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SS Princess Helene
SS Princess Helene
SS Princess Helene was built at the William Denny shipyard in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1930, custom designed for the Bay of Fundy connection between the CPR's eastern mainline terminus at Saint John and the Dominion Atlantic's wharf at Digby. She replaced the older DAR steamer SS Empress. Princess Helene could carry 500 passengers and 50 automobiles. As a connection in the CPR's world spanning network of trains and ocean liners, the Princess Helene was outfitted in the style of a large ocean liner with a luxurious and beautiful interior which exceeded the usual standards of regional ferries. Each time she passed the DAR's Digby Pines Hotel, bellboys would dip the hotel's flag in salute. While never a rail ferry, she used a special system of railcar pallets to speed train-to-ship loading as freight preloaded on pallets designed to fit in CPR and DAR express cars. Freight moved on and off the ship through special side loading doors which connected to heavy elevators at Saint John and Digby which adjusted for the huge rise and fall of the Bay of Fundy tides. For her arrival, DAR express trains backed down to the Digby Wharf which was rebuilt for her arrival in 1930.
Princess Helene was replaced April 27, 1963 by the Princess of Acadia, formerly the west coast Princess of Nanaimo, a more modern and higher capacity vessel for automobile and truck traffic but one that lacked her predecessor's grand ocean liner charm. Princess Helene was sold to to Greek buyers and renamed Carina.
Gallery
Digby Wharf in Digby. SS Princess Helene has just arrived from St. John, NB. Passengers boarding cars of Train No. 98 on July 3, 1954.
Loading passengers for Train No. 98 on Digby Wharf on July 3, 1954.
Loading passengers for Train No. 98, locomotive No. 1111 in front, on Digby Wharf on July 3, 1954. Observation car is No. 6016.
Dayliner No. 9059 & SS Princess Helene at Digby Wharf on August 19, 1959.
References and Footnotes
Canadian Pacific's Dominion Atlantic Railway (Volume 1), Gary Ness, page 10.
