Builders: William Denny & Bros Dumbarton 1937
Propulsion type: Paddle Triple Expansion
Owner: Southern Railway
Service dates: 1937 - 1969
Tonnage: Net 237 Gross 603
Comments:
Along with PS Sandown, Ryde was the first Southern Railway steamer to have triple expansion engines fitted. In appearance, she was a smaller version of the Caledonian Steam Packet Co's Caledonia. Ryde was built to replace the ageing Duchess of Norfolk and was furnished to a high standard for the time. She was a two class ship, "saloon class" and "third class". She had a good observation lounge on her promenade deck and a large general saloon on her main deck. She also had a tea room, ladies room, smoking room and a 54 seater restaurant. Built for the Portsmouth to Ryde service, she operated year round in the pre war years. After the war she continued to operate as a ferry until she was replaced by the new motor vessels, being eventually withdrawn after the 1969 season. She was moved to a mud berth at the Binfield Marina on the Isle of Wight and was renamed Ryde Queen. Initially she was used as a marina clubhouse and later she became a discotheque. She remains there but is in a very sorry state and has been subject to neglect and vandalism. Both her paddle boxes have now been destroyed and her future looks bleak.
This lovely picture, however, shows her at her best, backing away from Ryde Pier on 23 July 1967 and was taken by Cyril Perrier. The picture is previously unpublished and I am grateful to Cyril for allowing me to publish it here.