FEATURES 2002 |
MPV Helvétie has been 'laid up' for at least the 2002 and 2003 seasons as a 'short term' economy measure The CGN advised that this will NOT effect the number of Timetabled sailings This leaves an operational fleet of SEVEN paddle steamers (FIVE steam and TWO motor) to sail alongside the eight motor vessels |
Winter timetabled services were operated on Sundays from Geneva for the first time in many years These sailed along the Swiss side of the 'Little Lake' then across to Yvoire in France and included a 'lunch cruise' between Yvoire and Nyon as well as providing a new all-year round international 'ferry service'
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The following paddle steamers were in service over the Easter weekend  PS Rhône 
MPV Italie MPV Vevey Click for details of the sailings operated on Easter Thursday - 28th March Good Friday - 29th March Easter Saturday - 30th March Easter Sunday - 31st March - PS Rhône broke down - see report Easter Monday - 1st April - mv Lausanne replaced PS Rhône Easter Tuesday - 2nd April |
Sunday 12th May 2002
a special pre-season 'publicity' parade on Swiss Mothers Day from various lake piers by six of the CGN paddle steamers leaving the Château de Rolle at 1445 for a 90 minute cruise including sailing round La Harpe island 
 PS Montreux and PS Simplon changed places from the original programme and the large PS Simplon was ultimately planned to make the pick-up calls at St-Sulpice, Morges, St-Prex and Rolle | ||||||||
operated timetabled sailings 80a-91b This was a rare opportunity to see all seven operational paddle steamers in public service on the same day and all sailing past La Harpe island (off Rolle) during the afternoon |
EARLY SUMMER 2002 
PS Unterwalden The paddle steamer was 100 years old on Wednesday - 15th May 2002 Surprisingly thereafter, it was only advertised to operate timetabled sailings on Sundays (normally sailings 153-154-17-28) until the start of the regular weekday sailings 65-70-77-80 to Alpnachstad on (Monday 17th June 2002) In reality it covered for other members of the fleet on most days mainly on various Flüelen sailings (except when it was on a private charter sailing) all the variations advised to me were Tuesday 21st May afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Thurday 23rd May afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Friday 24th May afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Sunday 26th May daytime sailings 7-18-21-24 vice PS Uri Monday 27th May afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Tuesday 28th May afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Wednesday 29th May afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Thursday 30th May daytime sailings 7-18-21-24 vice PS Uri Friday 31st May afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Saturday 1st June daytime sailings 7-18-21-24 vice PS Uri Monday 3rd June afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Tuesday 4th June afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Wednesday 5th June sailings 59-69 then sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Thursday 6th June Wilhelm Tell sailings 13-26 vice PS Stadt Luzern Friday 7th June afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Saturday 8th June afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Sunday 9th June daytime sailings 7-18-21-24 vice PS Uri Monday 10th June afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Tuesday 11th June afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Thursday 13th June afternoon sailings 17-28 vice PS Schiller Friday 14th June sailings 65-70 then sailings 21-24 vice PS Uri Saturday 15th June Wilhelm Tell sailings 13-26 vice PS Stadt Luzern |
Summer 2002
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there was one special public AFTERNOON cruise also there were eight special public EVENING cruises by nine of the paddle steamers on the five main lakes as well as Lake Konstanz Lake Brienz Fireworks Cruise - by PS Lötschberg from Interlaken at 2000 Lake Geneva Dance Cruise - by PS Simplon from Geneva at 2030 Lake Luzern Parade/Fireworks Cruise - by PS Schiller from Luzern at 2000 Parade/Fireworks Cruise - by PS Stadt Luzern from Luzern at 2000 Parade/Fireworks Cruise - by PS Unterwalden from Luzern at 2000 Parade/Fireworks Cruise - by PS Uri from Luzern at 2000 Lake Thun Naval Parade - by PS Blümlisalp from Thun at 2030 and several motor vessels Lake Zurich Evening Cruise - by PS Stadt Zürich from Zurich at 2015 and several motor vessels Lake Konstanz Afternoon Cruise - by PS Hohentwiel from Romanshorn at 1315 |
