How to operate a 116 year old steam ship

The paddle steamer Schiller is much more than a means of transport, it's an ancient relict that has been navigating the Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee) since 1906. Thanks to constant care and restauration, this swimming mighty machine can still be enjoyed today. In this video, we go for a deep dive into how this ship is operated, all the way from the captain down to the machine room.
A huge thank you to the Schiller's crew and the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company for letting me film everything and making this video possible!

[@markmark2080]

This engine room is so spotless it looks more like a museum display than a working ships engine room...

[@cieludbjrg4706]

It's Switzerland. They like to keep their engines clean. They wax polish their trams!😄

[@JasonRector-nd4li]

the engine is so shiny

[@Kennephone]

It's probably been overhauled a few times since 1906.

[@fabonzanaon8177]

All paddle steamers in the country have been converted to Oil-Burners as far as I know. No coal.

[@hoodio]

to all the tourists posting pictures of the engine on the internet it basically is a museum

[@johnv341]

That is the cleanest, shiniest steam engine that I have ever seen! Nice video, thank you.

[@gowdsake7103]

I dread to think how much time is taken cleaning

[@GBB-Gelbbergbahn]

every steam ship in Switzerland is like that we have about 14 of them

[@Demonslayer20111]

@@gowdsake7103 my god they are beautiful though. That time is not wasted. What a work of mechanical art!

[@gowdsake7103]

@@Demonslayer20111 Oh I agree its astonishing

[@hawkdsl]

Actually shocking.

[@josephpadula2283]

I have Never seen an engine room that clean! It looks better than new!

[@timburr4453]

Be it a watch or a steam ship, the Swiss built it right and take care of it immaculately

[@SMGJohn]

@@timburr4453 Well considering its a tourist ship its only logically to take care of something thats meant to be displayed. If it was operational for ferrying people, the machine room would look like any other.

[@RobinCernyMitSuffix]

@@SMGJohn but... it is used to ferry people? It's in regular service to this day and not just a tourist ship as it's part of regular public transport. There are quite a few steam ships still in regular service in Switzerland, together with newly built ships.

[@BazilRat]

What a beautiful vessel. You can tell the crew are proud of her - I have never seen a working steam engine so shiny like that!

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

Excellent showing not just the mechanicals but the human care factor. These are special machines. Those are special people.

[@HelloBikeWorld]

Everything is spot on : the rhythm of the video, the shots, the explanations… Thank you for all the good work you put on this one !

[@jeffcampbell1555]

A perfect balance for a teaching video...not too much information, nor too little. The gorgeous scenery and weather surely assisted the good cheer aboard the Schiller, but it's mostly due to you. Your questions were informed, not silly, and technical people LOVE that. Plus the Schiller is pristine and inherently beautiful. Even her engine is handsome. Thank you!

[@snateraar]

It's absolutely incredible to see that machine slow down to a near stop in mere seconds, and suddenly starting to move in the other direction quite quickly with a lil burst of high pressure steam! A decade or so ago I got the opportunity to take a ride in a 1909 steam car (as a passenger), as perfectly maintained as this ship, and the torque you get from that high pressure steam is just unbelievable. From standing still to 30-40 kph in a little less than an instant! If that car had rubber tires it would've left some of it on the road.

[@royreynolds108]

It is possible to "burn rubber" at 60 mph or about 100 kph in a steam-powered auto.

[@xymaryai8283]

it is annoying how ubiquitous people think old means dumb. you could make the argument that newer things on average are smarter than their predecessors, but that will never mean the older machines are dumber. once a marvel of engineering, always a marvel of engineering.

[@genoobtlp4424]

It’s never dumb, just more reliant on the mk1 brane for peak effectiveness

[@hvt_andreas]

People forget the ingenuity and imagination from engineers back then. nowadays almost everything can be driven by a computer and some engine(s) and maybe some hydraulics or pneumatics. A lot of the beauty, that was "engineering", has vanished because of this.

[@sepur_lempung34official]

Old things is cool in my opinion And i love it. Especially steam engine on heritage railway on UK

[@Fish-pi8lv]

Yea I agree, it was never dumb, but as more effective methods are made, it gets dumber to the modern day

[@pnewt3378]

Much much more brain was used back then compared to the present

[@carltrotter7622]

Having been on the PS Waverley, the world's last seagoing paddlesteamer (this one is a lake steamer), countless times I can't help but notice how comparatively clean and pristine this vessel is.

