Builders: Barclay Curle & Co 1864
Propulsion type: Paddle, steeple engine
Owners: Capt. Robert Campbell, Capt. William Buchanan
Service dates: 1864 - 1902
Tonnage: Gross tons
Comments:
PS Vivid was the last steamer on the Clyde to operate with the old fashioned steeple engines, which were made by her builders. These were favoured due to their economical use of space and smooth action, but they were not suitable for the larger steamers that followed. Not long after her introduction she was involved in racing a competitor, PS Victory, something which was frowned upon by the authorities and for which there were fines or, theoretically imprisonment of her Captain. Such events crop up regularly in contemporary accounts but the penalties do not seem to have deterred the captains. In 1878 an afternoon trip on board Vivid could be had for 9d steerage and 1/- with a cabin. This return fare could give almost six and a half hours of travel on the Clyde; not bad value! Soon after her introduction she was involved in a tragedy when a drunken passenger threw a coil of rope overboard. The rope tangled in the paddle wheels and an unfortunate child, who was standing on the other end of the rope, had her foot wrenched off, the resulting injury causing her death in hospital some hours later. In 1877 PS Vivid was lengthened by 9 feet and reboilered in a general overhaul. Vivid lasted until 1902 when she was considered too old for reconditioning and was sold for breaking up.
This picture was kindly supplied by Frank Lakiere of Hoboken Belgium and comes from his collection of J Adamson of Rothesay photographs. I am grateful to Frank for allowing me to reproduce the image here.