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Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
Lake
Como, Italy
Navigazione
Lago di Como (NLC)
Lake
Como was early to experience the benefits of the Paddle Steamer as Lario
was operated on the lake by the Societa Lombarda from 1826.
Several companies were formed to run competing services and from
these, the Societa Lariana became the monopoly operator. In the 1870s,
a merger with the Societa Italiana (formed in 1872) led to the
establishment of the Societa Riunite. Lake Como
was also early to introduce screw steamers, in the 1870s and, in 1916,
motor
vessels. Many of these were later re-engined as motor ships. From
Unione in 1858 until Plinio (III) in 1903, Lake Como paddlers were
supplied by Escher, Wyss & Cie of Zurich. The
two remaining paddlers were built as late as 1926 by Odero at Genoa
(Escher, Wyss having stopped producing paddle steamers), at a time when
the
older
paddler Milano was being converted to diesel screw machinery. Milano
was the only instance of such a conversion
Concordia spent the 2013 season out of service for refit, but Patria,
out of service since 1990 and originally with little hope of a future
life, completed her reconstruction and was able to sail again in late
2013. Patria is, however, a project of the local provincial government
and is not necessarily going to be integrated into the NLC service
rosters, leaving some confusion as to what her future sailing programme
will be and her future role remains uncertain
EXISTING PADDLE
STEAMERS
Concordia 1926 ex- 28 Ottobre, renamed in 1943
Patria 1926 ex- Savoia, renamed in 1943 (under separate ownership - the provincial authority of Como) CURRENTLY OUT OF SERVICE
FORMER PADDLE STEAMER STILL OPERATING AS
A MOTOR VESSEL ON LAKE COMO
Milano 1904-1926 as a paddle steamer, rebuilt as screw motor ship
PADDLE STEAMERS OF THE PAST
Lario (1826-1841)
Plinio (1826-1841, scrapped in 1846)
Veloce (1841-1865)
Lariano (1843-1865)
Unione (1858-1953)
Forza (1859-1895)
Vittoria (1860-1916)
Italia (1865-1950)
Lariano (1872-1950)
Volta (1872-1945, raised and scrapped in 1947)
* Elvezia (1873-1937)
* Lombardia (1873-1945)
* Como (1874-1953)
* Lecco (1874-1947)
Plinio (1892-1902, rebuilt as screw cargo steamer Commercio 1902-1953)
Plinio (1903-1963, using engine from Pinio of 1892. Preserved statically before being sunk in a storm in 2010)
Note : * Built for the start-up company Societa Italiana
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