Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
Page 2: 1900-1914
This page is one of a series devoted to postcards and photographs of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IOMSPCo). This page covers the years of the direct drive turbines between the turn of the century and the start of the First World War.
An alphabetical list of ships
shown on this page is shown below.
The Table
beneath gives links to complete history pages on selected individual ships on this page. Below the table is a
Fleet List
in chronological order.
Ships on This Page:-
Ben-my-Chree (3)
(1908-1917)
Douglas (3)
(1901-1923)
King Orry (3)
(1913-1940)
Mona (3)
(1903-1909)
Peel Castle
(1912-1939)
Snaefell (3)
(1910-1918)
The Ramsey
(1912-1915)
Tyrconnel
(1911-1932)
Viking
(1905-1954)
IOMSPCo Pages:-
IOMSPCo - Header Page
IOMSPCo - Page 1
- 1830-1899
IOMSPCo - Page 2
- 1900-1914
- this page!
IOMSPCo - Page 3
- 1915-1939
IOMSPCo - Page 4
- 1940-1960
IOMSPCo - Page 5
- 1961-1980
IOMSPCo - Page 6
- 1981-2004
Associated Pages:-
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway
- Fleetwood-Belfast service
Midland Railway
- Heyham-Belfast & Heysham-Douglas services
L&NWSS - Header Page
- Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
References:-
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Table of Ship Histories
Name
Other names
Built
Ben-my-Chree (3)
1908
Peel Castle
Duke of York
1894
King Orry (3)
1913
Viking
HMS Vindex
1905
IOMSPCo
Fleet List Part 2: 1900-1914
Douglas (3) (1901-1923)
Mona (3) (1903-1909)
Official IOMSPCo postcard of
Mona (3)
arriving Douglas.
Valentine's postcard of
Mona (3)
leaving Victoria Pier, Douglas, with
a
Midland Railway steamer (probably
Manxman
) in the background.
S.R.Keig photographic postcard of
Mona (3)
leaving Douglas.
World Ship Society photographic postcard of
Mona (3)
arriving at Douglas.
Modern "Motor-in-Man" postcard of
Mona (3)
arriving at Douglas.
Photo: S.R.Keig.
Viking (1905-1954)
Viking
was built in 1905 by Armstrong, Whitworth on the Tyne. She was 350 ft long and 1957 gross tons. Direct drive Parsons turbines drove triple screws which gave a service speed of 22.4 knots, although she is reputed to have been capable of over 24 knots. It was said at the time that only the latest Cunarders were faster.
Viking
was built in response to the Midland Railway's
Manxman (1)
, used on the Heysham-Douglas route, and was intended to operate from nearby Fleetwood, which she did for most of her career. She held the record from Fleetwood to Douglas, 2 hours 22 minutes, a speed of 23.2 knots.
During the First World War,
Viking
was converted into the "mixed" seaplane/landplane carrier
HMS Vindex
, and survived the conflict unlike her later fleet mate the
Ben-my-Chree (3)
.
Viking
was re-purchased by the IOMSPCo after the war, returning to service in 1920. She remained the mainstay of Fleetwood service until 1930, when the
Lady of Mann
was delivered, working on general duties from then until the Second World War. She built up a high mileage through the war on trooping duties, including participation in the D-Day landings, before returning to IOMSPCo service in June 1945. She finished work appropriately from Fleetwood on 14th August 1954.
Two days later she left for Barrow to be broken up by T.M.Ward, after 49 years of service.
Complete history of the
Viking
Early postcard of
Viking
showing condition as delivered with fully open bridge.
Posted 1908.
Early postcard of
Viking
showing condition as delivered with fully open bridge.
Publisher: "Liver" Series.
Official IOMSPCo postcard of
Viking
, posted May 29th, 1907.
Viking
soon received canvas sheets along the main deck railings.
Wins across the decks was quite a problem on these very fast steamers.
An official 1907 Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway postcard of
Viking
, with a 1910 French overprint about services to the Isle of Man via the L&Y's route from Zeebrugge-Hull. I wonder how many visitors from the Continent that the Isle of Man received? The card back is also shown.
Tuck's "Oilette" postcard of
Viking
with enclosed area added ahead of the bridge, and two extra lifeboats abreast the rear funnel.
Postcard of
Viking
leaving Fleetwood, showing two extra lifeboats abreast the rear funnel.
Photograph of
Viking
leaving Fleetwood on her last trip, 14th August 1954.
Photographed by a relation of mine - pity about the horizon!
Two days later she left for Barrow to be broken up by T.M.Ward, after 49 years of service.
Ben-my-Chree (3) (1908-1917)
Ben-myChree (3)
was even larger and gfaster than the her predecessor the
Viking
. She was 375 feet long (compared to 350ft), 2550 grt (compared to 1957 grt) and her engines developed 14,500shp (compared to 11,000shp). Her service speed was 24.5 knots, which was exceeded in service.
Ben-myChree (3)
operated on the main Liverpool-Dougals route until the First War, when she was taken by the Admiralty in 1915 for conversion to a seaplane carrier, forming the prototype for later conversions, including the
Viking
. The conversion work was done at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, and mainly consisted of the addition of a large hangar aft. She was also fitted with a dismountable launching platform forward, for seaplanes on trollies. This was not successful, and so was removed. later conversions, starting with
Viking
, had a flat launching platform forward, to be used by landplanes. She subsequently operated various types of Short and Sopwith floatplanes.
Ben-myChree (3)
replaced the ex-SECR turbine
Empress
at Harwich in April 1915, and took part in operations off the German Coast. In June 1912 she replaced the
Ark Royal
at the Dardenelles, carrying Short Type 184s. On the 12th and 17th August, her Shorts carried out the world's first aerial torpedo attacks. These were successful, but damage caused was not as substantial as claimed at the time.
Ben-myChree (3)
became the flagship of the East Indies & Egypt Seaplane Sqaudron at Port Said in January 1916, and was active in the area until 9th January 1917, when she was caught by Turkish artillery whilst in the harbour at Castelorizo, and was set on fire and sunk. The wreck was raised in 1921, towed to Piraeus, and subsequently scrapped in Italy.
Ben-myChree (3)
was the only aviation vessel lost to enemy action in the First War.
Complete history of
Ben-my-Chree (3)
Official IOMSPCo postcard of the
Ben-myChree (3)
.
Official IOMSPCo postcard of the
Ben-myChree (3)
.
Official IOMSPCo postcard of the
Ben-myChree (3)
.
Snaefell (3) (1910-1918)
Official IOMSPCo postcard of the new
Snaefell (3)
.
A less colourful copy of the postcard above of
Snaefell (3)
.
A different copy of the postcard above of
Snaefell (3)
.
A further variation of the same image of
Snaefell (3)
.
Photographic postcard of
Snaefell (3)
arriving at Douglas.
Tyrconnel (1911-1932)
Peel Castle (1912-1939)
Peel Castle
was built as the
Duke of York
for the joint
LYR/LNWR
Fleetwood-Belfast service in 1894. In 1912 she was sold to the Isle of Man SP Co and renamed
Peel Castle
. She was sold in 1939.
Complete history of the
Peel Castle
IOMSPCo postcard of
Peel Castle
.
Postcard of
Peel Castle
.