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Steamboat LuLu. c1889

Steamboat - P.S. LuLu, (1878 - 1895)

Backstory (True)

The steamboat Lulu was a small steamer, made by shipwright Alonzo Springstead of Geneva for the Keuka Lake Steamboat Company. Named after the daughter of the company official George Sanders (Lulu Sanders Mott), she was to be the first vessel of the newly established company. With her small size, Lulu’s construction only lasted from January to March, with her maiden voyage taking place on April 10th of 1878. This maiden voyage left many passengers with mixed reviews as there were many strange issues with the vessel. One issue could be seen in her engines, being sourced from an American 4-4-0 locomotive provided by the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad. This strange configuration produced an almost unbearable sound of steam, with many passengers remarking that Lulu’s engines could be heard farther away than her whistle. Along with this, the vessel didn’t reach the anticipated speeds that company officials intended, causing a fistfight to break out on board the vessel during one of her test runs. Despite these shortcomings, the Lulu had a charm that the people of Hammondsport found endearing. Certainly, it could be said that her aft saloon made up for any determents, being a cozy accommodation that separated the passengers from any overflowing freight. Beginning regular passenger service in May, the Lulu became the catalyst for the ‘Second Steamboat War’ on Keuka lake, running from the port of Penn yan to Hammondsport against the Lake Keuka Steam Navigation company. This ‘war’ was a nasty state of affairs, but the Lulu, being the little engine that could, was able to sway the public into backing the new Keuka Lake Steamboat Company. The rival Lake Keuka Steam Navigation company was bought out in 1881 and the ‘Second Steamboat War’ ended with a victory for the Lulu. From that point on the Lulu had a fairly stable career, slowly being surpassed by other vessels such as the ‘Holmes’ and the ‘Halsey’ during the third steamboat war. By the beginning of the 1890s, the Lulu was beginning to become somewhat of an oddity. This was especially true after the winter of 1892, in which her deckhand Eugine Robinson would slip into the water while throwing a bucket of ashes off the stern of the vessel. Robinson would tragically drown and sink below the cold waters of Keuka lake, only being twenty-two years old. With the launch of the new screw steamer ‘Mary Bell’ in the same year, the Lulu saw her final year of service in 1895. The Lulu was towed to Hammondsport, where she was decommissioned, dismantled, and scuttled; thus ending the life of the little Lulu.

Features -
- Engine Silencer
- Animated Engine
- Full Interior
- Uses ilp0tt's mod

Controls:
- A/D Rudder
- 1 Steam Whistle
- 2 Telegraph Forward
- 3 Telegraph Back
- 4 Navigation Lamps
- Lamp switches in every room

Start Boiler:
1. Make sure the "Firebox Door" is always open
2. Press the "Light Fire" button

- Enjoy