Here's an interesting photo (not for purchase necessarily but for research).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6192798901 This looks a lot like an Irrawaddy Flotilla ship. Any other ideas? David (Waverley) has already given his thoughts on this and I've put his posting below.
PJ
Victoria, BC Canada
Reply from David -
She's probably from India or what is now Bangladesh running on the Ganges or its delta. I have always been under the impression (confirmed by a quick google which led to a site with a brief history of the Flotilla) that the entire Irrawaddy fleet was sunk or scuttled when Japan invaded Burma - there were worries that India would be invaded next - hence my hypothesis that some local vessls were converted to hospuital ships "just in case".
Look at the drawing of TEZPORE in the "research" section of this site - she has the same design of sunshade / monsoon shelter.
Incidentally, the railway entusiasts' newsletter "World Steam" reported in the late 1970's / early 1980's that steam paddlers were stilll in use on the Ganges providing cross-river ferry services in the Patna area. Some were railway owned - all were reported to be highly decrepit. No photographs, though.
I also vaguely recall reading in the PSPS magazine "Paddle Wheels" regarding paddlers in Bangladesh more recently and I believe that in earlier times quite large fleets of paddlers were operated on this river system.
There have been a couple of books on the Irrawaddy Flotilla, but I have only seen one advertised on the Ganges vessels.
Regards
David
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