Clyde Steamers

By Crusader1307

With the advent of The American “Paddle Wheel” Steamer (which created a revolutionary form of cheap travel and opened a faster for effective trade and supply transfer within the inner Regions of the County), Countries like England began to experiment with their own forms of “Riverboat” travel. Enter The Clyde Steamer. The first prototype Steamer, called “The Comet”, made “steam” in 1811 on The Clyde River (Scotland) – and hence it's namesake. Built along the same designs of The American Paddle Wheel, these small to moderate vessels were built to transport passengers and cargo over short distances. Steam powered turbines activated rods which turned wooden side paddles (mounted into semi-circular arrangements on the side of the ship). The rotation of the paddles were more effective from the side of the ship than from the rear (as were most early versions of Clydes and American Riverboats). These vessels were so commercially successful that hundred were built and used well into the 20th Century (although with more modern forms of propulsion). The last known Clyde Steamer still in service was the T.S. “Queen Mary” – which was used on The Thames River until 2009.