Builders: McArthur, Paisley 1888
Propulsion type: Paddle, single diagonal
Owners: David MacBrayne Ltd, Redcliffe Shipping Co Ltd, The Cambrian Shipping Co Ltd, Mr F Perry, The Ormes Cruising Co Ltd, Mr John H Oliver
Service dates: 1888 - 1938
Tonnage: Gross 281
Comments:
This card has been supplied by kind permission of Victoria Groom.
Fusilier was used by MacBrayne's mostly on the Oban to Fort William run, a trip that I was lucky enough to do in the 1970's on the turbine steamer King George V. She later was employed on the Oban to Staffa and Iona service which, again, I sailed on with King George V. Her old fashioned single diagonal machinery proved reliable throughout her career, although she did undergo reboilering twice and some external changes. Her bridge was originally between the paddle boxes, but was moved forward in 1928. In July 1934 she was sold for excursion work on the Forth, but lasted only one season before she was sold again for work out of Llandudno and renamed Lady Orme. It is in this guise athat she is shown above in the colours of The Cambrian Shipping Co Ltd, with white hull and saloons, yellow funnel and black top. She was sold again after one season, so this picture must have been taken in 1935/6 as she was used out of Ramsgate the next year with her funnel painted red. She went back to Llandudno in 1937 for the Ormes Crusing Co, but was sold again in 1938 and renamed Crestawave and was finally withdrawn in August of that year.