World of Ships – May 2018

PADDLE STEAMERS

Paddle Steamers I World of Ships I 43

than 60 years until becoming the fleet’s

third Kurort Rathen in 1956. Compound

oscillating machinery was provided from new,

with electric lighting fitting in 1912, steam

steering gear in 1927 and a small upper deck

in 1928. The vessel sank in 1934 after hitting

a rock near Kurort Rathen, but was refloated,

repaired and brought back into service.

After being renamed, Kurort Rathen

received a general overhaul in 1957 before

more extensive attention during the winter of

1967-68 which included a facelift for saloon

areas, with the passenger certificate increased

from the original 621 to 752. Late in the 1970s

a second-hand boiler, reconditioned after

use in a steam tug, was fitted, but in 1992 the

vessel was used on only 30 days and remained

idle through the following year. Another refit

on the slipways at Laubegast occupied 1993,

before 1994 saw a full-scale return to sailings,

including regular use on the Pirna-Bad

Schandau painted in the new SDG livery.

PIRNA

BUILT 1898 by Werft Blasewitz, Dresden

MACHINERY Two-cylinder compound oscillating engine of

145hp from Deutsche Elbeschiffahrt, Dresden

NEW BOILER 1974, oil-fired since 1992

DIMENSIONS Length 56.1m, width 5m (hull), 10.4m (over

paddles)

PASSENGERS 740

Now the only survivor of a series of similar

vessels built in the 1890s, Pirna started life as

Konig Albert and was renamed in 1919. Sister

vessel Bad Schandau (1892) was withdrawn in

1976 and broken up two years later, with her

engine going to the Elbe Shipping Museum

in Lauenburg. Schmilka (1897) and Junger

Pioner (1898) were laid up for several years

before scrapping in the late 1990s while Risesa

ABOVE Kurort Rathen carrying a good load on a

summer 2004 sailing.

ABOVE Stern view of Krippen with German flag

flying ready for the next sailing.

Krippen, with Diesbar at Dresden, had

spells away from the Elbe, including

time on the Main at Frankfurt.

(1897) survives on land at Oderburg. Konig

Albert became Pirna in 1919 and during World

War II was moved to Dessau as a floating

office at the Junkers factory in 1943-44.

A small forward deck saloon was added in

1961 before a coal bunker fire in October 1972

caused damage. The steamer came back into

service from the start of the 1974 season. A

second-hand boiler was fitted in the winter

of 1974-75 and Pirna continued until being

relegated to a reserve role from the mid-

1980s. She saw no service from 1990 to 1993,

with her operators struggling financially

until the Elbe revival under SDG saw a major

overhaul in 1994 at Laubegast. This included

conversion to oil firing and improvements to

the passenger areas, before a 1994 return to

service. The vessel now often figures on the

Dresden-Pillnitz route.

The last survivor of a series of vessels

built in the 1890s, Pirna sails past the

cliffs of Saxon Switzerland.

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