World of Ships – May 2018

PADDLE STEAMERS

Paddle Steamers I World of Ships I 55

diesel engines, the original machinery and one

paddle wheel going to a museum organisation

for preservation. New deckhouses gave

Diessen a different profile and she is now

classed as a half-saloon steamer, with many

original internal items retained and others

removed in 1975 restored. There has been a

slight increase in length and width to comply

with modern stability standards. She went

back into service on 3 July 2006.

HERRSCHING

BUILT 2002

DIMENSIONS Length 54m, width 14m

PASSENGERS 500 (100 seats rear saloon, 50 seats forward

saloon)

MACHINERY Diesel-hydraulic

The popularity of the Ammersee increased

after the previous railway branch line from

Munich to Herrsching became integrated into

the Munich S-Bahn system in the late 1960s,

and was widely promoted in the summer of

1972, when Munich staged the Olympic Games.

Despite introducing modern twin- screw

motor ships, the Ammersee management

went back to paddle power for the attractive

Herrsching, which was completed in 2002 and

can carry 500 passengers, with saloon seats

for 100 (aft) and 50 (forward). Powered by

diesel hydraulic machinery, she has become

popular for dance charters and other special

events, in addition to scheduled services.

CHIEMSEE

Fairytale Herrenchiemsee, the island castle

built as a replica of the Palace of Versailles in

France by Ludwig II, the last King of Bavaria,

is served by a fleet running from Prien Stock,

including the paddle vessel Ludwig Fessler,

which completed 90 years of service in 2016.

Even older is the metre-gauge steam tramway

from Prien Station mainline station, with green

four-wheeled carriages hauled by a Krauss steam

tram locomotive dating from 1887.

The opening of the line coincided with the

debut of the black-funnelled 500-passenger

paddle steamer Luitpold, which ran until 1969

and then survived on a covered slipway for

several years until being finally scrapped. The

150th anniversary of lake services, started by

Josef Fessler, was celebrated in 1995, with

operations still carrying the Fessler family name.

LUDWIG FESSLER

OWNER Chiemsee Schiffahrt

BUILT 1926 by Schiffswerft Theodor Hitzler, Regensburg

MACHINERY Two-cylinder compound diagonal engine

of 360hp built by Maffei, Munich, with coal-fired boiler,

converted to twin 280hp diesel engines with hydraulic drive

DIMENSIONS Length 53m, width 11.4m (over paddles)

PASSENGERS 675

With the popularity of Chiemsee trips

increasing, the Fessler company ordered a

one-and-a-half deck paddle steamer, Ludwig

ABOVE Herrsching and Diessen together in 2006.

ABOVE Diessen after a first switch to diesel

hydraulic power from 1975.

ABOVE Diessen’s forward saloon make an attractive

dining area.

ABOVE New 500-passenger paddler Herrsching made an Ammersee debut in 2002.

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