Builders: Southampton Naval Works 1891
Propulsion type: Paddle three crank triple expansion
Owner: Bournemouth Swanage and Poole Steam Packet Co; Glasgow, Ayrshire and Campbeltown Steamboat Co; Clyde Excursion Steamers Ltd; Chinese Eastern Railway
Service dates: 1891 - 1931
Tonnage: Gross 796
Comments:
This slightly "contrasty" picture was taken prior to 1895 as Windsor Castle was backing away from Bournemouth Pier. Windsor Castle was a large steamer, with a full width promenade deck, a raised forecastle deck and open well deck behind, which can be clearly seen in this picture. Her triple expansion engines gave her a speed in excess of 18 knots and should have made her popular and durable. Unfortunately, however she had a propensity to list and was rather unstable, as well as being expensive to run and unreliable. After a couple of seasons she was sold for work on the Clyde, a most unusal direction for a steamer sale as mostly it was Scottish boats that were sold South. On the Clyde she was renamed Culzean Castle, then Carrick Castle and was eventually sold for use in the Far East. As Culzean Castle she had her well deck covered over, so that the promenade deck was continuous to the bow. Her performance continued to be less than expected and in 1904 she was sold to the Russian owned Chinese Eastern Railway. She was captured and comandeered by the Japanese in 1904 and remained in Japanese hands until she ran aground in November 1931, thus ending a rather varied, if slightly unfulfilled career.