Name PS Whippingham Out of service August 1963 Launched 1 May 1930 Draft 3.2 m Builder Govan | Yard number 642 Fate Scrapped Length 74 m Beam 9.17 m | |
Operator 1930-1948Southern Railway
1948-1963British Railways Tonnage 825 gross register tons (GRT) | ||
PS Whippingham was a passenger vessel built for the Southern Railway in 1930.
History
The ship was built by Fairfield, Govan and launched on 1 May 1930. She was one of two ships placed by the railway company, the other being Southsea. She was deployed on the Portsmouth to Ryde ferry service, but as one of the largest vessels commissioned for the company, also operated excursions from Portsmouth.
In 1933 there was a near collision with the King’s racing yacht Britannia when the Whippingham, with a number of passengers on board, was caught by the tide and drifted towards the yacht, which was anchored some distance away. The Whippingham dropped anchor, and was stopped within 50 yards of the Royal yacht.
She was requisitioned by the Admiralty and took part in the Dunkirk Evacuations in 1940 and the Normandy landings in 1944. She returned to railway use in 1946. On 31 July 1947 she collided with the 28-ton yawl Ariette, which was preparing to take part in the Royal Thames Yacht Club regatta off the pier head at Ryde. The yacht was lifted out of the sea and the crew was thrown about the deck, but no one was seriously injured, although damage to the yacht was estimated at £3,000.
She was acquired by British Railways in 1948.
In November 1954 there was a fire on board whilst maintenance work was being carried out. Fortunately the damage was minimal.
She was scrapped in 1963.
A promotional scale model commissioned by the Southern Railway and contained in a glass cabinet still exists and is now part of the Bluebell Railway's museum collection and is currently on display at Horsted Keynes Station.