Passenger Ship Website
-
www.simplonpc.co.uk
-
Simplon Postcards Home
-
Search
-
Copyright Information
-
Contact Simplon
-
Contact CGN
This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation
CGN
Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman
CGN Page 6: The 2006/2007 Fleet
This page is one of a series devoted to postcards and photographs of the
Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le lac Léman (CGN)
. This page shows the operational 2006 fleet in photographs taken during July 2006 by Ian Boyle.
An alphabetical list of ships
shown on this page is shown below. Below this is the
2006 Fleet List
in chronological order. There is a table of individual ship histories on the
CGN Header Page
.
2006 - A Year of Change
2006 saw radical changes to the Lake Geneva timetable, with the withdrawal of all full length sailings along the lake, being replaced by shorter more localised cruises. In addition, the
Savoie
made a welcome return to service, having undergone a major rebuilding (far more substantial than Simplon received following her accident). 2006 was also the first season for many decades that the
Italie
was not paddling the lake, having been retired for cost reasons in December 2005.
Vevey
was rumoured to join her in retirement at the end of 2006. However, she is still working in 2008 and may be the next vessel to be overhauled after
La Suisse.
Coppet
joined the fleet in 2007, and is also shown on this page.
My thanks to Pascal Pouillot (CGN) for his assistance with this page.
Contact:-
www.cgn.ch
Ships on this Page in Alphabetical Order:-
Chablais
(1974- )
Col-Vert
(1960- )
Coppet
(2007- )
Général Guisan
(1963- )
Grèbe
(1960- )
Helvétie (2)
(1926- )
Henry Dunant
(1962- )
Italie
(1908- )
La Suisse (2)
(1910- )
Lausanne (2)
(1991- )
Lavaux
(2006- )
Léman (5)
(1990- )
Montreux
(1904- )
Morges
(2005- )
Rhône (3)
(1927- )
Savoie
(1914- )
Simplon (3)
(1920- )
Vevey
(1907- )
Ville de Genève
(1978- )
Ships on this Page in Chronological Order:-
34:
Montreux
(1904- )
36:
Vevey
(1907- )
37:
Italie
(1908- )
38:
La Suisse (2)
(1910- )
40:
Savoie
(1914- )
41:
Simplon (3)
(1920- )
42:
Helvétie (2)
(1926- )
43:
Rhône (3)
(1927- )
44:
Col-Vert
(1960- )
45:
Grèbe
(1960- )
47:
Henry Dunant
(1962- )
48:
Général Guisan
(1963- )
50:
Chablais
(1974- )
51:
Ville de Genève
(1978- )
52:
Léman (5)
(1990- )
53:
Lausanne (2)
(1991- )
54:
Morges
(2005- )
55:
Lavaux
(2006- )
56:
Coppet
(2007- )
Other CGN Pages:-
CGN Header Page
CGN - Page 1
- Paddle Steamers 1822-1886
CGN - Page 2
- Paddle Vessels 1887-2004
CGN - Page 3
- Screw Motor Vessels
CGN - Page 4
- The 2004 Fleet
CGN - Page 5
- The 2005 Fleet
CGN - Page 6
- The 2006 Fleet
- this page!
Associated Pages:-
www.cgn.ch
- Official CGN website
2008 Summer Timetable
- 1MB PDF File - requires Adobe Reader
Société des Mouettes Genevoises
- Geneva local ferries
2004 Holiday on Lake Geneva
2005 Weekend in Geneva
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
Search This Website:-
powered by
FreeFind
CGN 2005 Fleet List
34: Montreux (1904- )
Montreux
are was built in 1904 by Sulzer Brothers of Winterthur. She is 60 metres long and was fitted with a 2-cylinder compound engine of 1000hp, built by Sulzer. In 1962 she was fitted with an 8-cylinder diesel-electric installation of 1100hp, following boiler problems from 1958. She returned to service with a small white motorship funnel. In the winter of 1978-79,
Montreux
received major hull and superstructure repairs. In 1986, she reverted to a more traditional funnel, although it remained white. The diesel engine and generator equipment received a major service in 1989. In 2001
Montreux
received a new 2-cylinder simple engine, and her accommodation was substantially rebuilt, incorporating the dining saloon panelling of the
Valais
, which had acted as a restaurant ship at Geneva since 1966 (
Valais
was then scrapped in 2003). The rebuilt accommodation is to a luxurious standard, and
Montreux
initially ran fairly limited "gastronomic cruises" in association with the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel in Ouchy. However, the unavailability of two major units of the fleet in 2004 (
Savoie
being rebuilt, and
Simplon (3)
receiving repairs following her boiler explosion), required that
Montreux
also took the afternoon Tour du Haut-Lac in the peak season, which leaves Ouchy at 14:15hrs for Evian, St Gingolph, Montreux and Vevey, returning to Ouchy at 18:10hrs. This was preceded by a lunch cruise to Evian between 12:30hrs and 13:55hrs. In the evenings she operated an evening dinner cruise to Yvoire via Morges and Rolle at 18:35hrs, returning at 22:07hrs. She connects at Yvoire with the evening cruise from Geneva, run by
Vevey
in 2005, providing the possibility of late journeys between Geneva and Lausanne (or vice versa). Her itinerary (but with less frequent evening cruises) had previously been carried out for many years by the
La Suisse (2)
.
