86 I World of Ships I Paddle Steamers
Lake Zurich was the setting for the first major
success for Swiss preservationists, with paddle
steamers Stadt Zurich and Stadt Rapperswil
kept in tip-top condition to still see plenty of
high-season use on the main line from Zurich
to Rapperswil and on a shorter circuit as far as
Wadenswil and back. Newly formed enthusiast
body Aktion Pro-Raddampfer first made its
voice heard in 1969, when operating company
Zurichsee- Schiffahrtgesellschaft talked of
taking Stadt Rapperswil out of service.
By 1970 money was being raised to restore
the vessel, with work completed in 1973
before attention turned to Stadt Zurich. Lake
Zurich covers an area of 34 square miles and
is 27 miles long, but no more than two and a
half miles wide, curving from the north west
towards the east, with quite dense populations
along either shore. Lake Zurich is far less
reliant on tourist traffic than other lakes.
Both steamers have telescopic funnels and
hinged foremasts which have to be lowered
to allow access to the Upper Lake and reach
Schmerikon, after passing under the Seedam
Bridge carrying the main road along the
causeway between Pfäffikon and Rapperswil.S TADT ZURICH
BUILT 1909 by Escher Wyss, Zurich
DIMENSIONS Length 59.1m, width 7m (hull), 13.5m (over
paddles)
MACHINERY Compound diagonal by builders, 500hp
SPEED 27.2kmh (14.6 knots)
PASSENGERS 850The Lake Zurich fleet always relied heavily
on local builder and engineers Escher Wyss,
who produced a succession of paddle and
screw vessels going back as far as the 1830s.
At the start of the 20th century it was decided
to build again to support the 1,200-passnger
paddle steamer Helvetia, which had been
introduced in 1875. The result was an order
for the 1,000-passenger Stadt Zurich, whichwas laid down in 1908 and delivered in time
for summer 1909.
After Stadt Rapperswill was refitted it was
the turn of Stadt Zurich in 1975-76, with more
work following in 1980 and again in 1990,
when a new boiler was fitted. The upper-deck
buffet seating was improved and the whole
area was enclosed by extending the glazing
further aft and building a new door separating
the enclosed area from the open deck at the
back of the ship.LAKE ZURICH
ABOVE Passengers board Stadt Zurich at Zurich
Burkliplatz for an afternoon trip to Wadenswil and
back. (Russell Plummer)ABOVE The foremast cross tree makes Stadt
Rapperswil easily recognisable. (Russell Plummer).Swiss National Day flags and flowers for Stadt Zurich
which has been sailing on the lake since 1909.S TADT RAPPERSWIL
BUILT 1914 by Escher Wyss, Zurich
DIMENSIONS Length 59.1m, width 7m (hull), 13.5m (over
paddles)
MACHINERY Compound diagonal by builders, 500hp
SPEED 27.2kmh (14.6 knots)
PASSENGERS 800Major reconstruction of Stadt Rapperswil took
place in 1972-73 after a strong enthusiasts’
campaign persuaded ZSG not to withdraw
her as originally proposed. This led to the
establishment of Aktion Pro-Raddampfer, who
argued it would be impossible to maintain
Zurichsee summer Sunday services with
vessels smaller than Stadt Zurich and the
lake’s four existing large motor vessels.
To show what had been achieved elsewhere,
they arranged a trip to Lake Geneva for a
sailing on the newly re-boilered Simplon.
At the end of 1970 a meeting of local
authority and community representatives
decided to raise the money to renovate Stadt
Rapperswil’s hull and interior, and SwFr1
million came in by public subscription. Work
took place at the ZSG shipyard in Wollishofen,
Zurich from January 1972 to May 1973. Huge
crowds turned out to see Stadt Rapperswil’s
second maiden voyage on 17 May 1973, with
guests including people who had given time
during the restoration.12 Paddlers_Switzerland_NL.indd 86 17/04/2018 12:21