[@Cg41418]

Compliments to the engineers who keep that engine room immaculate. Incredible.

[@timburr4453]

the swiss build things right, build it to last, and immaculately take care of it, be it the watch on your wrist or a ship

[@peterlert3809]

What nostalgia! I went to high school in Switzerland in the early 1960s, and I remember riding on the lake steamers--including watching them retract the funnel to pass under the bridge at Stans. I had the use of a sailboat at Horw, and gave the steamers plenty of room. And thanks for leaving the original commentary audible--bin chaib' uslaender, kann aber imme no' es Bitzli verstaa...

[@andrep8287]

Never mind, chaib' usländer, I'm an expat too. I remember the times too, when the funnels had to be retracted to pass beneath the bridge in Stans area to get the tourists to Alpnachstad, where they would transfer to the Mt.Pilatus cogwheel railway, the steepest in the world ;-) During those years (1966-1968) I was doing my apprenticeship in Lucerne, to become a certified travel-agent. I trained at Wagons-Lits/Cook Travel on Haldenstrasse. But, because the office-renovations had not been completed yet, the whole office-staff worked out of the main-deck of one of the other Lake Lucerne steamers, the URI, which was docket by the pier next to the 'real' office. It was fun whenever other steamers passed by, and their waves caused our file-drawers to open and close. Ah....the memories (and, guess what....57 years later, I'm still working, although no longer in the passenger-travel business, but rather in the road-transportation industry (and, living in Canada for over a half-century).

[@HobbyOrganist]

Wow, that is the most beautifully polished, painted and clean ship engine I've ever seen!

[@rhyacinthlevrini6577]

Thanks for sharing this impressive video! It brought back fond memories of sailing on the Schiller in 1984. Back then we were so impressed with the immaculate condition of the engine, and today it hardly shows a speck of dirt. Thanks for sharing the cammaraderie of the crew; it takes a team to make us tourists have a memorable excursion.

[@RogersRamblings]

An excellent view of an excellent ship. Long may she sail the lake.

[@KnapfordMaster98]

The machinery is stunningly beautiful. Those chrome control handles for the engine operator look absolutely spotless. Like it just came "off the line" so the speak.

[@roboftherock]

I quite agree, the whole IS stunning. Here in Scotland we have PS (Paddle Steamer) Waverley, which has a triple-expansion steam engine. Its engine room is similarly clean, although it is more open to the passengers than here. Just as an aside, the expression at the end is 'so to speak' instead of 'so the speak'.

[@ThomasKent1346]

It's appropriate that this ship is in Switzerland. That engine is as precise and beautiful as a Swiss watch!

[@sky173]

Amazing video. Not a single piece of metal with rust on it. It's beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[@ranekeisenkralle8265]

I suppose that's a side-effect of the machine needing lubrication all the time: the oil they wipe off leaves enough residue to prevent corrosion ^^ And chroming things also not only helps, but looks fabulous on a machine like that.

[@genoobtlp4424]

Probably also helps that it’s a fresh water ship as that is generally less corrosive

[@boooju]

I've seen newly built ships, but none can even come close to how beautiful and sparkling clean that whole ship is, given that it's more than a hundred years old! The engine looks like it belongs inside a massive swiss watch, with how beautiful and gracefully it moves.

[@MontegaB]

WOW that ship is immaculate. It's cool to see all the digital controls in the engine room. Having the boiler pressure managed automatically is really nice and makes the whole thing a lot safer.

[@JaredAF]

The machining on those parts are beautiful. And man, fresh water boats look so nice and corrosion free.

[@2dogsmowing]

Great video. That steam engine is absolutely gorgeous.

[@skodbolle]

The most impressive thing is that this museum on water actually still works as it was intended all these years later, not put away and changed out with modern equipment. Absolutely beautiful

[@free_at_last8141]

Wow, look at the shine of the components in that engine room. Beautiful, thanks for uploading.

[@stanstantalent.5605]

The echoing of the horn sounds absolutely insane. It's such a beautiful little ship.

[@stulop]

what a beautifully maintained engine and a beautifully presented video.

[@jhill4874]

That engine room is beautifully pristine! Very nice.

[@mikewysko2268]

Beautiful scenery, fabulously maintained ship, fascinating steam engine, professional and pleasant crew, what a wonderful life experience. Many happy memories are made on this 100+ year old ship.

[@Schnabeltassentier]

I remember taking a boat trip on Lake Lucerne in my childhood, maybe even on this very ship! The view onto the running engine from above was mindblowing to me then, and I'm glad to finally get a proper behind the scenes view of it all. Thank you so much!