In 2006,
Montreux
adjusted her schedule to run four cruises daily (711/712, 1201/1202, 1202/211 & 403/404) retaining the lunch cruise to Evian (Ouchy dep: 12:30) and the evening Croisière Gastronomique to Yvoire (Ouchy dep: 18:25). The afternoon Tour du Haut-Lac has been replaced by a short Belles Rives Lausannoises cruise to Morges (Ouchy dep: 14:05) and a Riviera Express cruise to Villeneuve (Ouchy dep: 15:25) calling just at Montreux outwards and Chillon and Montreux inwards. The introduction of these express runs is a new feature for 2006, others being run by
Rhône (3)
, although I recall
Helvétie (2)
ran similar express trips along the whole lake in the 1950s or 1960s.
Additional 2005 images of
Montreux
are available
on this link
.
Montreux
arriving at Yvoire on her evening cruise from Lausanne-Ouchy.
Seen from
Savoie
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 21st July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
Montreux
arriving at Yvoire on her evening cruise from Lausanne-Ouchy.
Seen from
Savoie
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 21st July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
Montreux
leaving Yvoire on her evening cruise from Lausanne-Ouchy.
Seen from
Savoie
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 21st July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
36: Vevey (1907- )
Vevey
and sistership
Italie
were built in 1907 and 1908. They are 60 metre steamers which were fitted with diesel-electric installations in 1955 and 1958, subsequently proving to be very economical units in the fleet.
Vevey
ran the Ouchy-Evian ferry service for much of the year until replaced by
Léman (5)
in 1991. On this service she maintained two crews and operated for about 20 hours each day. In the peak season of 2005,
Vevey
worked short cruises from Geneva, consisting of a lunch cruise, plus afternoon and evening cruises to Yvoire.
In 2006,
Vevey
ran a series of circuits around the Haut-Lac Supérieur, replacing the
Chablais
, which had sometimes been very crowded in recent years.
Vevey
may be withdrawn at the end of the 2006 season as a cost-saving measure.
Additional 2005 images of
Vevey
are available
on this link
.
Vevey
at Montreux.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
Vevey
at Montreux.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
Vevey
at Montreux.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
Vevey
at Vevey.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
Vevey
at Vevey.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
37: Italie (1908- )
Vevey
and sistership
Italie
were built in 1907 and 1908. They are 60 metre steamers which were fitted with diesel-electric installations in 1955 and 1958, subsequently proving to be very economical units in the fleet.
Italie
has long been associated with the daily return from Le Bouveret to Geneva and back, taking almost 12 hours. This service will cease at the end of the 2005 season, replaced by shorter runs. Furthermore,
Italie
will be withdrawn as a cost-saving measure.
Our early holidays on Lake Geneva were at Montreux and Vevey, and we travelled on
Italie
a lot since she was the first departure for Ouchy, and last return each day. Italie became a firm favourite in the CGN fleet, despite her (very smooth) diesel engine. It is a tragedy that such a beautiful ship needs to be withdrawn for cost reasons. It is planned that
Vevey
will also be withdrawn at the end of the 2006 season.
In 2006
Italie
remained laid up at Ouchy.
Additional 2005 images of
Italie
are available
on this link
.
Italie
at Ouchy.
Seen from
La Suisse (2)
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd July 2005.
Click to open larger image in new window
Italie
at Ouchy.
Seen from
La Suisse (2)
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd July 2005.
Click to open larger image in new window
38: La Suisse (2) (1910- )
La Suisse (2)
was the first of the trio of 70 metre steamers built for Lake Geneva. She was delivered in 1910, and carries 1200 passengers. She was always easily identifiable from the later giants,
Simplon (3)
and
Helvétie (2)
, by having her boiler ahead of the paddlewheels. Adjusting the boiler's position on the later steamers provided a more spacious internal layout, allowing more passengers to be carried. For many years
La Suisse (2)
had been used on the Ouchy-based lunchtime cruise to Evian and the afternoon Tour du Haut-Lac, both taken by the
Montreux
in 2005. In more recent years,
La Suisse (2)
has returned to the early morning departure from Geneva to St Gingolph and back, a round trip of nearly 12 hours. This is now called the "
Rhône
Express". 2005 was the last year of this service along the complete length of Lake Geneva.
In 2006
La Suisse
leaves Geneva Mont-Blanc at 10:00hrs, and proceeds only as far as Vevey, returning the Geneva Mont-Blanc at 19:35hrs (100/907). She no longer visits Evian, following the Swiss shore throughout apart from a deviation to Nernier and Yvoire both ways. At the end of the 2007 season,
La Suisse
was withdrawn for major overhaul, and will not sail in 2008.
Additional 2005 images of
La Suisse (2)
are available
on this link
.
La Suisse (2)
approaching Geneva at the end of her Geneva-Vevey-Geneva circuit (Lignes 1/9).
Seen from
Savoie
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 21st July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
La Suisse (2)
approaching Geneva at the end of her Geneva-Vevey-Geneva circuit (Lignes 1/9).
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 21st July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
La Suisse (2)
arriving at Lausanne Ouchy on her Geneva-Vevey-Geneva circuit (Lignes 1/9).
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
La Suisse (2)
arriving at Lausanne Ouchy on her Geneva-Vevey-Geneva circuit (Lignes 1/9).
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 22nd July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
La Suisse (2)
between Rolle and Yvoire on her Geneva-Vevey-Geneva circuit (Lignes 1/9).
Seen from
Simplon (3)
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
La Suisse (2)
between Rolle and Yvoire on her Geneva-Vevey-Geneva circuit (Lignes 1/9).
Seen from
Simplon (3)
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 23rd July 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window