paddlesteamers.info  :  The Internet's leading website for Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers


Historical Database : Hungary : River Danube
Although the Austrian-based DDSG was, by the end of the 19th century, the dominant company in the shipping trade, a new organisation, MFTR, was formed in 1896 based in the Hungarian part of the Habsburg empire which was to become a significant player in both the freight haulage and passenger businesses.
The MFTR took over the fleet of the Hungarian Railways (MAV) in 1914 and was eventually to become MAHART, a company which continues to exist in the Danube freight business
.
Photos on the Hungarian Ship Register : 
http://www.hajoregiszter.hu/tarsasagok/belvizi/mahart_hungarian_shipping_co_ltd_/55



Above : The last major paddle steamer built for MFTR was the Szent Gellert in 1928. She is seen with her later name Tancsics. 1928 marked the effective end of paddle steamer production in much of Europe, with the UK being a remarkable exception, but one more smaller steamer was built prior to World War II for more local services. Other mainland Europe new-builds in the 1930s were also smaller river steamers  
Photo now in the public domain due to age : thanks to fenykepek.hu   https://xn--fotk-sqa.hu/picture.php?/2161/tags/1076-koros_verecke_hajo
PASSENGER PADDLE STEAMERS OF THE MFTR

Ships marked * are still in existence, but not operational. Kossuth is easily accessible as a restaurant with a historical display, moored in central Budapest
Names in
light type and italics are names held by the vessels either before or after service for the MFTR

Steamers acquired in 1895


Lukacs Bela, later Csoka

Rakosi Matyas

Csongrad  : Rebuilt as passenger ship in 1918


Steamers built new for the company in 1896-1897


Deak Ferenc (1896-1967)  later used statically as Dunagyongye

Ersebet Kiralyne 1896-1944)
later in service in the Soviet Union 

Szechenyi Istvan (1896-1914)

Ferencz Jozsef (1896-1902)

Leanyfalu (1897-1918)  
later Vojvoda Francher d'Esperay, Fruska Gora, Ljubljana

Margit (1897-1918)  
later Zagreb

Imre, later Visegrad (1896-1959 later SZOT Visegrad


Subsequent new build (1909-1914)


I Ferencz Joszef (1909-1918) later Karadjordje, MFTR-I (1943) later Beograd

Zsofia Foherzegno, later Zsofia Herzegno, Kocsag, Zsofia, Szabadsag (1914-1965)


Vessels taken over from Hungarian Railways (MAV) in 1914


Algyo (1914-1919), Built in 1856 - earlier Hirschau, StEG Nr 1, MAV II, MAV VIII. Taken over by Yugoslavia , renamed Cetinje in 1921 and scrapped in 1959
Zenta (1914-1919),
Built in 1856 - earlier Alt Otting, StEG Nr 2, MAV I, MAV VII
Csele (1914-1919),
Built in 1859 - earlier StEG III, MAV IV, MAV V 
Tahi (1914-1960),
Built in 1890 - earlier MAV III


Later new build (1916-1939)


* Ferencz Ferdinand Foherczeg, later Rigo, Leanyfalu (1914-1978)  later Kossuth 

Joszef Foherczeg
, later Varju, Dozsa Gyorgy, Jozsef, Domos, Allohajo (1916-1951)

* IV Karoly, later Sas, St Imre, Felszabadulas (1917-1976)  later Szoke Tisza
 

Zita Kiralyne, later Vercse, Szent Istvan (1918-1944)

* Szent Laszlo, later Petofi (1926-1983)

Szent Gellert, later Tancsics (1928-60)  later Szoke Tisza (until 1980)

Verecke, later Koros (1939-1971)

Above : Koros, built in 1939 as Verecke was the last paddle steamer built for Hungarian service with MAHART and ten years after the previous new vessel. It was the last built in Hungary with the exception of the post-war Soviet 737 long-distance night boats. As a small excursion steamer, Verecke / Koros was not typical of the fleet whose larger vessels operated longer services
Photo now in the public domain due to age : thanks to fenykepek.hu   https://xn--fotk-sqa.hu/picture.php?/2161/tags/1076-koros_verecke_hajo


Later purchases (1939-1941) from the DDSG (Austria)


Domos   ex- Leda 1889
Bacska
  ex-Venus  1897 :  later Dunafoldvar
Return to
Historical Database