SUMMER 2002
PS Simplon at Rolle at Coppet photos: Olivier Bachmann
Unfortunately the large 1,500 passenger PS Simplon was not rostered to regular timetabled services during 2002 However the CGN did arrange for the large 82 year old paddle steamer to operate a special five-day "Week of the Simplon" augmented by a programme of Special Evening Cruises (it also covered for the broken down PS Rhône for a couple of days)
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Saturday 21st September 2002
PS Unterwalden on arrival back at Luzern Nidwaldner Transport Exhibition at Stansstad Various "transport" items were on show at both the LSE Railway Station and the SGV Pier (what a pity the railway between them was removed in the 1960s)
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AUTUMN FEATURE 2002 The advertised timetable required only two of the four operational paddle steamers to operate the service on Sundays and only one paddle steamer for the basic service on Mondays to Saturdays ('Wilhelm Tell Express' sailing - 1120 Luzern to Flüelen and 1505 return) these were augmented by the 'usual' replacement of motor vessels throughout the Autumn, (in particular during the half-term period) Dates shown in bold had extra and/or altered workings SEPTEMBER 2002 Monday 23rd September by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Tuesday 24th September by PS Stadt Luzern Wednesday 25th September by PS Stadt Luzern Thursday 26th September by PS Uri Friday 27th September by PS Stadt Luzern Saturday 28th September by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Sunday 29th September by PS Uri PS Stadt Luzern and PS Schiller Monday 30th September by PS Schiller and PS Uri OCTOBER 2002 Tuesday 1st October by PS Stadt Luzern Wednesday 2nd October by PS Stadt Luzern Thursday 3rd October by PS Stadt Luzern Friday 4th October by PS Stadt Luzern Saturday 5th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Sunday 6th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Monday 7th October by PS Stadt Luzern Tuesday 8th October by PS Stadt Luzern Wednesday 9th October by PS Stadt Luzern Thursday 10th October by PS Stadt Luzern Friday 11th October by PS Stadt Luzern Saturday 12th October by PS Stadt Luzern Sunday 13th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Monday 14th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Tuesday 15th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Wednesday 16th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Thursday 17th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Friday 18th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Saturday 19th October by PS Unterwalden and PS Uri Sunday 20th October by PS Uri PS Unterwalden PS Stadt Luzern and PS Schiller Monday 21st October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Tuesday 22nd October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Wednesday 23rd October by PS Uri PS Stadt Luzern and PS Unterwalden Thursday 24th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Friday 25th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Saturday 26th October by PS Uri and PS Stadt Luzern Sunday 27th October by PS Uri PS Unterwalden and PS Stadt Luzern |
The twelve 
Christmas and New Year
Wednesday 25th December 2002 to Sunday 5th January 2003 | |
over the festive period during which period there were 10,710 passenger-journeys | |
Friday 27th Dec Saturday 28th Dec Sunday 29th Dec Monday 30th Dec Wednesday 1st Jan Thurday 2nd Jan Friday 3rd Jan Saturday 4th Jan Sunday 5th Jan  PS Uri Photo SGV, Luzern |
EVENING FONDUE CRUISE from Luzern at 1915 |
BREAKFAST CRUISE from Luzern at 0915 | |
EVENING GALA CRUISE from Luzern at 1930 | |
EVENING FONDUE CRUISE from Luzern at 1915 | |
BREAKFAST CRUISE from Luzern at 0915 | |
 The tree in place on the foredeck (19th December 2002) | |
 mv Milano was moored at Como during the Christmas period and hosted the "Como Città dei Balocchi, edizione 2002" (nativity scenes, children plays, etc.) The former paddle steamer is seen at Como on Monday 6th January 2003 on the last day of the Italian Holidays It had, initially, been thought that  PS Concordia would do the honours this year, but she remained moored at Tavernola dock (Photos: Riccardo Suzzi) |
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4th August 2003
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(c)2001-2003
John B Bird
