The Steamboating Forum

I came across this video of TSS Earnslaw which is quite interesting:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f85_1419718393

Where does this ship operate?

fredrosse wrote:Where does this ship operate?

Queenstown, New Zealand

Earnslaw is an interesting ship. She must be one of the few steamships to have never stopped working commercially, despite being 102 years old. She's only had two owners two. Originally built for the New Zealand Government Railways to replace some smaller vessels on Lake Wakatipu, she served as a passenger and cargo ship until the late 1960s, when she was withdrawn from service, the roading network having been built in the meantime. She was almost immediately taken over by a private company, now known as Real Journeys, and put into passenger service for tourists. She remains in this role today. The upper deck has been closed in, and a proper wheelhouse built, but otherwise she remains largely original, and in very good condition. Living in very cold, very pure fresh water has definitely helped, as has a good maintenance regime.

A few things of interest, she has two locomotive type boilers, because she was built for railways service and intended to be maintained by railway fitters. Living in fresh water, her condenser is of the jet type. She was built (and registered) in Dunedin, but built as a kitset, which was then dismantled and shipped by rail to Kingston at the lake, then riveted together properly and launched. Every two years she is hauled out of the lake for survey and overhaul. This is done on a small slipway operated by the steam plant from one of the earlier Wakatipu paddle steamers, itself well over 100 years old. If i can find the relavant book, i can provide more details if people are interested.

Daniel

It is a lovely trip up the lake and back, on a sunny afternoon.

That is a great video. Thank you for posting! I wonder what New Zeland's policy is about migrant workers.... I'd love to spend my winter working on her as part of the black gang

Daniel,

I'd love to see more info about her.

TahoeSteam wrote:That is a great video. Thank you for posting! I wonder what New Zeland's policy is about migrant workers.... I'd love to spend my winter working on her as part of the black gang

Daniel,

I'd love to see more info about her.

Check on-line. When our girls went 'gap yearing' their visas allowed work, I think for up to 12 months.

I visited her in '99 and got invited below the gratings after showing the crew a picture of Medea. Wound up firing the starboard boiler for the trip. There is an art to firing and I didn't have enough time to learn it! A great bunch of people and a beautiful ship.

That's good, Chris. It'll keep you humble - as opposed to that hallowed piece of quarter deck you are used to occupying ...