LAKE  LUZERN

HISTORY
of
SAILINGS 

General See Archive Index for further details
 
2008 Details will be posted at the end of the season (in the interim see 2008 Advance Information  Lake Luzern Summary and/or 2008 Timetable Index (for links to individual timetables)
 
2007 PS Uri opened the season which commenced on Good Friday 6th April
  Sunday afternoon spring sailings saw the Teatime sailing (normally operated by PS Uri after her morning Flüelen sailing) diverted to Küssnacht am Rigi (sailings 159-162 rather than the traditional destination of Vitznau
This arrangement applied throughout the late-spring and autumn timetable periods
Timetabled sailings remained basically similar to 2006 throughout the whole of the 2007 summer season but the peak-summer period was extended to start from the beginning of July
For the first time in many years, there were regular early-Winter timetabled sailings by PS Uri on Sundays and Mondays prior to the usual selection of Advent, Christmas and New Year sailings which continued until Wednesday 2nd January 2008
 
2006 Once again PS Unterwalden opened the season which commenced on Sunday 9th April
  Timetabled sailings remained basically similar to 2005 throughout the whole of the 2006 summer season but the peak-summer period was reduced to just mid-July to mid-August
  With a greater emphasis on catering, PS Schiller spent most of the season covering the afternoon sailings 19-30 to Flüelen
  PS Uri finished service much earlier than usual on Sunday 20th August then retired to the dry dock for repairs to her upper deck
In consequence all Alpnachstad sailings were covered by motor vessels from the following day allowing PS Unterwalden to cover the Flüelen sailings 'traditionally' operated by her older sister in the Late Summer and Autumn periods
  There were the usual selection of Advent and Christmas sailings operated by PS Unterwalden until Sunday 3rd December with PS Uri taking over on Saturdays 16th December after completion of her "mini-overhaul" and repairs
 
2005 An early Easter saw PS Unterwalden commence service during March
  Timetabled sailings remained basically similar to 2004 throughout the whole of the 2005 summer season but many departures times were adjusted to maintain train connections at both ends of the lake following the complete re-cast of services by the SBB
  Unusually on Thursday 2nd June all five paddle steamers visited Flüelen on timetabled sailings on the same day for the first time this centuary
  On Tuesday 23rd August all paddle steamer sailings were halted as a result of rapidly rising lake levels which also caused severe flooding all round the lake - see also News Page for further details
  A larger programme of Christmas sailings by PS Uri was augmented by several Charters and Advent cruises before the traditional selection of timetabled and special sailings including unusually an evening Fondue cruise starting from Beckenried
 
2004 PS Gallia returned to service on Saturday 1st May thus restoring the full fleet of five operational paddle steamers
A special parade marked the occasion
  This enabled Alpnachstad sailings by PS Unterwalden to revert to daily operation
Also sailing 9 departing Luzern at 1000 became a regular paddle steamer duty in July and August on Mondays to Fridays when all five paddle steamers were in service together
  The traditional extension of the Sundays only relief Wilhelm Tell Express from Flüelen to the extreme head of the lake at Seedorf finally ended on Sunday 26th September when PS Gallia made the final visit
 
2003 Alpnachstad sailings by PS Unterwalden were restricted to just weekdays during July and August only
  Unlike previous years, the traditional use of paddle steamers vice motor vessels on a non-advertised basis during late Autumn did not apply, as an economy measure
However, both PS Stadt Luzern and PS Uri unusually remained in service during November for private charter sailings
 
2002 PS Gallia was in dock all year undertaking a major re-build - in consequence, motor vessels took over the duties of the fifth paddle steamer with services reverting to the reduced level of 1998 when PS Schiller was in dock
  PS Unterwalden was 100 years old on Wednesday 15th May
  Alpnachstad service by PS Unterwalden was once again restricted to weekdays only in order to provide a paddle steamer for the Sundays only relief Wilhelm Tell Express  sailings 1013-1024
However, to partially compensate, the dates were extended to operate from Monday 17th June to Saturday 14th September 2002
  PS Stadt Luzern ran aground at Flüelen on Monday 26th August
  Additional Winter Sunday sailings 21-24 by motor vessels were introduced from Luzern and mv Titlis took over the Brunnen based sailings which included additional winter calls at Tellsplatte and Sisikon and an afternoon visit to Luzern
 
