JET PROPELLED PADDLE STEAMER.

[Walter Snowdon]

The Clyde paddle steamer LUCY ASTON had a long and busy life before retirement after WW2. At the last minute before scrapping, she was reprieved for a most bizzarre experiment into the flow efects of water on a hull surface. Her wheels were removed, the hull repaired and thoroughly cleaned, and she was fitted with FOUR JET ENGINES with which she roared around the Clyde estuary. Go to the following site for a picture and story.

    www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/lucyasht/lucyasht.htm

 This one should appeal to you Eddy!

[Eddy Matthews]

I've heard about this one before Walter, but to be honest this is the first time I've actually seen a photo of the boat fitted with the gas turbines!

The only question is "Why didn't they do the job properly?". Imagine fitting two gas turbines actually driving the paddles! 1000 foot rooster tails!! Now that WOULD be a sight worth seeing :-)

Regards

[Waverley]

Thanks for that, Walter - its also the first time I had seen a photograph of Luct Ashton in her final guise. I think I prefer the original version.

A couple of pedantic points about the site:

The photograph was taken after WW2 - in 1939 the LNER steamers had grey hulls, while the wheelhouse (behind the funnel) was not fitted until WW2. Prior to this officers and helmsmen were expected to brave the elements.

During WW2, Lucy Ashton remained in service on the Clyde. Most Clyde paddlers were requisitioned by the Navy for use as mine-sweepers but the Lucy remained at home and was responsible for all LNER ferry traffic throughout the war. Her reliabiility coupled with her age turned her into something of a Clyde institution.

The original wheelhouse, I think (the reference is in storage) was made of concrete and was added to protect the crew from stray bombs during the blitz.  A proper wooden one (as in the photograph) replaced it later. The Campbell paddlers on the Bristol Channel retained their open bridges till the end - can't have been fun for the crew in foul weather.


The photograph is a well-known one - I bought a copy from the Clyde River Steamer Club over 30 years ago & I believe the owners of sites like that should acknowledge authorship & copyright.

Those who looked at the link to the diver's report on the wreck of the KYLEMORE may recall the author's surprise that the wheelhouse was behind the funnel.   LUCT ASHTON's is in the  same place. It was believed that this made it easier for masters when calling at piers, in the days when every second counted and calls could be less than 10 minutes apart.

Thanks for the link.

Regards

David, ex Clyde

[AlistairD]

The practice of the wheel being behind the funnel dates back to the early years of paddle stemarers, when the bridge was just that, a bridge between the tops of the paddle boxes, on which the helmsman stood

[Eddy Matthews]

The practice of the wheel being behind the funnel dates back to the early years of paddle stemarers, when the bridge was just that, a bridge between the tops of the paddle boxes, on which the helmsman stood

Well, that's something I never knew - Though I'd often wondered why it was called a "Bridge".

Thanks Alistair...

Regards

[AlistairD]

 
 

 

Can someone confirm that the picture is    of Sultan and not Williamson's Sultana (1868)? Most of my references are in    temporary storage at the moment.

I am fairly certain it is Sultan if it    is the same photo that is in my "Glasgow and South Wstern and other Steamers"    book. I think I used a magnifier when compiling the book and was able to read    the name on the paddle box
   Â 
   Alistair  Deayton

[Waverley]

Alistair - and for those who are puzzled - I deleted my post when I was unable to include the picture.   It was intended for the "racing paddlers" thread of a couple of weeks ago and showed a broadside view of two Clyde steamers PS Chancellor and PS Sultan racing. Chancellor was in Loch Goil company colours and the photo appeared to be taken from Greenock esplanade, with Sultan in Williamson colours nearer the camera and Chancellor slightly ahead.  Both vessels appeared to be working hard and were producing copious quantities of black smoke.

I've seen the photo before, somewhere, I am sure, but the one on my m/c is a copy of a postcard advertised on ebay (for £15 !). Its come onto my m/c in "bmp" format, which the forum photo gallery says it won't accept.  The incomplete post which Alistair saw may be credited to finger trouble.

While writing the original post I started wondering when it was taken. My limited information about workings of the time has Chancellor's departures from Greenock at about 11am and 6pm for Arrochar. The morning departure connected with the same train that served Williamson's morning Rothesay and Kyles of Bute run which I have always believed to have been the regular job of Sultana, not Sultan.  Hence the request for confirmation of the vessel's identity.

Alistair, I regret that I have not got your GSWR book - yet.  Your works are getting close to the top of a long list, if that's any compensation. I have been very out of touch till getting reliable internet access recently and my local bookshops are all big chains, so I only found out about them, and many others, a short time ago when I started searching the net to see what was available.

Regards

David

[Waverley]

Photo now uploaded to the gallery as "Racing paddlers". Thanks to Towboatjoe who converted it to jpg & enhanced it.

Regards

David

[mjt60a]

That's good, I like it. There's a similar picture in (if anyone has this book...) Paddle Steamers by Bernard Cox, page 15, Marquis of Bute, Neptune and Chancellor

[Roderick Smith]

I have been sent this link and Derwent facts from an aviation friend.
The aim of the exercise was to calibrate against models for just the hull, with no drive to upset the measurement.
www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/lucyasht/lucyasht.htm

Derwent engines had interesting uses as well as powering Meteors. Apart from Lucy Ashton they were used as snow-blowers on the railway and runways, and demonstrated that they could dry out a cricket pitch in a remarkably short time. They were also used as pumps to pump out water from the stranded battleship HMS Warspite, when it went aground on its way to the breakers yard.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor