Mill Bay
Voyager 
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,887 
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Post by Mill Bay on Apr 20, 2013 11:16:39 GMT -8
I have some pictures of the engine and the building it's housed in that I need to post, as well as the 1:87th scale model of the Canora a modeller built from scale plans. Stay tuned...
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Post by WettCoast on Apr 25, 2013 10:43:15 GMT -8
GTP's Prince Rupert @ Prince Rupert, BC - 1910. Prince Rupert's Mayor Fred Stork declared a half-hiliday to celebrate the arrival from the shipyard in Newcastle, England, of the brand-new 320-foot Grand Trunk Pacific Coast Steamship Prince Rupert when she arrived at her home port on 15 June 1910. The same was done for the original Prince George about a month later. The Grand Trunk Pacific west coast fleet, along with the railway itself, became part of the Canadian Nationals Railways system a few years later, following the bankruptcy of the Grand Trunk companies.  photographer unknown; Mr. DOT collection by Wett Coast, on Flickr |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Apr 25, 2013 11:42:59 GMT -8
The Grand Trunk Pacific west coast fleet, along with the railway itself, became part of the Canadian Nationals Railways system a few years later, following the bankruptcy of the Grand Trunk companies. Thanks for posting that. I'm currently reading a book by Barrie Sanford called "A pictorial history of British Columbia railroads" (or something like that). Lots of good history and photos too. Especially of the railway building boom in the decade or so before the First World War. That war prevented some of thoese over-extended new railways from becoming profitable, and thus the various bankruptcies and gov't amalgamations/takeovers happened. |
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Post by WettCoast on Apr 25, 2013 13:04:41 GMT -8
The Grand Trunk Pacific west coast fleet, along with the railway itself, became part of the Canadian Nationals Railways system a few years later, following the bankruptcy of the Grand Trunk companies. Thanks for posting that. I'm currently reading a book by Barrie Sanford called "A pictorial history of British Columbia railroads" (or something like that). Lots of good history and photos too. Especially of the railway building boom in the decade or so before the First World War. That war prevented some of thoese over-extended new railways from becoming profitable, and thus the various bankruptcies and gov't amalgamations/takeovers happened. The story of how the CNR came to be is both interesting & complicated. The demise of the Grand Trunk system & the death of its president Charles Hays even made it into the plot of an episode of the hit British TV series 'Downton Abbey'. Barry Sandford, BTW, is also the author of another excellent BC railway history book called McCulloch's Wonder - a history of the Kettle Valley Railway.
That GTP Prince Rupert photo is from one volume of my brother David's collection of BC marine history. This volume features CN, Northland Navigation & Union Steamships. These volumes contain photos, newspaper & magazine articles and any other related memorabilia. I will be form time time making scans from items in these volumes. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 5, 2013 18:06:41 GMT -8
The 2nd Prince George Photo is from a 1980s era coffee-table book “Vancouver & British Columbia” which appears to be a gift-book aimed at tourists to Vancouver and BC. Not much is noted in the book regarding publisher info. “Coombie Books” from 1987, with illustrations & text by “Colour Library Books Ltd.” No photo credits mentioned. I purchased this book for $2 at our local Rotary club sale, for the very purpose of posting these type of photos here, to show a bit from that era.  |
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 31, 2013 18:56:19 GMT -8
There's a west coast triple-stack steamer shown in this video, at 1:28 to 1:35
I'm thinking it is one of the Grand Trunk Pacific / CN Prince Ships. The triple-stacks are my clue, as well as the white band of colour on the stacks.
Does anyone else have any opinion if this is a GTP steamer ?
(the clip is from the show "Good Timber" which is based on the poetry of AirChime's Robert Swanson)
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Post by WettCoast on May 31, 2013 20:18:10 GMT -8
At about the 1:30 point in the video a 3-funneled steamer goes by. That is what you are referring to?
I looked at this and at first though the funnels were too short to be one of the original 'Prince' pair (George or Rupert). Then I thought perhaps Union operated a 3-funneled ship at some point but a little research says NO to that idea. So I have to think that it is indeed either the original P. George or P. Rupert. Perhaps my brother can have a look at this & give us his opinion.
This is definitely not one of the somewhat later (c1930) trio of Prince ships that became known as Sir Henry's folly, so named for the then CNR President Sir Henry Thornton who named the boats after himself & other CN Vice-Presidents. At the same time Sir Henry was working on another project in Vancouver, an impressive & large railway hotel that was to be named the Hotel Thornton. That hotel was started but not finished for a number of years. This was during the worst of the 1930's Depression. Sir Henry's hotel was finished by 1939, but by then he had been fired and the hotel was given the name Hotel Vancouver, which still operates as part of the Fairmont chain.
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 31, 2013 20:23:20 GMT -8
At about the 1:30 point in the video a 3-funneled steamer goes by. That is what you are referring to? Yes, that's the one that I'm referring to. When I saw it, in the theatre show last weekend, my first reaction was that it was a GTP Prince ship. |
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,956
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Post by FNS on Jun 1, 2013 1:05:34 GMT -8
At about the 1:30 point in the video a 3-funneled steamer goes by. That is what you are referring to? Yes, that's the one that I'm referring to. When I saw it, in the theatre show last weekend, my first reaction was that it was a GTP Prince ship. Here are screen captures of the video:  This one shows most likely the PRINCESS MAQUINNA.  The ship of this thread.  And, we don't forget the credits for the video. |
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Post by explorenorth on Nov 16, 2013 10:40:51 GMT -8
At one time CN operated the Prince George in passenger service between Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Later she did summer cruises to Alaska. To my knowledge she was a passenger only vessel - i.e. she did not carry cars. I've just scanned a 1954 brochure. The Prince George carried "at least 12 automobiles per trip" and had 50,00 cubic feet of cargo space, 5,000 of it refrigerated. |
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Post by WettCoast on Nov 16, 2013 10:59:44 GMT -8
At one time CN operated the Prince George in passenger service between Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Later she did summer cruises to Alaska. To my knowledge she was a passenger only vessel - i.e. she did not carry cars. I've just scanned a 1954 brochure. The Prince George carried "at least 12 automobiles per trip" and had 50,00 cubic feet of cargo space, 5,000 of it refrigerated. Welcome to this forum, 'explorenorth'. If you are able we would appreciate it very much if you could share that brochure with us. I wonder if CN eliminated auto & cargo space later when the second Prince George was used only for summer cruises between Vancouver & Alaska. |
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Post by explorenorth on Nov 16, 2013 11:18:07 GMT -8
I've just scanned a 1954 brochure. The Prince George carried "at least 12 automobiles per trip" and had 50,00 cubic feet of cargo space, 5,000 of it refrigerated. Welcome to this forum, 'explorenorth'. If you are able we would appreciate it very much if you could share that brochure with us. I wonder if CN eliminated auto & cargo space later when the second Prince George was used only for summer cruises between Vancouver & Alaska. I will - I'll be finished with it later today. As well as the scans, I'm doing a lot of writing with it - both transcribing significant parts of the original text, and some analysis of those cruises compared to today's. I've been a fan of west coast shipping pretty much forever - certainly remember some of the boats in the late '50s. In 1975, my new truck was delivered to Stewart in the hold of the Northland Prince. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 16, 2013 12:04:23 GMT -8
I've been a fan of west coast shipping pretty much forever - certainly remember some of the boats in the late '50s. In 1975, my new truck was delivered to Stewart in the hold of the Northland Prince. Welcome! I've started reading your blog (thanks for referencing it in your Proboards profile). - lots of interesting stuff in there. I especially like the post about exploring the old abandoned track on the WP&YR railway. |
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Post by explorenorth on Nov 16, 2013 12:46:04 GMT -8
I've been a fan of west coast shipping pretty much forever - certainly remember some of the boats in the late '50s. In 1975, my new truck was delivered to Stewart in the hold of the Northland Prince. Welcome! I've started reading your blog (thanks for referencing it in your Proboards profile). - lots of interesting stuff in there. I especially like the post about exploring the old abandoned track on the WP&YR railway. Thanks very much. I'm very much a history nut - I've written a couple of books on Yukon mining and the Alaska Highway, but anything is fair game. I've now posted that 1954 brochure at thecruiseexplorer.com/wordpress/alaska-cruise-canadian-national-steamships-1954/ I have quite a few more in my collection, most older than this, that I'll be working on over the winter. Murray |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 16, 2013 13:05:41 GMT -8
Murray, your work is well appreciated here. We have plenty of forum members interested in that era of northern shipping and cruises.
Thanks again for sharing this part of your work with us.
Cheers !
Mike (a Vancouver Island boy, all my life)
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,307
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Post by Neil on Nov 16, 2013 22:36:23 GMT -8
To an aficionado of historical schedules and brochures relating to shipping on our coast, that was a real treat. Thanks for sharing that, Murray.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 14, 2013 17:59:19 GMT -8
Leonard Frank did a lot of great photo work. Here's one of his photos, of Prince Robert. Seen by me at the Campbell River Maritime Heritage Centre, in July 2013.  |
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krm
Oiler (New Member)
Posts: 4
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Post by krm on Oct 5, 2014 15:05:36 GMT -8
I am going to use this thread to post pics of retired steamships that once operated along our coast. The pictures below are both of the ex CN steamer Prince George. The views here show it tied up on the New Westminster waterfront in 1986. She was used that summer as a floating hotel for the swarms of visitors who came to Vancouver for Expo 86. At one time CN operated the Prince George in passenger service between Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Later she did summer cruises to Alaska. To my knowledge she was a passenger only vessel - i.e. she did not carry cars.  Prince George (ex CN Marine) in use as a floating hotel on the Fraser River @ New Westminster - summer 1986 [photo © Mr. DOT] by Wett Coast, on Flickr both photos by DOTThe photo is of the Prince George however it was taken sometime between early 1984 and late 1985 when the ship was moored at what is now the Seafood Products Company Wharf in Burrard inlet. In the first photo you can see the Rivtow/Smit tugboat docks. In the second photo you can see the rail line which run next to Commissioner St.. |
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Post by explorenorth on Oct 23, 2014 20:05:34 GMT -8
I'm back into my collection again finally, and have just posted an 8-page brochure from the 1983 BC-Alaska season of the Prince George. I've come up with a format that I think works - lengthy excerpts are posted on my Web site, with a link to the complete hi-res pdf-format brochure for viewing or download. That way everyone, regardless of their level of interest in the subject, has something. This one is at www.explorenorth.com/library/ships/prince_george.html.  There's not much information about this ship online, but from the fragments I've found, it appears that her 1983 Alaska season never actually happened ( www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/Princess/052311_george_patricia.html). |
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mrdot
Voyager
Mr. DOT
Posts: 1,252
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Post by mrdot on Nov 1, 2014 15:33:04 GMT -8
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mrdot
Voyager
Mr. DOT
Posts: 1,252
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Post by mrdot on Nov 1, 2014 19:06:35 GMT -8
:)something else about the second vessel to be named Prince George, she was among a number of fine vessels launched at Yarrows Esquimalt yard in this post war period, when some fine tonnage was built in British Columbia! not long after this this yard rebuilt the all but archaic City of Sacramento into a modern motor ferry Kalokie, and a number of new post-war destroyer escorts! yes, in years I can remember well we built some fine ships here and downtown at VMD, and over here at Burrard's, before we lost those skills to overseas yards!  mrdot. |
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Post by trainguru on Dec 17, 2014 19:20:43 GMT -8
Hi, I'm a new member, and I was wondering, does anybody have the exact engine specifications of the old Prince George (1948)? And I don't mean the standard knowledge of "Two Twelve Cylinder Uniflow steam engines," I mean cylinder diameter, boiler specs, equipment specs, tank holding capacity, engine room and interior pictures... The real nuts and bolts of the Prince George. If anybody does, I'd love to see them. Cheers, and thanks in advance. Merry Christmas, and happy Hanukkah.
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Post by EGfleet on Sept 14, 2015 5:32:34 GMT -8
Picked up this lovely slide the other day. Taken in 1963.  |
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Post by harper75 on Apr 6, 2016 9:18:34 GMT -8
Does anyone know where drawings of the second Prince George might be obtained, for model making purposes?
Thanks!
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Post by trainguru on Nov 1, 2016 16:06:53 GMT -8
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mrdot.