Railway owned boats.

[HS 4000]

Please move elsewhere if irrelevant in T&RS

I'm wondering does anyone have history or know of any UK railway companies /operators that operated boats inland for either passenger use or goods?

I don't mean BR sealink or the hovercraft operations, examples of what I'm trying to research is;

Steam Yacht Gondola, built in 1859 to ferry passengers and link the Furness Railway and Coniston Railway via Coniston water.

L. M. S 'Station' narrowboats, used for inland cargo

 

[AndyPJG]

Was the Dartmouth-Kingswear passenger ferry operated 'in-house' or externally run when it was originally inaugurated?

 

[Western 52]

I think the boats on Lake Windermere were once railway operated.

 

[mailbyrail]

BR - Eastern Region GER ran 'motor boat' services from Harwich to Shotley and Felixstowe, continuing the service started originally by the GER which also included a service to Ipswich
The LMS ran services on Loch Awe and Loch Tay in Scotland as well as jointly with the LNER on Loch Lomond which of course were continued by BR - Scottish Region

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I think the boats on Lake Windermere were once railway operated.

As mentioned by the OP in post #1, the Steam Yacht 'Gondola' on Coniston Water, dates back to 1859, and was built by the Furness Railway Company (at a cost of one thousand Guineas) as an attraction for tourists brought to Coniston by their trains.

It was operated by the Furness Railway Company until 1922, then by the LMS from 1923 until 1936. After a number of years out of service, it was subsequently renovated and since 1979 has been operated by the National Trust.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

I think the boats on Lake Windermere were once railway operated.

Yes, from 1866 until 1984 - from 1970 under the Sealink banner.

 

[mailbyrail]

The Furness Railway (FR) also operated 'Lady of the Lake' on Coniston.
The FR took over existing services on Lake Windermere in 1872. The service remained in railway ownership until the sale of Sealink in 1984
In 1914 the FR ran 'Swan', 'Teal', 'Cygnet', 'Tern', 'Swift' and 'Britannia' on Lake Windermere with 'Raven' operating a cargo service.
In 1929 only four of the Windermere passenger steamers were in service. The last two LMS railway owned vessels made their maiden voyages in 1936 and 1938 and remain in service on the lake today.

 

[daodao]

BR - Eastern Region GER ran 'motor boat' services from Harwich to Shotley and Felixstowe, continuing the service started originally by the GER which also included a service to Ipswich

The Hull to New Holland ferry service was railway-run from 1845, by GCR and its predecessors.

Many of the Isle of Wight ferry services were railway-run from the latter part of the 19th century, but in the BR era became part of Sealink, so don't fit the OP's criteria.

 

[Railsigns]

Ships of the LNER

This section of the LNER Encyclopedia contains information about ships owned and operated by the LNER and its Constituent Companies.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Might one include the Paddle Steamer 'Maid of the Loch' which once plied its trade on Loch Lomond.

Believe that it was originally owned by the British Transport Commission.

Or its predecessor on Loch Lomond, the paddle steamer 'Waverley', once owned by the LNER.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Might one include the Paddle Steamer 'Maid of the Loch' which once plied its trade on Loch Lomond.

As per post 4.

Or its predecessor on Loch Lomond, the paddle steamer 'Waverley', once owned by the LNER.

The paddle steamer Waverley was and remains a sea going vessel as was its predecessor Waverley of 1899 which was lost at Dunkirk, no connection for either with Loch Lomond.

I don't mean BR sealink or the hovercraft operations, examples of what I'm trying to research is;

The predecessor of BR Sealink was of course BR, or in some case British Transport Commission, and prior to that would be the 'Big 4' railway companies of 1923 who inherited fleets from the pre-Grouping Companies such as the Furness Railway.

Does this therefore make the many railway operated ships and routes on the River Clyde and Firth of Clyde eligible - what is your definition of 'inland'?, and the Firth of Forth car ferries prior to the Forth Road Bridge?

 

[randyrippley]

It could be worth looking at the relationships between between railways and sone of the canals.
For instance the Lancaster canal was railway controlled for many years, who owned the passenger packet boats which ran Preston-Kendal?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The paddle steamer Waverley was and remains a sea going vessel as was its predecessor Waverley of 1899 which was lost at Dunkirk, no connection for either with Loch Lomond.

Indeed. Thanks for clarifying. Think the main connection is that both the 1946 built Paddle Steamer 'Waverley' and 'Maid of the Loch' (1953) operating on Loch Lomond is that both were built by Glasgow firm A & J Inglis Ltd.

 

[30907]

It could be worth looking at the relationships between between railways and sone of the canals.
For instance the Lancaster canal was railway controlled for many years, who owned the passenger packet boats which ran Preston-Kendal?

Certainly worth exploring, but memory says that canal companies didn't generally operate their own craft, operating on an open-access basis and
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_British_canal_system
claims this was often forbidden by their Act of Parliament.

Did the GW or SR have shares in Salters' Steamers on the Thames? - they featured in the railway timetable until the 60s.

 

[Rescars]

It could be worth looking at the relationships between between railways and sone of the canals.
For instance the Lancaster canal was railway controlled for many years, who owned the passenger packet boats which ran Preston-Kendal?

As an extreme example, how about the Bude Canal? My understanding is that every vessel (tub boat) was fitted with wheels which ran in channels (plate rails) so the tubs could be hauled up inclined planes to their ultimate destination. Quite how the lubrication of the wheels impacted the water quality in the canal is not known!

