The PS Duchess of Edinburgh was a passenger ferry that was built in Glasgow for the South Eastern Railway Company (SER) in 1880.[1] In 1883 James Little & Co acquired her for the Barrow Steam Navigation Company and renamed her Manx Queen. She passed to the Midland Railway in 1907 and was scrapped that same year.
J&G Thompson built Duchess of Edinburgh as yard number 181 at Clydebank, Glasgow. She was launched on 23 July 1880.[2]
As built, the ship's registered length was, her beam was and her depth was . Her tonnages were and . She was a sidewheel paddle steamer with a two-cylinder compound steam engine that was rated at 400 NHP.[3]
The SER registered Duchess of Edinburgh at London. Her official number was 82798 and her code letters were TNGM.[4]
She entered service but failed to reach her contracted design speed, and was returned to her builders. She re-entered service in May 1881 but broke a paddle wheel after only five days and was returned to her builders again. The SER laid her up, first at Folkestone and then at Sheerness.
In 1883 James Little & Co bought the ship for the Barrow Steam Navigation Company. She was lengthened to, which increased her tonnages to and . She was renamed Manx Queen and registered in Barrow.[5] In 1888 the Belgian state railway chartered her for service between Dover and Ostend.[3]
In 1907 the Midland Railway took over the Barrow Steam Navigation Company.[6] That November she was sold to JJ King & Co, who scrapped her at Garston, Liverpool.[3]