London and North Western Railway: Ships
Note: This is a sub-section of the London and North Western Railway
HOLYHEAD AND DUBLIN (KINGSTOWN) SERVICE.[1]
ON the 22nd July, 1848, the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company obtained an Act to work steamboats between Holyhead and Kingstown, or Dublin, or Howth, and on 1st August, 1848, the Chester and Holyhead Railway boat service was inaugurated between Holyhead and Kingstown. The railway company extended their line to Holyhead solely with the intention of running a steamer service to Dublin, but as they had not the necessary powers a subsidiary company was formed, which placed orders for the steamers and made the necessary preparations, but immediately the railway company obtained the necessary parliamentary powers the subsidiary company faded into the background and the railway company formally took over its plant and substance.
On the 1st May, 1850, the City of Dublin Company commenced to run its mailboats from Kingstown to Holyhead. In 1859 the Government completed a new pier at Kingstown for the use of both the railway and the mail boats, and it was so used by both until October, 1861.
On the 18th March, 1859, an Act was passed which transferred the Chester and Holyhead Railway boats to the London and North Western Railway, and that company decided, after October, 1861, to cease to run to Kingstown, and to run its boats to North Wall instead. Although Kingstown was not used, the powers were continued by Acts of 1861, 1870 and 1898. On the 1st April, 1908, the L. & N.W. Railway commenced once again to run to Kingstown, and to use the same pier as was used from 1859 to October, 1861.
The first paddle steamers of the Chester and Holyhead Railway were named ANGLIA, CAMBRIA, HIBERNIA, and SCOTIA. They conveyed passengers only and had a speed of 15 knots. There were also two paddle steamers taken over from the Belfast Steamship Co. named SEA NYMPH and TELEGRAPH.
The ANGLIA, CAMBRIA, HIBERIA and SCOTIA were taken over by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Co. in July, 1851.
If the four original steamers were all similar to the CAMBRIA they were pretty ships, having clipper bows and two funnels forward of the paddles. The L. & N.W. steamers originally had the funnels painted white with black tops, but in later years the colour was changed to buff, with black tops.
Ships
- PS Anglia
- PS Cambria (1848)
- PS Hibernia (1847)
- PS Scotia (1847)
- PS Sea Nymph (1845)
- PS Telegraph (1853)
- PS Admiral Moorsom
- PS Alexandra (1863)
- PS Stanley
- PS Countess of Erne
- PS Duke of Sutherland
- PS Duchess of Sutherland
- PS Edith
- PS Rose (1876)
- PS Shamrock (1876)
- PS Lily (II) (1880)
- PS Violet (1880)
- PS Banshee
THE HOLYHEAD AND GREENORE SERVICE.[2]
Ships
These four steamers were the only paddle type vessels built for the Greenore service, as when two new vessels were ordered in 1895 - the ROSSTREVOR and the CONNEMARA - they were of the screw type; and thus concludes the list of paddle steamers of the London and North Western Railway.