[@tomw7220]

I have had the pleasure of riding on this ship. I spent most of my time watching the engine work from the observation area above the engine. It was great.

[@Takeit2kyle]

It’s amazing how clean this ship is . Everything is well taken care of and polished to a T .amazing upkeep on such an old vessel 👍🏻

[@worldtraveler930]

I hope one day to have the opportunity to ride and view this beautiful ship!!! 🤠👍🇨🇭

[@lpt2606]

No joke, your video's are one of my favourite on KZbin. Fantastic. Greetings from belgium

[@erickdupont4503]

Thank you so much for sharing this with the world! We need to preserve these working legacies! 👍👍👍👏

[@dryroasted5599]

Thanks for competently and quite appreciatively presenting the operation of that beautiful old steamship. We used to, over a hundred years ago, have ships similar to that navigating the inland waters of Washington State. Unfortunately, they are all gone now. Thanks again for a wonderful glimpse into the past.

[@danpeppers4976]

That engine room is gorgeous! Everything is spotless and shiny

[@lompstem]

Wow! What a video! Wasn’t quite sure where you were going to go with this channel in the summer season, but you have definitely hit the sweet spot. Amazing! You are great at breaking it all down simply making it easy to understand. Really looking forward to more stuff, keep up the great work!

[@beboboymann3823]

This is absolutely amazing. Such a beautiful steamer and what a very professional crew.

[@raflamar4146]

That's a BEAUTIFUL steam engine! It makes me so happy to know she's still going strong after 116 years

[@timburr4453]

This is not only awe inspiring power...it's the beautiful engineering, the smooth efficient movements, the rhythmic flow and pulse of the machine. It's a tribute to what great things humans can do you can see how much love this ship gets, everything is so well maintained, clean. What a wonderful crew they must have. May it last another 500 years

[@abundantharmony]

The echo of the whistle on the lake is superb.

[@marusholilac]

Fantastic video! I've ridden these steamers many times and never realized just how much was going on below decks.

[@JaredAF]

25:14 should be the sentiment of anyone that finds themselves in the care of an old, amazing piece of history.

[@mikepowell2776]

Absolutely superb video! Beautiful ship and the cleanest engine room I’ve ever seen. I always wondered a Stevenson’s link reversed an engine. Now I know. The enthusiasm and clarity of explanation from the crew was seriously impressive. Many thanks.

[@resipsaloquitur13]

For a machinist, this would be a dream job taking care of this thing. Its magnificent. I want to make one 😂

[@gordonayres2609]

Fond memories of days on Lake Lucerne in those steamers. Thank you.

[@victimovtalent6036]

engine so clean and shiny👌👍

[@Demonslayer20111]

And that is why preservation is not just important, but necessary. Modern machines are something to behold to be sure, but steam power, be it compound steam ships, or locomotives, even steam motor vehicles like cars, are just an art piece in and of themselves. They are beautiful, and the intricate mechanical motion of these engines will never fail to impress.

[@armick57]

This is the cleanest engine room I have seen anywhere! I had the pleasure of riding on this beautiful ship while in Lucerne! I was absolutely enthralled by the motion and size of the machinery!

[@882952]

"Insanely beautiful" is right, but not just those little parts he referred to - the entire engine is unbelievably clean and new-looking. The craftsmanship is evident in the machining and the design of everything. I just want to run my hands across every painted and bare-metal surface in this thing.

[@sallyfischer1204]

Grandiose Reportage. Da habe ich viel gelernt, das mich immer interessierte, und hier in Premium Qualität serviert bekomme.

[@DavidStruveDesigns]

Every time I see a video from Switzerland, my jaw just drops at how gorgeous it is. A gorgeous country, with gorgeous people and gorgeous steam engines transporting people around. Thank you for such a thoroughly enjoyable video!! That old lady sure is a beauty through and through!! One of the cleanest steam engines I've seen yet!!

[@roboftherock]

Back in the 1980s I had the pleasure of being a tourist on this 'grande dame' of the lakes. I watched the pistons and crankshaft operating without the knowledge of how it was achieved. Thank you for the opportunity to fill in the blanks of my knowledge. The whole crew is like the vessel itself - a well-oiled machine. The fact that ancillary operations have been modernised does not detract from the fact that the engine and boiler are as built so many years ago and in a different era. Tschüs!

