TS Duchess of Hamilton
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | TS Duchess of Hamilton |
| Owner | Caledonian Steam Packet Company |
| Builder | Harland & Wolff, Govan[1] |
| Cost | £60,000[3] |
| Yard number | 920G[2] |
| Launched | 5 May 1932 |
| Christened | by Her Grace The Duchess of Hamilton |
| Completed | 24 June 1932 |
| In service | 1932 |
| Out of service | 1970 |
| Homeport | Glasgow |
| Fate | Scrapped 1974 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger turbine steamer |
| Tonnage | 795 GRT;[4] 314 NT |
| Length | 262 ft (80 m) |
| Beam | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Draft | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Installed power | 3 turbines |
| Propulsion | Direct drive, triple screw |
| Speed | 18 kn (service); 20.65 kn (trial) |
| Capacity | 1918 |
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.
History
[edit]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Superseded by diesel vessels, she gave her last voyage, to Campbeltown on 28 September 1970.[4] Sold to the Reo-Stakis organisation as a night club/restaurant, she was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
[edit]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.[3]
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
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ "TS Duchess of Hamilton". Clydesite: Shipping Times. Archived from the original on 22 April 2005. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ "TS Duchess of Hamilton". Ships of Calmac. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- ^ a b "TS Duchess of Hamilton (1932)". Clyde Steamers. Archived from the original on 30 July 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "TS Duchess of Hamilton". Paddle Steamer Picture Gallery. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ "TS Duchess of Hamilton". Clyde Turbine Steamer Foundation. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.