TS Duchess of Hamilton

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History
Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameTS Duchess of Hamilton
Owner Caledonian Steam Packet Company
Builder Harland & Wolff, Govan [1]
Cost£60,000 [2]
Yard number920G [3]
Launched5 May 1932
Christenedby Her Grace The Duchess of Hamilton
Completed24 June 1932
In service1932
Out of service1970
Homeport Glasgow
FateScrapped 1974
General characteristics
TypePassenger turbine steamer
Tonnage795  GRT; [4] 314  NT
Length262 ft (80 m)
Beam32 ft (9.8 m)
Draft10 ft (3.0 m)
Installed power3 turbines
PropulsionDirect drive, triple screw
Speed18 kn (service); 20.65 kn (trial)
Capacity1918

TS Duchess of Hamilton was a Clyde passenger excursion steamer, built in 1932 for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company. She was a popular boat, providing day cruises from Ayr and remaining in service until 1970.

Contents

History

TS Duchess of Hamilton was built by Harland & Wolff at Govan for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company following the success of her sister TS Duchess of Montrose. Built to replace PS Juno at Ayr, she was a one-class vessel, carrying saloon class passengers only and had a service speed of around 18 knots. She came under the control of British Railways in 1948, and in 1965 received new livery of a blue hull with red rampant lions on her funnels. [4]

Superseded by diesel vessels, she gave her last voyage, to Campbeltown on 28 September 1970. [4] Sold to the Reo-Stakis organisation as a night club/restaurant, she was moved to Ardrossan for modification, but the project failed and she was broken up, at Troon in 1974. [5]

Layout

Duchess of Hamilton was almost identical to her sister, TS Duchess of Montrose. Their single class made them spacious, as facilities were not duplicated. She had an "Old English" bar, a tearoom and two lounges – an observation lounge on the promenade deck and below that, a luxurious forward saloon. Aft on the main deck, there was a dining saloon. [2]

Crosstrees were added to her mainmast in 1939. The wheel house was originally open but was enclosed in 1948. A cafeteria was installed in 1955 and the following year she was converted from coal to oil burning and was fitted with radar in 1960. [4]

Service

Duchess of Hamilton operated as an excursion steamer from Ayr, Troon and Ardrossan until 1939. During the Second World War she served as a troop carrier between Stranraer and Larne and she also tendered in the Clyde. [4] After the war, she ran long distance excursions from Gourock to Campbeltown and later to Ayr, Arran and Inveraray as well.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "TS Duchess of Hamilton". Clydesite: Shipping Times. Archived from the original on 22 April 2005. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  2. 1 2 "TS Duchess of Hamilton (1932)". Clyde Steamers. Archived from the original on 30 July 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  3. ↑ "TS Duchess of Hamilton". Ships of Calmac. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "TS Duchess of Hamilton". Paddle Steamer Picture Gallery. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  5. ↑ "TS Duchess of Hamilton". Clyde Turbine Steamer Foundation. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
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