Other Preserved Steam Vessels:
Considering that Britain is a maritime nation it is unfortunate that there are so few surviving steam vessels left. Tugs make up a large majority with most being preserved privately or through charitable trusts. These are links to most of them.
There are only two other steam TID tugs known to survive in preservation in the U.K:
TID 164 is in the care of the Friends of TID 164 under direction of the Medway Maritime Trust based at Chatham in Kent:
http://www.medwaymaritimetrust.org.uk/
http://www.friendsoftid164.com
TID 172 is being restored by a small group of enthusiasts at Mistley in Essex:
https://www.facebook.com/steamtugtid172/
Larger steam tugs formerly used on the Thames in London are:
S.T Cervia now preserved in Ramsgate, Kent:
http://www.cervia-volunteer-crew.com
http://www.thesteammuseum.org/
S.T Challenge now preserved at Southampton:
http://www.stchallenge.org/Home%20page.htm
A tug tender and some smaller estuary, craft or river tugs include:
T.T Calshot being restored for display in Southampton:
http://www.tugtendercalshot.com/
S.T.Portwey preserved at West India Dock, London:
http://www.stportwey.co.uk/
S.T. Kerne based around Liverpool and Mersey areas:
http://www.tugkerne.co.uk/
S.T. Daniel Adamson a Tug and Tender on the Manchester Ship Canal:
http://danieladamson.co.uk/
Paddle Tug 'John .H. Amos' based at Chatham, a now unique survivor and the last of her kind:
http://www.medwaymaritimetrust.org.uk
S.T Mayflower dating from 1861 is one of the oldest steam tugs left and is preserved at the Bristol Industrial Museum:
http://mshed.org/visiting/on-the-dockside/the-mayflower/
The 'Knocker White' a former steam Thames 'craft' tug, now converted to Diesel, smaller 'Tosher' tug 'Varlet' and sea going tug 'Suncrest' have now moved to a new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf , East London to form the nucleaus of a new London centric historic working boat collection.
www.trinitybuoywharf.com/
Larger Ships:
We shouldn't forget the historic ships which the Tugs at one time served. Today there are almost none left and those which do survive are mostly sail, such as the 'Cutty Sark' at Greenwich, with a few representing the Navy such as HMS Belfast by Tower Bridge. There is now only one 'tramp' steam coaster or smaller cargo ship left to known to survive in the U.K and possibly Europe. She is the SS. Robin and is subject of a major restoration project and will open to the public in the next year or so in London, based at Trinity Buoy Wharf. She represents the last of her line being built in 1890 and is typical of the hundreds of cargo vessels that once carried cargoes to and from London all around the World:
http://www.ssrobin.com/
Other Vessels:
The Admiralty once owned a wide range of steam driven support vessels used to carry everything from munitions, food and water through to cargo and crew. They worked supplying larger vessels which due to their size or draft could not come in close to the shore.
The SS Freshspring is a now unique survivor of an Admiralty water tender. Fitted with huge tanks she would carry drinking water and boiler water to larger vessels out at anchor.
http://www.ssfreshspring.co.uk/
There are only two other steam TID tugs known to survive in preservation in the U.K:
TID 164 is in the care of the Friends of TID 164 under direction of the Medway Maritime Trust based at Chatham in Kent:
http://www.medwaymaritimetrust.org.uk/
http://www.friendsoftid164.com
TID 172 is being restored by a small group of enthusiasts at Mistley in Essex:
https://www.facebook.com/steamtugtid172/
Larger steam tugs formerly used on the Thames in London are:
S.T Cervia now preserved in Ramsgate, Kent:
http://www.cervia-volunteer-crew.com
http://www.thesteammuseum.org/
S.T Challenge now preserved at Southampton:
http://www.stchallenge.org/Home%20page.htm
A tug tender and some smaller estuary, craft or river tugs include:
T.T Calshot being restored for display in Southampton:
http://www.tugtendercalshot.com/
S.T.Portwey preserved at West India Dock, London:
http://www.stportwey.co.uk/
S.T. Kerne based around Liverpool and Mersey areas:
http://www.tugkerne.co.uk/
S.T. Daniel Adamson a Tug and Tender on the Manchester Ship Canal:
http://danieladamson.co.uk/
Paddle Tug 'John .H. Amos' based at Chatham, a now unique survivor and the last of her kind:
http://www.medwaymaritimetrust.org.uk
S.T Mayflower dating from 1861 is one of the oldest steam tugs left and is preserved at the Bristol Industrial Museum:
http://mshed.org/visiting/on-the-dockside/the-mayflower/
The 'Knocker White' a former steam Thames 'craft' tug, now converted to Diesel, smaller 'Tosher' tug 'Varlet' and sea going tug 'Suncrest' have now moved to a new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf , East London to form the nucleaus of a new London centric historic working boat collection.
www.trinitybuoywharf.com/
Larger Ships:
We shouldn't forget the historic ships which the Tugs at one time served. Today there are almost none left and those which do survive are mostly sail, such as the 'Cutty Sark' at Greenwich, with a few representing the Navy such as HMS Belfast by Tower Bridge. There is now only one 'tramp' steam coaster or smaller cargo ship left to known to survive in the U.K and possibly Europe. She is the SS. Robin and is subject of a major restoration project and will open to the public in the next year or so in London, based at Trinity Buoy Wharf. She represents the last of her line being built in 1890 and is typical of the hundreds of cargo vessels that once carried cargoes to and from London all around the World:
http://www.ssrobin.com/
Other Vessels:
The Admiralty once owned a wide range of steam driven support vessels used to carry everything from munitions, food and water through to cargo and crew. They worked supplying larger vessels which due to their size or draft could not come in close to the shore.
The SS Freshspring is a now unique survivor of an Admiralty water tender. Fitted with huge tanks she would carry drinking water and boiler water to larger vessels out at anchor.
http://www.ssfreshspring.co.uk/
Victualing Inshore Craft (VIC's) were built in two sizes. The smaller at 66' length were copies of the famous 'Clyde Puffer' which worked all around Scotland and on the Clyde carrying general cargo and are immortalized in Niel Munroe's 'Para Handy Tales'. There are two survivors both based at Crinan in Argyll:
Vic 32 which now carries 12 fare paying passengers on week long activity holidays around Scotland's West Coast.
http://savethepuffer.co.uk/
Vic 27 is currently being restored back to working order:
http://vic27.co.uk/
Two larger 'small coaster' VIC's survive, both privately preserved and in working order:
Vic 56:
http://www.vic56.co.uk/
Vic 96:
http://www.vic96.co.uk/
Vic 32 which now carries 12 fare paying passengers on week long activity holidays around Scotland's West Coast.
http://savethepuffer.co.uk/
Vic 27 is currently being restored back to working order:
http://vic27.co.uk/
Two larger 'small coaster' VIC's survive, both privately preserved and in working order:
Vic 56:
http://www.vic56.co.uk/
Vic 96:
http://www.vic96.co.uk/