 

[John Luxton]

Was the Dartmouth-Kingswear passenger ferry operated 'in-house' or externally run when it was originally inaugurated?

Yes GWR later BR. Passed to the council for a while been back in railway ownership for years as part of the Dart Valley Railway Ltd operation.

It should also be noted that the Shropshire Union Canal and Railway company did employ the now preserved steam tug tender DANIEL ADAMSON then known as the RALPH BROCKLEBANK to tow barges from Ellesmere Port to Liverpool. Idea had been to provide a passenger ferry service.

She was sold to the Manchester Ship Canal Company which was also an extensive railway operator on the estate around the canal.

They expanded and upgraded the accomodation and as such it was used for staff jollies and corporate hospitality until the 1980s as well as towage on the canal. She then became derelict at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum.

However, she was saved in 2004 and returned to service as an excusing steamer in 2016.

Worth checking out for a trip in the North West is you want to travel on a real railway steamer.

 

[JamieL]

The North British Railway received permission by Act of Parliament in 1863 to buy or hire paddle steamers to operate from Craigendoran.

 

[PeterC]

Tilbury Ferry

 

[Gloster]

Brentford Docks were owned by the GWR, but I don’t think that they fully owned any other inland ones.The SR seems to have owned Angerstein and Deptford Wharves (and possibly others on the Thames), but these might not be regarded as inland. Chelsea Basin seems to have been half SR, a quarter GWR and a quarter LMS (LNWR). I doubt that any of these had any passenger sailings, but there would have been workboats and possibly lighters.

Elsewhere there would have been plenty of small boats required for the inspection and repair of bridges, viaducts, etc. There would also have been such vessels required for the canals owned by the railway, but I doubt that the railway would operate much in the way of passenger services. That said, I think I have read that before the railway reached Kendal from the south the Lancaster Canal was used to connect with the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway. I am fairly sure there have been others in the early days.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Not in the UK, but have to mention TSS Earnslaw, a New Zealand Railways ship of 1912 which has plied Lake Wakatipu in South Island since 1912.
It's now in private ownership for the Queenstown tourist trade, but in its NZR days it carried passengers, freight and livestock around the lake.

TSS Earnslaw - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

TSS EARNSLAW - The New Zealand Maritime Record - NZNMM

The TSS Earnslaw is a 1912 Edwardian twin screw steamer based at Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Central Otago, and the only remaining commercial passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere.

 

[WL113]

The TSS Duke of Lancaster has been a familiar sight from the North Wales Coast line and A548 road near Mostyn docks for over 40 years, a former BR cruise ship and ferry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSS_Duke_of_Lancaster_(1955)

 

[randyrippley]

The TSS Duke of Lancaster has been a familiar sight from the North Wales Coast line and A548 road near Mostyn docks for over 40 years, a former BR cruise ship and ferry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSS_Duke_of_Lancaster_(1955)

hardly an inland waterway though........

 

[HS 4000]

Thanks for the information everyone it's much appreciated

 

[zwk500]

Certainly worth exploring, but memory says that canal companies didn't generally operate their own craft, operating on an open-access basis and
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_British_canal_system
claims this was often forbidden by their Act of Parliament.

Canal companies largely operated in the same manner as the turnpikes, which is perhaps a better comparison than open-access although I can see why you would make that comparison. Boaters would own their boats (often living on them), and would often actually purchase the cargoes themselves and re-sell them later rather than be chartered for a fee on behalf of two other parties. The weight of the cargo would be calculated and the boat would pay fees at tollbars accordingly as they progressed round the network - IIRC some tollbars and weighing places are still visible/identifiable in Birmingham.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

I know historically that the swing bridge operator at Goole was provided with a rowing boat so that during network shutdowns (such as at Christmas) the bridge would be left in the ‘open to boats’ position. The control cabin is on the centre pier, meaning that it is disconnected from land when the bridge is open. Presumably that boat was owned by British Rail!

(I’ve also heard a tale of said rowing boat breaking free of its mooring and leaving the bobby stranded on the bridge on Christmas Eve…)

 

[Ken H]

London Transport and its predecessors had coal delivered to Lots Road Power Station by barge. Would they have been LT vessels?

 

[zwk500]

I know historically that the swing bridge operator at Goole was provided with a rowing boat so that during network shutdowns (such as at Christmas) the bridge would be left in the ‘open to boats’ position. The control cabin is on the centre pier, meaning that it is disconnected from land when the bridge is open. Presumably that boat was owned by British Rail!

(I’ve also heard a tale of said rowing boat breaking free of its mooring and leaving the bobby stranded on the bridge on Christmas Eve…)

Isn't there also a line in Anglia where the signaller has a rowing boat to access a box?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Isn't there also a line in Anglia where the signaller has a rowing boat to access a box?

Possibly Reedham?

 

[Cheshire Scot]

During the construction of the Ordsall Chord Network Rail's contractors had a rescue boat in the River Irwell!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

During the construction of the Ordsall Chord Network Rail's contractors had a rescue boat in the River Irwell!

Presume there's one in the River Thames immediately downstream of Nuneham Viaduct just now, although whether it'll be "railway owned", or not, is a moot point.

Wasn't there also a rescue boat on standby when Barmouth Bridge was being repaired a year or three ago? Fairly sure it was briefly featured on one of @timmydunn's railway documentaries.