Today
| The present Goethe is
actively engaged in carrying passengers on a variety of routes including
a return journey between Koblenz and Rudesheim. This section
of the Middle Rhine with castles and sloping vineyards is rightly
know as the 'romantic' Rhine and includes the famous
Loreley
Gorge. There is more about the 'romantic' Rhine and its traffic here. |
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Goethe is operated today by KD Lines and is in fact the last
remaining paddle ship in the KD Lines fleet which originally numbered
nearly 40.
Background
Goethe was built by Gebr Sachsenburg in 1913
at Köln-Deutz. The original vessel was 77.8 m overall, beam
15.70m. Her compound diagonal steam plant, also built by Sachsenburg,
developed approximately 750hp, sufficient to give about 15km per hour upstream
and around 23 km per hour coming down with the flow. In her original
service she was open forward with an aft deck saloon but her upper deck was changed
and largely covered in 1925 so that she now had two deck saloons and an
emphasis on passenger work instead if mixed cargo, passenger, loads,
She remained in her 1925 form until she was sunk
by allied bombing at Oberwinter in March of 1945.
Restoration
 |
Restored, she re-entered service in 1952
after an extensive rebuild which included some lengthening so that she is now approximately
83m overall and in 1955 her steam plant was converted from coal to oil
firing. She went through a further extensive rebuild in 1989-90 in
Dordrecht (NL) and was not returned to service until 1996. |
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 |
 |
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| View into the paddle box |
The original engines |
The aft saloon |
At the bow |
Click on any of the above thumbnails for a larger
version
| The pictures here were taken on board during
the Summer of 2004 and include shots of her present deck saloon which
was decorated in period style. We found that we had excellent views of
the paddles in action through transparent panels in the boxes and her
machinery is also visible through transparent hatches. However her
original steam plant was removed in 2008 and when she was converted to
diesel-hydraulic power. We understand that her steam plant may go on
display in due course: see link to Tramscape below. |
 |
Exiting the Loreley
 |
Here she is working
downstream on the exit from the Loreley Gorge passing one of the huge container
ships which use this part of the Rhine. Note the upward
extending wheelhouse on the bigger ship.
For more information and pictures of
commercial river traffic go here |
More Information on Goethe
Kits
The Revell Kit produces a model at 1:160 and
gives us hull length of approximately 515mm. We have started on a build
of this model, and hope to complete her early in the new
year. Pictures here as we go along.
Links
KD Line publish a schedule of voyages in
Goethe here: http://www.kdrhine.com/kdrhinegoethe.htmhttp://www.kdrhine.com/kdrhinegoethe.htm
Tramscape Magazine - much paddle steamer
information.
http://paddlesteamers.awardspace.com/Goethe.htm
Books
“Rhineschiffart
– gestern und heute" (Rhine ship
travel yesterday and today)
This
book is available in most bookshops in the area but only in the German edition.
However it is heavily illustrated and with the aid of a dictionary for
non-German speakers, provides an excellent summary of vessels on this part of
the Rhine, from earliest
times, as well as much useful information about the Rhine signaling systems.
In 2004 it cost €9.90, approximately £6.95.
Author:
Karl-Heinz Lautensack 114 pages
colour and black and white illustrations. Many
photographs both historic and modern vessels.
Published
by: Verlag Lautensack 55413 Weiler bei Bingen.
ISBN 3 00011331 8
KD Lines
A history of the Koln - Dusseldorfer Line is available from most of their
riverside booking offices.
© Charles
Smith Publications. Brought on line: 26/11/10. Updated:
02/12/2010
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