Lancashire and Yorkshire and London and North Western Joint Steamers
Note: This is a sub-section of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the North Western Railway
‘Cross-Channel and Coastal Paddle Steamers’ by George Frank Burtt
The Fleetwood and North of Ireland service was the North Lancashire Steam Navigation Co, and subsequently the contract was obtained for the conveyance of the mails between England and Ireland. Particulars of this Company’s fleet are given on page 287; all the vessels had the well-known black funnel with white band which has always, down to the present time, characterised the Fleetwood steamers.
Under the Lancashire and Yorkshire and London and North Western Steam Vessels Act of 1870, these two railways jointly obtained powers to run steamers between Fleetwood and Belfast and, in 1874, they took over the North Lancashire Company’s vessels.
Measures were immediately taken to improve the service and between 1870 and 1878 the joint companies purchased four paddle steamers, the PRINCESS OF WALES (1870), the THOMAS DUGDALE (1873), the DUKE OF CONNAUGHT (1875), and the EARL OF ULSTER (1878). These were, however, the last steamers of paddle wheel type to be built for this service.
The trade on the route continued to increase and, when a new vessel was required in 1891, it was decided to build a screw propelled ship and, although the company’s paddle steamers were considered to be amongst the best then afloat, in the next few years they were all disposed of and replaced by swift twin-screw steamers.
Ships (see table)
- PS Princess of Wales (1870)
- PS Thomas Dugdale
- PS Duke of Connaught (1875)
- PS Earl of Ulster
- PS Prince of Wales (1886)