SUCCESS! British cross channel paddler plans located

[Paulrjordan]

I'm glad to report that after 6 months of searching I have finally
tracked down some original 1/4" plans for four of William Stroudley's
most famous Cross Channel sidewheelers.

"PARIS III", "ROUEN IV", "BRITTANY" and "NORMANDY"

A bit of background on Stroudly himself who was the Locomotive and
Marine Superintendant of the London Brighton South Coast Railway
during the latter part of the 19th Century. He was a lateral thinker
and innovator responsible for some very effective Steam locomotive
design during his tenure. He also took a particular interest in the
maritime activities associated with the Port of Newhaven (Sussex)
which served as one of the Railway's vital freight and passenger links
to France. It's Newhaven-Dieppe run was famous for providing speedy
access across the approx 60 miles of often stormy and choppy English
Channel, a run which Stroudley's sleek sidewheelers eventually
accomplished in 3 1/2 hours. The same ferry run today (well over 100
years later) takes 4 HOURS! Stroudley designed and commissioned two
brand new sidewheelers specially for anticipated traffic to the Paris
Exhibition of 1878. These were sisters "Paris III" and "Rouen IV",
two beautifully proportioned 250' sidewheelers with twin raked
funnels, sweetly streamlined profiles AND, what made them visually
outstanding, their long and sweeping "whaleback" foredecks,
reminiscent of early lifeboats, and which allowed them to plunge into
the often violent English Channel weather. Three months ago I asked
Tom Lee to include a picture of "Paris III" in his excellent
Paddlesteamer Picture Gallery Website which he has done at:
http://website.lineone.net/~tom_lee/parisimg.htm

(I spent a delightful evening with Tom at his home in Crowborough
Sussex, during my recent UK visit)

These two paddlewheelers were able to sustain speeds of 19 knots
resulting from highly efficient use of their steam capacity AND the
improvements which Stroudley intoduced to self feathering wheels.
We should stop here, becausee I want to clear up a misconception (I
believe, anyway) that Stroudley invented the feathering wheel. In fact
it had been patented many years previously but it was Stroudley who
re-engineered it and made it far more efficient and adapted it to his
cross channel steamers.

So successful were "Paris III" and "Rouen IV" that Stroudley had a
further two sidweheelers built by Fairfields in 1882. These were the
equally magnificent "Brittany" and "Normandy"..veritable express
trains of the water!

It is these 4 ships that I have located 1/4" plans for and with the
assistance of Andy Saunders, Chairman of the Newhaven Maritime Museum,
we're asking the Science Museum Library in London if we may have
copies. When I visited the UK, Andy was extremely helpful in my
research of "Paris III" and has compiled copious notes and research
data on, not only all of Stroudely's ships, but also all other
maritime activity and history of the Port of Newhaven. The museum has
one of the best Local Maritime displays I have ever seen. Until now,
the only thing I could NOT find were actual plans of the Stroudley
ships.

Once again, the Internet made the research much easier and I
just hope I can also find accurate plans of the South Coast Excursion
Steamer "Worthing Belle" (ex "Diana Vernon"). More about her and the
"Great Brits" who know all about her in a later post.

PJ

[Paulrjordan]

<SNIP>
> Stroudley designed and commissioned two brand new sidewheelers
> specially for anticipated traffic to the Paris Exhibition of 1878.
> These were sisters "Paris III" and "Rouen IV",

I have just received an email from my "Cross channel paddler mentor",
Andy Saunders, Chairman of the Newhaven Maritime Museum in Sussex. UK.

Andy wrote:

"Hi Paul,
You got your ships about face!
Brittany and Normandy preceded Paris 3 and Rouen, and it was the
former ships design which lead to the latter being built in 1888. You
unfortunately left out the date for Paris 3, which might give your
members the wrong impression.

Regards
Andy Saunders"

With apologies to all, I got my Paris Exhibition dates muddled.
Sisters "Brittany" and "Normandy" were built by Fairfields in 1882 who
THEN built sisters "Paris III" and "Rouen IV" in 1888 in time for the
anticipated flourish of passenger traffic for the 1889 Paris
Exhibition.(not the 1878 Exhibition). I thank Andy for pointing this
error out, as getting chronologies right is essential to accurate
reporting.

Andy has also very kindly sent me a copy of a book I had much admired
while at the Newhaven Maritime Museum. It is called "Famous Paddle
Steamers" by F. C. Hambleton and first published in 1948 with reprints
in 1971 and 1977. This informative little book contains useful
insights and drawings depicting a number of well known Cross Channel
and River Thames sidewheelers, including brief accounts and drawings
of the Stroudley paddlers.

For those in the UK wishing to visit the Newhaven Maritime Museum,
it's open on weekends 27th October - 27th March from 2 pm - 5pm with
extended hours during March to October. It's well worth a visit and
you'll find it at:
Paradise Park
Avis Road, Newhaven,
East Sussex BN9 0DH

For overseas visitors to the UK, I thoroughly recommend a day at
Newhaven whose harbour exudes a vibrant maritime atmosphere and also
incorporates a historic Fort with extremely well presented exhibits
depicting the town's important coastal defense role during the 19th
Century through WW 2.

PJ