[@cieludbjrg4706]

I am very grateful for your English narration. While I am able to understand basic German, Switzerdeutsch is as good as Greek to me (it sounds like a mix of German, Dutch and the Swedish chef from the muppet show!😆). A huge thanks to the staff of the ship allowing you to pester them and for explaining everything!😄

[@freedomforever6718]

A trip on this fabulous piece of living history is definitely on my Bucket List! Thanks for the excellent tour!

[@123TeeMee]

Amazing video, better than anything on TV

[@williamwintemberg]

A perfect example of engineering, respect and pride!

[@JoshKilen]

very nice video, thanks for sharing. I am 27 years old and you can thank my grandpa for my love of steam.

[@alanbrown9178]

I greatly enjoyed this video. I'm a long-retired marine engineer (steam) and although I never had a paddle steamer to look after, I did have one ship with a triple expansion engine. Happy memories! A credit to the staff for keeping the engine in such clean conditions.

[@F40M07]

Every time you hear a bell, thank somebody.

[@PanzerBuyer]

The polished hardware is incredible! Imagine having that engine built today?

[@rosiehawtrey]

Part of my family own Marriages Mills. They bought a steam engine in 1898 for their Colchester site. My parents were in Malaysia in 2016 siting in a bar and happened to mention their surname. A businessman walks up and asks if they're anything to do with Marriages Mills - dad said yes. He invites them on a tour of his factory but doesn't really tell them why, just that he has a surprise for them related to Marriages Mills @ Colchester. So they go around the factory and have a meal with the guy and he shows them what powers his factory. The engine, in absolutely perfect condition, that was ordered from Paxmans in 1898 for MM Colchester site, still running, still with the original buildplate and specplates powering the entire factory on a daily basis. It even ran the generators for electrical power on site. Painted red with black ends if I remember the pictures...

[@fty-ys4ni]

Perfect timing. I’m about to take my new-to-me 116 year old steam boat for a spin

[@michaelimbesi2314]

That is the single cleanest engine room I’ve ever seen, (including several on brand new ships.)

[@topphatt1312]

I can't exactly say what it is about them that makes it so but Steam Ships are undeniably the most beautiful and elegant era of sailing yet

[@jandoerlidoe3412]

Excellent video that let us see the technical side of the ship, giving explanation & footage that others , as a rule ignore. The ship itself is a wonderful symbiosis of old traditional engineering, kept in a pristine state and modern technology that allows it to be a practical, safe and efficient working ship. Ensuring that the old ship keeps functioning in the role it was original conceived for... This in stark contrast to so called " museum ships " who - in general - end up becoming decaying static exhibits... Another, wonderful restoration and modernizing project undertaken in the same spirit was the refurbishment of the steamship " Italia " - maybe a suggestion for a future video ?

[@rickeyferguson6904]

The first thing I saw was a beautiful engine room. Lots of new electronics. Good video.

[@DeltaStar777]

Wow what a video, thanks for this!! I always thought you could maneuver the 2 paddles separately like a two screwed propeller propulsion but apparently not making it quite an art to maneuver I can imagine. Great seamanship!!!

[@rickhay9782]

Such an awesome engine room...I'm so impressed with the maintenance and beauty of her mechanical rooms, crew is just awesome !!

[@davidquirk8097]

What a beautiful video. Thanks to you and all concerned for sharing this amazing ship with us. The old Engineering is so accessible, you can point to a part and explain what's happening and it's obvious. So much more accessible than today's technology and a great grounding for the Engineers of tomorrow.

[@armanddesarrierespays719]

That must have been insane technology for 1906... crazy engineering.

[@SN-do8oi]

Merci vielmals für diesen Einblick!

[@jameswest8280]

This is a treasure, she is very well cared for.

[@railwaystuff]

AMAZING video! Everything is perfect, keep up the great work!

[@stephen70edwards]

Everything here is magnificent. You really did this amazing machine justice. I was thinking "this engine is so clean you could eat off it" and sure enough...

[@Ricovandijk]

Magnificent machine, the integration of classic and modern looks impeccable like only the Suisse can do. I’ve set my next ‘citytrip’ destination for sure. Thanks for a well done documentary! 🎉

[@SMGJohn]

Quiet as electric, powerful as electric but 50 times cooler then electric, Steam is mans first self powered machinery and crafted with such elegance and mathematical accuracy, its very nice to see such machines being kept alive today.

[@stephenwilson5043]

Unfortunately 50x more expensive than electric to run too :)

[@johansoderberg9579]

That's (on the bridge) indeed a language of its own!

