Simplon
(3)
Page
3: pre-2004 Photographs
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 photographs
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At the end of the 1966 season, Simplon was withdrawn for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).
-
-
- Sections on this Page:-
- Simplon - 1985 Photographs
- Simplon - 1986 Photographs
- Simplon - 1988 Photographs
- Simplon - 2003 Photographs
-
- Simplon (3) Pages:-
- Simplon
(3) - Page 1
- Historic Postcards
- Simplon
(3) - Page 2
- Modern Postcards
- Simplon
(3) - Page 3
- Pre-2004 Photographs - this page
- 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
Simplon
(3)
-
-
- 1985 Photographs
-
- Simplon in reserve at the CGN
yard, Ouchy.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1985
Simplon in reserve at the CGN
yard, Ouchy.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1985
1986 Photographs
-
- Simplon in reserve at the CGN
yard.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1986.
1988 Photographs
-
- Simplon was used as reserve ship throughout
most of the 1980s, although she seemed to clock up fairly high
average distances each year. Unfortunately I did not see her
in service on any previous visits. My luck changed on my 1988
visit, and I saw Simplon pulling out of the CGN yard to
take an evening wedding charter. The first few images below were
taken from our hotel balcony.
-
-
- Simplon reversing out of the
CGN yard to take an evening wedding charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon reversing out of the
CGN yard to take an evening charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon arriving at Ouchy to
take an evening charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon at Ouchy, prior to taking
an evening charter.
- The
images above were taken from a balcony at the Hotel du Lac in
the background.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon at Ouchy, prior to taking
an evening charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon at Ouchy, prior to taking
an evening charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon reversing out of Ouchy
on an evening charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon reversing out of Ouchy
on an evening wedding charter.
- Wedding
photos were being taken on the upper deck.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon reversing out of Ouchy
on an evening wedding charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon reversing out of Ouchy
on an evening charter.
- Wedding
photos were being taken on the upper deck.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon reversing out of Ouchy
on an evening charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon reversing out of Ouchy
on an evening charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon reversing out of Ouchy
on an evening charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon at Ouchy on an evening
charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
Simplon at Ouchy on an evening
charter.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
- I made daily enquiries with the
CGN office at Ouchy to see if Simplon
was taking any scheduled services. On the last day of my holiday,
Simplon deputised for Savoie, due to a booking
for a particularly large party, and I finally got to travel on
the steamer that my postcard publishing business was to be named
after.
Simplon at Ouchy prior to taking
Savoie's duties for a day.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
On board
Simplon.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
On board
Simplon.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
View
from the bridge on Simplon.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
View
from the bridge on Simplon.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
View
from the bridge on Simplon.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
View
aft from the bridge on Simplon.
- Photo:
© Ian Boyle, August 1988
2003 Photographs
-
- Photos by Georges Pop,
who writes:- I'm pleased to send you some rare pics of "your"
Simplon. The ship is here chartered as Shuttle Lausanne-Evian
by the G8 summit in Evian (France), to bring officials and journalists
from Lausanne to Evian. As you can see there are some anti-terrorist
policemen on the bridge and the roof of the upper deck. The photos
have been taken last Saturday evening (30/06/2003) in Ouchy,
the port of Lausanne. All the area was closed and forbidden,
but as journalist I was allowed to be there... I was probably
the only radio journalist with a ... photo camera.
-
-
- Simplon at Lausanne-Ouchy on
30th June 2003.
- Simplon has received a wider
black funnel top - a big improvement.
- Photo:
© Georges Pop.
Simplon at Lausanne-Ouchy on
30th June 2003.
- Photo:
© Georges Pop.
Simplon at Lausanne-Ouchy on
30th June 2003.
- Photo:
© Georges Pop.
Simplon
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Simplon
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Simplon
- Page 3
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Simplon
- Page 4
-
Simplon
- Page 5
- CGN
Header Page
-
CGN
- Page 1
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CGN
- Page 2
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CGN
- Page 3
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CGN
- Page 4
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Cruise Ship
Postcards
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Liner Postcards
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Postcards Home Page
-
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