2001 With all five paddle steamers still available for service, the sailings remained the same as in 2000
  PS Uri was 100 years old on Friday 4th May
  PS Gallia was withdrawn from service after sailings on Sunday 23rd September for a two-year re-build
 
2000 PS Schiller  returned to service following a two year major re-build, commencing with a special parade on Saturday 15th April by all five paddle steamers
After a varied selection of timetabled sailings during April, PS Schiller settled down to its regular Summer roster -
   Mondays to Saturdays - sailings 17-28 (1315 Luzern to Flüelen and 1620 return)
   Sundays - sailings 153-154-17-28 (1020 Luzern to Küssnacht am Rigi and 1119 return followed by 1315 Luzern to Flüelen and 1620 return)
  Alphachstad services were yet again re-instated on Sundays - PS Unterwalden was normally rostered for the two round trip sailings 65-70-77-80 (1015 and 1400 from Luzern) every day during July and August
  PS Gallia was only planned to operate on Sundays, working sailings 1013-1024 (1115 Luzern to Flüelen (Seedorf) and 1420 (1405) return)
Mondays to Saturdays - the vessel was normally on standby at Luzern
   except for the period immediately following the damage to the 94 year old clevis mounting for the valve gear on PS Schiller
 
1999 The two daily peak-Summer weekdays only round trips to Alpnachstad by PS Unterwalden were retarded from 0915 and 1300 to 1015 and 1400 respectively
 
1998 Following the withdrawal of PS Schiller (for a major re-build) at the end of the 1997 season, the Alpnachstad service by PS Unterwalden was once again restricted to weekdays only in order to provide a paddle steamer for the relief Wilhelm Tell Express sailings 1013-1024 on Sundays
 
1995 The previous year's "1615 Teatime Cruise to Vitznau" was replaced by a new sailing 23 which covered the full length of the lake, leaving Luzern at 1630 for overnight stabling at Flüelen, rostered to one of the motor vessels
In consequence, PS Unterwalden reverted to operating two round trips to Alpnachstad during July and August departing Luzern at 0915 and 1300
 
1994 PS Uri returned to service following a two year major re-build, commencing with a special parade on Saturday 30th April by all five paddle steamers
This also enabled sailings 9-20 (0930 Luzern to Flüelen and 1251 return) to be rostered to a paddle steamer on weekdays during July and August
  Alphachstad services were re-instated on Sundays, although PS Unterwalden still only operated one round trip sailings 73-78 (1300 from Luzern and 1435 return) every day, immediately followed by sailings 23-24 - the "1615 Teatime Cruise" to Vitznau and back
 
1975 Only a limited number of sailings were advertised to be worked by paddle steamers
In practice, many other sailings were covered by the paddle steamers on an "odd" day basis, mainly only during good weather or for large pre-booked parties
In addition serveral busy sailings were duplicated at the Luzern end, usually non-stop to/from the more popular lakeside resorts
 
1970s The old tradition of stabling a paddle steamer overnight at Brunnen ceased and was replaced by one of the larger motor vessels on a Sunday night to Saturday night basis (usually alternate weeks by "mv Schwyz" and "mv Winkelried")
  PS Stadt Luzern was advertised to operate one round trip daily from Luzern to Brunnen at 1140
This arrangement continued until the introduction of the "Wilhelm Tell Express" sailing which connected with a special international train from Flüelen to Italy over the Gotthard pass
 
1960s One paddle steamer usually berthed overnight at Brunnen, operating the last sailing of the day from Luzern and returning the following morning on the first sailing from Brunnen
- the "positioning" runs to/from the Brunnen stabling point operated via Treib to provide early and late connections with to the funicular to Seelisberg
  PS Stadt Luzern was rarely used on public timetabled sailings - it was only advertised to operate one public round trip per week, on Sundays, from Luzern to Brunnen
Most of the time the flagship could be found on private charter sailings
 
1906 PS Schiller made her Maiden Voyage - over 100 years ago !
 
1902 PS Unterwalden made her Maiden Voyage - over 100 years ago !
 
1901 PS Uri made her Maiden Voyage - over 100 years ago !
 

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Updated - Lakes Brienz, Geneva, Luzern, Thun, Zurich, Konstanz, Maggiore, Como, Garda 5th January 2008   e-mail   (c)1999-2008 John B Bird