SS WESTBOURNE (1915)
NOTICE : YOU MUST HAVE INFINITE ELECTRIC ON TO USE PROPERLY!
Controls :
1 = Engines
2 = Scuttle
W/S = Throttle
A/D = Turn
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S.S Westbourne (1915-1975)
The steamship Westbourne was built as a first cabin tender, specifically for Greyhound Line’s newest class of deluxe passenger liners, the ‘Albatross’ class.
Westbourne herself was apart of a class of vessels, being the second, and final vessel. Her older sister, was the second and third cabin tender, Eastbourne.
In 1916, following the temporary bankruptcy of the Greyhound Line, Westbourne was sold temporarily to a lighterage company, for packet, and tugging services. The company which owned her at the time however, decided that she was ‘unfit’ when compared to their other smaller vessels, where she was thus, put up for bid in 1919. Several shipping companies put up competitive bid’s on the vessel, where ultimately, the German Ocean Navigation Line won her. However, due to the destroyed German economy following The Great War, Westbourne was sold directly to the newly resurrected Greyhound Line, as a complimentary ship for the SS Pazifich, which had also been sold to the Greyhound Line.
The name “Westbourne” was dropped, where she was renamed the Maryland, and given an extensive refit.
Throughout the rest of her years, Maryland would serve as a passenger tender, and pleasure ferry for the Greyhound
Line. In 1941 however, she was replaced as a tender ship, when the Greyhound Line introduced their new tender, the S.S Westbourne II, build specifically for the USMMV Greyhound and USMMV New World IV.
Maryland was thus, retired as a tendering ship in 1943, where she served specifically as a pleasure ferry on the Mersey.
In 1960, Maryland suffered fire damage, after a meal was burnt in the galley. Nobody was hurt, though the vessel needed extensive repairs within her lower aft section, which was simply uneconomical to pay for. She was thus sold off, to a local, French-run lighterage company. She was repaired, and renamed to the S.S Espoir Et Gloire. She was put back into service as a tendering ship that could be contracted for use by smaller cruising lines, though with her old age, she did not last long as a tender, and was forced to be sold off once again, to a French-run cruising company. The vessel was refitted, given an all new livery, and was renamed the S.S Terre De Gloire. Her task was not to continue tendering service, but rather to serve as a dinner cruise on the Mersey. It was with this new task, where she found great success. Unfortunately however, with her being a steamship, her boilers not once having been replaced, expenses to keep her running would continue to skyrocket. After over ten years of uneventful cruises on the River Mersey, it was determined that the S.S Terre De Gloire was far too old, and costly for continued service. The S.S Terre De Gloire, was then, regrettably sold for scrap on June 11th, 1975.
