Paddle Steamer Resources by
Tramscape
Thames
Estuary, River Medway, Kent, Essex and East Anglia Coast, England,
U.K.
New Palace Steamers
Ltd
Glasgow shipbuilders
Fairfields repossessed three modern steamers from the Victoria
Steamboat Association and operated them from 1895 on their earlier
Thames services under the name New Palace Steamers Ltd. Services to
Clacton / Harwich, Kent and Boulogne in France. Second hand tonnage
in PS La Belgique was purchased to develop the cross-channel
business.
Unsurprisingly, losses were incurred and the largest and most
expensive vessel, La Marguerite, despite her popularity on the French
run, was withdrawn after the 1903 season and transferred to
Fairfield’s other subsidiary operating on the North Wales coast.
The outbreak of the First World War at the height of the 1914 season
brought a premature reduction in traffic. Koh-i-Noor was sent to
Scotland for refitting, but work never started and she remained
laid-up throughout the hostilities and was never reactivated. Royal
Sovereign was also laid up but sold in 1918 for further use on the
Thames as Fairfield closed its
operation
Koh-i-Noor
Royal Sovereign
La Marguerite
La Belgique
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River Thames
Historical