Simplon (3) - Page 1 - Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman (CGN)


Page 1: Historic Postcards

Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman (CGN)



This page is one of a series devoted to postcards and photographs of the Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman (CGN) steamer Simplon (3) . This page shows historic postcards of the Simplon (3). Other Simplon (3) pages are listed below. There is a table of all CGN individual ship histories on the CGN Header Page.

The SIMPLON POSTCARDS website was named after the Simplon, the largest working paddle steamer on the Swiss lakes, which is owned and operated by the Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman (CGN) on Lake Geneva.

Simplon was ordered in 1913 from Sulzer Brothers, the second 70 metre paddle steamer on Lake Geneva. She differed from her predecessor La Suisse (2) by having her twin boilers (and consequently her funnel) aft of the paddle shaft. The subsequent two deliveries Helvétie (2) and Rhône also followed this pattern. Her hull was completed in 1915, and the boilers and machinery were also added. However, due to the war, construction was slowed, and Simplon was not delivered until 1920. Simplon is 70m long and can carry 1500 passengers. A 1400hp 2-Cylinder compound steam engine can drive her at 29.5kph. In 1928, she received an aluminium canopy over the top deck. The front of this canopy was glazed in 1932. She saw little use during the second war. her boilers were converted to oil firing in 1959. At the end of the 1966 season, Simplon was withdrawn for the replacement of her boilers, returning to service in May 1968. She was the last ship in the fleet to receive radar, in 1980.

In the 1980s and 1990s she was mainly used as reserve ship, based at Lausanne-Ouchy, but saw greater scheduled use whilst the diesel paddler Montreux was rebuilt with new steam engines, and again when the rebuilding of Savoie commenced. Whilst on this duty in August 2003, she suffered a boiler explosion, but is due to return to scheduled service on 17th July 2005, taking over one of the two-day rotas during the peak weeks until August (run by Vevey in 2004).


Simplon (3) Pages:-
Simplon (3) - Page 1 - Historic Postcards - this page
Simplon (3) - Page 2 - Modern Postcards
Simplon (3) - Page 3 - Pre-2004 Photographs
Simplon (3) - Page 4 - 2004 Photographs
Simplon (3) - Page 5 - 2005 Photographs
Simplon (3) - in 2006 - 2006 Photographs

CGN Pages:-
CGN Header Page
CGN - Page 1 - Paddle Steamers 1822-1886
CGN - Page 2 - Paddle Vessels 1887-2004
CGN - Page 3 - Screw Motor Vessels
CGN - Page 4 - The 2004 Fleet
CGN - Page 5 - The 2005 Fleet
CGN - Page 6 - The 2006 Fleet

Associated Pages:-
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page

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Page 1: Historic Postcards


Postcard 6674 captioned Simplon (3).
This is not the Simplon but one of the smaller steamers - Italy, Vevey? Can you confirm? - Contact Simplon



Postcard 8043 of Simplon (3) at Geneva with yellow funnel.



Postcard 7726 of Simplon (3) at Montreux.



Postcard 7726 of Simplon (3) at Montreux Territet.



One of a series of eight postcards showing each of the surviving paddle vessels, issued in 1998 for the 125th Anniversary of CGN.
This one shows both historic and modern images of Simplon.
Simplon - Page 1 - Simplon - Page 2 - Simplon - Page 3 - Simplon - Page 4 - Simplon - Page 5
CGN Header Page - CGN - Page 1 - CGN - Page 2 - CGN - Page 3
Ferry Postcards - Cruise Ship Postcards - Ocean Liner Postcards
Top of Page - Simplon Postcards Home Page

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