SS Wharfe (1890)

The Wharfe at Sea, by Alfred J. Jansen
History
Name	SS Wharfe
Operator	1890–1905:Goole Steam Shipping Company 1905–1922:Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway 1922–1923:London and North Western Railway 1923–1933:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Port of registry
Builder	William Dobson and Co, Walker Yard
Yard number	38
Launched	23 April 1890
Out of service	1933
Fate	Scrapped 1933
General characteristics
Tonnage	914  gross register tons  (GRT)
Length	245 feet (75 m)
Beam	32.7 feet (10.0 m)
Draught	15.7 feet (4.8 m)

SS Wharfe was a passenger and freight vessel built for the Goole Steam Shipping Company in 1890. ^[1]

History

The ship was built by William Dobson and Company in Walker Yard for the Goole Steam Shipping Company and launched on 23 April 1890. She was taken to sea for trial on 5 June 1890 and achieved 15.5 knots. ^[2]

On 24 November 1895 she was in collision with the sailing smack Plover. The smack was sunk and the crew were rescued by the Wharfe which returned to Hull. ^[3]

In 1902 she was equipped with new boilers and funnel from the Wallsend Engineering Company. Despite being recognised as the fastest ship in the fleet, these improvements were intended to accelerate her speed further. ^[4]

In 1905 she was acquired by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. In 1922 she was acquired by the London and North Western Railway and one year later by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

She was scrapped in 1933 by Thos. W. Ward at Barrow in Furness.

References

1. Duckworth, Christian Leslie Dyce; Langmuir, Graham Easton (1968). Railway and other Steamers. Prescot, Lancashire: T. Stephenson and Sons.
2. "The S.S. Wharfe" . Shields Daily Gazette. England. 7 June 1890. Retrieved 26 October 2015– via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Smack sunk in the Humber" . Lincolnshire Echo. England. 25 November 1895. Retrieved 26 October 2015– via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "The fastest Humber trader" . Hull Daily Mail. England. 12 June 1902. Retrieved 26 October 2015– via British Newspaper Archive.