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Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
River Tyne
There
have been boats crossing the Tyne for centuries and whilst the number
of ferries mushroomed in the steam era, linking the city of Newcastle
with Gateshead and providing short crossings between the industrial and
shipbuilding communities on the north and south bank of the river,
there now remains only the ferry between North Shields and South
Shields. Bridges in the city of Newcastle and a tunnel at Jarrow has
rendered the ferries redundant in the age of the motor car
As
well as the short crossings, there were services along the length of
the Tyne from above Newcastle at Elswick out to the Shields with
additional cruises offered into the North Sea. They were run by the
Tyne General Ferry Company from 1862 until 1908.
Tyne General Ferry Company (1862-1908)
Eliza (1864-
Sibyl (1882-1890) Built in Portsmouth. Sold for use in Ireland (Blackwater River) and later Belfast. Wrecked in 1900
Beatrice (1883-1909)
John Clayton (1883-1909)
Alice (1887-1909)
Siren (1896-1905)
Built in 1892 by Tyneside Engineering Works at Cardiff.
154.8 ft : 261 GRT
Engine : Compound oscillating 15.5 and 28 in x 36 in
Built for use by RH Strong & Co at Cardiff as Lynton although had been mooted as being for a new service off the Sussex coast
Moved to Fiume (now Rijeka in Croatia) in 1894 as Eneo
In 1896 moved to the Tyne for the Tyne General Ferry Co as Siren
In 1905 was a tender at Cherbourg, France, for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company as Seine
In 1917 served as a depot ship from the French Navy at Dieppe as Seine II
Returned to owners in 1919 and operated until 1929
Scrapped at Briton Ferry
Audrey (1898-1908)
Aileen (1898-1906) Sold for use in Gambia as Mansah Kilah
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Historical Database