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Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
La Suisse
Operating Area :
Lake Geneva, Switzerland
La Suisse. Photo by kind courtesy of Andrew delaGhetto
Built 1910
by Sulzer Brothers at Winterthur
Engines: Compound Diagonal by Sulzer. 1400 HP
Length : 78.5
metres
Entered service on
25th May, 1910
Laid up during World War II, resuming service in the 1948 season
Converted from coal to heavy oil burning fuel in 1960
Upper deck partially enclosed for the 1960 season,
including removal of the rotunda.
Laid up after the 1968 season with boiler trouble. At the time there was some
thought of replacing her engine with diesels.
Reboilered in 1970 and returned to
service
Entrance to the main deck restaurant aft moved from the centre to
the starboard side
1998/89 - converted to burn light oil
2002/03 - electrics renewed
Out
of service in 2008 whilst she underwent a major renewal which also involved
changes to her appearance to return to a more traditional styling
Returned
to service in time for the main summer season of 2009
Above
and below : Two views from June 1914 by kind courtesy of
Malcolm Oliver - including close-up of the new enclosed upper deck aft
The main deck saloon forward after the rebuild.
This is probably the most spacious of any Swiss paddle steamer and
now provides a much better standard of accommodation for second
class ticket holders than any other. Photo by kind courtesy of Jack
Woodhams.
The first class dining room aft has also been restored
magnificently and presents itself as a luxurious dining area.
Above : First class dining saloon aft - seen in 2014 in a photo by kind courtesy of Malcolm Oliver
From the paddlesteamers.info archive : Go to the Photograph Collection
La
Suisse steaming
towards the Upper Lake, having just left Lausanne-Ouchy on September 11th, 2005
(seen from PS Rhone).
This photo was taken prior to her 2007-09 rebuild which
has changed her appearance quite considerably.
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