Perhaps the most forgotten of all the wonderful paddle steamers in Switzerland (apart from amongst the residents of Neuchatel that is) is the little paddler Neuchatel which enjoys a static role as a restaurant and bar in the harbour and on the lake from which she derives her name. Built by Escher Wyss in 1912 Neuchatel is 48.5m long, 11m in the beam and was in service until 1972.
Services ran from Yverdon in the west through to Neuchatel calling at various places around the lake and on via connecting canals to the Lakes of Biel and Morat.
A dining saloon has been added onto the formerly open foredeck.
Neuchatel has lost her engines and boiler and is not fitted out in any traditional style but there are one or two artefacts left aboard from her heyday as well as a model of how she once looked. She serves a very nice lunch and, more importantly, she is still here as the last example of a paddle steamer from these three Swiss lakes.
Kingswear Castle returned to service in 2023 after the first part of a major rebuild which is designed to set her up for the next 25 years running on the River Dart. The Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust is now fund raising for the second phase of the rebuild. You can read more about the rebuilds and how you can help if you can here.
John Megoran
