78 I World of Ships I Paddle Steamers
together with telescopic masts and funnel
to enable the vessel to continue to serve
Alpnachstad after the building in 1961 of the
Archeregg road and rail bridge near Stanstaad
to replace a former swing bridge. Although
the hull needed only limited attention, all of
the superstructure was replaced with two new
boilers also brought in.
Sulzer also used 90-year-old original plans
to produce a new low-pressure cylinder for
the 650hp compound diagonal main engine
and fitted a 220-volt steam turbo alternator
to replace the DC turbine generator. After the
work was completed, Uri was welcomed back
into service by a steamer parade from Lucerne
to Fluelen and back on 30 April 1994.UNTERWALDEN
BUILT 1902 by Escher Wyss, Zurich
DIMENSIONS Length 62.0mm, width 6.8m (hull), 13.5m
(over paddles)
MACHINERY Compound diagonal by builders, 650hp
SPEED 26.3kmh (14.8 knots)
PASSENGERS 800Unterwalden was ordered in 1899 from
Escher Wyss of Zurich with the contract
specifying a vessel of identical dimensions
and capacity to the Sulzer-built Uri and
for the same fixed price of SwFr370,000.
Completion was delayed while the compound
diagonal main engine was displayed at
International Exhibition in Paris during- Work to assemble the vessel, with
parts moved from the builders’ Zurich base,
started in March 1901 with a launch on 11
November 1901. An open steering platform
was replaced by a wheelhouse in 1920, but
otherwise the vessel was little changed until
oil-firing was introduced in 1949. Major
work was undertaken in 1961 to enable the
Archeregg Bridge to be negotiated en route
to Alpnachstad, lower terminus of the Pilatus
Railway, with masts and funnel lowered.
Unterwalden was officially retired after
special farewell sailing on 25 September 1975.
The SGV management then had a rethink
and kept the vessel in service for two further
seasons while steamers Schiller and Gallia
received renovation. The fleet then included
two vessels named Unterwalden: the steamer
and a 1,200-passenger motor vessel, which
appeared in 1976 and was renamed Europa in
1985 before the paddler returned from a refit
started in 1982, using SGV’s then newly-built
covered dock. Unterwalden’s retention was
the result of a high-profile campaign by the
Steamer Friends organisation. As on Uri,
much of the upper deck was enclosed aft of
the funnel to create comfortable additional
restaurant facilities. Unterwalden returned to
public service on 15 May 1985.
After the end of the 2008 season she retired
once again to the SGV dockyard for a further
overhaul, reappearing in 2011 and reflecting
pre-1961 appearance.ABOVE The 1902-built Unterwalden was restored her original appearance in a 2009 refit and flies the flag of
the Canton of Unterwalden at the bow in this parade day view. (Russell Plummer)ABOVE Unterwalden’s builder’s plate from Escher ABOVE Unterwalden’s bell. (Russell Plummer)
Wyss of Zurich, dated 1901, a year before she
was re-assembled in Lucerne to enter service.
(Russell Plummer)ABOVE Unterwalden’s 650hp two-cylinder engine
came from the vessel’s Zurich-based builders Escher
Wyss. (Russell Plummer)12 Paddlers_Switzerland_NL.indd 78 17/04/2018 12:21