[@WayneJenness]

This video was outstanding. Thank you so much for posting it. I really enjoyed watching.

[@robertcovell2787]

That is not a steam engine ... it is moving art!

[@roboftherock]

I would have said 'That is not JUST a steam engine ... it is moving art!'

[@robertcovell2787]

@@roboftherock sure

[@petersipp5247]

The propulsion engine...some kind of Beautiful. As is the entire ship !

[@Scorp_2]

This ship is great but what impressed me even more is how it’s maintained. Hats off to generations of sailors and engineers who took care of this beauty!

[@johng.lidstone2236]

Fabulous video. Well done! One of my favourite paddle-steamers in the world. A very nice mix of views and explanations.

[@jibguy2003]

I can’t believe e how clean and pristine this ship is. It looks brand new. Well done Captain & Crew!

[@jerrypeppler1484]

The Engine Room is immaculate. Lake Lucerne and the Schiller, added to the bucket list. Great video.

[@z7mv]

tolles Video!

[@theeastman9136]

Only in Switzerland…😲. The perfection of the video matches that of the steamship. Wonderful! 🙏🏼

[@genoobtlp4424]

And it’s not even the only one, I can count three lakes with paddle steamers still running off the top of my head, and at least most of them have multiple ships running at least during the summer

[@Carfree-Cities]

The machining of the parts is absolutely beautiful.

[@meowBlitz]

Thank you for making this video and of course the crew showing around the places

[@numbersix1908]

I loved this video, and it was so well produced and well made. I am a German speaker and it was lovely to hear the Swiss dialect. I have been once to lake Lucerne as a teenager, and remember seeing these beautiful boats. Thank you so much for this lovely insight.

[@billboyer1244]

Fascinating! Excellent description of steam and the engines. Thank you.

[@decentdave4223]

Excellent video and the ship looks superb. I was staggered to see how nice and spotlessly clean the engine room is, not to mention the engine and all its components are so clean it looks brand new. Excellent work. Bravo!

[@pitsnipe5559]

What a beautiful machine. I was a boiler technician in the US Navy and really enjoyed this video.

[@austinado16]

Just incredible. I don't think there's anything as amazing as a steam engine, whether in a locomotive, or in a ship. Literally, a living and breathing machine. It's wonderful to see the restoration and modernization of this ship, and the level of detail and cleanliness is stunning! Fantastic job shooting, and editing this video......wow!!!

[@Melanie16040]

Wow! Your video deserves so many more views. Thank you so much for your effort in sharing this with the rest of the world!

[@alepouna]

Your videos are so underrated. I sincerely hope you get more views. These type of videos are content EVERYONE should experience and appreciate.

[@wilfstor3078]

That ship is a brilliant mix of Victorian era technology and modern technology, a computer controls the boiler but they still use pneumatic tubes for communication, it even has a digital version of a classic engine order telegraph and a full set of modern controls, I love it.

[@ke6gwf]

Excellent video work! I run giant old gas engines from this era at Powerland Heritage Park just south of Portland Oregon, and so much of the technology is the same, though none is this pretty! Lol We also have some steam tractors and a steam sawmill on site that I get to play with sometimes, and I used to run a big Erie City stationary industrial boiler, so I was interested in the stats. 9.8 bar is about 142 psi, which means that sausage was cooking at about 183 c, or 361 f. Should be well done! Lol I find it really interesting that this finely crafted Swiss steam ship uses many of the same systems and parts as a rough cast US heavy industrial gas or diesel engine. The brass and glass drip oilers, and the multi output ratchet drive oil pumps look identical to what we use, as do all the little divots for the manual oil points. Guess great engineers think alike! Lol Anyway, another excellent production, and another amazing company and team enjoying showing you their baby. May you continue documenting such amazing machines! I think I have a couple of videos on my channel of the engines at the Park I help at, and I recorded a bunch more, some inspired by you, including instructional videos on the startup and operation, but I have to take time to edit and post them!

[@sandro-here]

That sounds very interesting! Perhaps I should come say hello in the upcoming years when I'm in the US the next time

[@stanalvares6888]

Wonderful video! Warmed my heart to see the great camaradrie shared between men and machine!

[@qbasic16]

Absolutely wonderful video! I live 4km away from the lake, you reminded me taking a trip on the lake again! 😊

[@racingmadman7238]

Incredible ship. It looks brand new. Super video. I learned a lot. Thumbs up.