamesgardiner]

Hi Folks! It will not be long until the boilers full of steam
operating the SS Trillium across Toronto Harbour after long cold
winter. Good sourse book about the paddle steamers of Toronto from
1850's on ward. Called Trillium and Toronto Island by Mike Filey-
Firefly Books Ltd.,250 Sparks Ave., Willowdale,Ontario, Canada. M2H-
2S4 ISBN # 0920668-75-3 Write to see if in print sounds like authors
own company - cost approx $ 20.00 Includes other paddle wheelers
al;so the rebuild in 1975. Reason the rebuild the Metro Parks needed
an extra vessel to handle the load. It was cheaper to rebuild her
than design another vessel. Interesting history 1. last operting
paddlewheeler on the Great Lakes 2. approx. 1980 she came in too
quickly to dock, sinking an older ferry used as restaraurt, from the
Upper Lakes. The fathers of Toronto did something right for a change.
The Vessel is used for charter srvice and heavy over flow loads to
the island on weekends. Thanks Tony for help. Jim G

[Sandy Johnston]

I am after some details on 4 double ended ferries. I have been
searching in vain for photos or drawings of any of the 4 side
paddlers from the Firth of Fourth in Scotland.
I would like to create some working drawings to model from. I
have no details to dimentions. I have 3 photos of the web and
one colourised photo from a book. - None side on or end on.

Details I have are they were built by William Benny & Bros and
leased to the Queensferry crossing from 1934 -64.
They are all diesel electric, double side-loading:-
Queen Margaret 1934
Robert the Bruce 1934
Mary Queen of Scots 1949
Sir William Wallace 1956

Any help would be welcome please.

Thankyou
Sandy
Ekelfekin
Auckland
New Zealand

[Alistair Deayton]

The National Maritime museum have the Denny archive,.A few years ago they
published a series of 4 books, "The Denny List" which had small plans of all
the ships they built, and a list of the plans they hold.
I remember sailing on one, but I was just a child then and didn't start
taking photos till a year or two after they had gone. Anyway, they were
diesel and there were much more interesting paddle steamers on the Clyde
I have one photo on my PC and will upload it now, of Sir William Wallace

Alistair Deayton

[Sandy Johnston]

Thankyou guys for the information and image.
I have requested details from the "NMM" and await their reply.

There is a model of one here but no details...
http://queensferry.members.beeb.net/


Thanks again
Sandy
"Ekelfekin"
Auckland
New Zealand

[Tony Mattson]

Hi Leighton,

I think that it was the Ngoiro that was taken to Tairua, restored and
the first trip out over the bar ran up on the rocks. I believe that the
people who converted her to a land-based restaurant spent millions
refurbishing her - would have been cheaper to build a restaurant from
scratch! She was a floating restaurant for a while and sank wharfside
one evening so has had an eventful life even after her decomissioning.

The Toroa is at present up on blocks, just the other side of the
Northwestern Motorway opposite the Lincoln Road interchange in Auckland.
She was moved there on a 112 wheel trailer towed by four heavy haulage
trucks.

Of the other Albatross class double enders:

The Albatross was laid up 1959 and scrapped at St. Mary's Bay 1968.
The Peregrine was laid up in 1959 and buried in the St. Mary's Bay
reclamation in 1981
The Takapuna was laid up in 1967 and burried in '81
The Makora was laid up in 1974 and buried in '81
The Pupuke was sold in 1962 and beached the same year out on Ponui
Island in the Hauraki Gulf. She was burned out in the late 1960s and her
bones can still be seen at low tide.
The Kestrel is of course still afloat, but converted to diesel.

The double ended car ferry Korea was also buried in the same '81
reclamation.

Cheers for now
Tony
Auckland, NZ