SS Lansdowne
Encyclopedia
The SS Lansdowne was a railroad car ferry built in 1884 by the Wyandotte Shipyard of the Detroit Dry Dock Company. It was used from 1884 until 1956 between Detroit, Michigan
and Windsor, Ontario
across the Detroit River
, although there are reports of its sporadic use until the early 1970s. At the time of its construction it was the longest ship on the Great Lakes
at 312 feet (95 m). It was a sidewheeler paddle boat and at the time of its retirement it was the last sidewheeler serving on the Great Lakes.
In the 1980s Lansdowne was converted to a floating restaurant
and was moored just east of Hart Plaza in Downtown Detroit
. A pair of Milwaukee Road "SkyTop Lounge" railcars were brought onto part of its deck while the remainder was occupied by additional restaurant structure. Patrons of The Lansdowne had a front-row view of the Detroit street circuit
that hosted the Formula One
United States Grand Prix East. The restaurant in Detroit shut down in the late 1980s or early 1990s. In 1999 it was towed to Erie, Pennsylvania
where much of its superstructure was removed and the SkyTop Lounge cars were stripped to bare shells while owned by Specialty Restaurants of Anaheim, California
with the intent of making it a riverfront restaurant in Erie. It sunk at its moorings on December 25, 2005 and the City of Erie issued an order that it be removed by March 1. On July 16, 2006 it was removed from Erie and towed to an industrial part of the Buffalo River
in Buffalo, New York
. On January 30, 2008 it again took on water during a storm at its moorings in Buffalo and began to list. Specialty Restaurants' owner died in 2008 and whatever remaining initiative there was to restore the Lansdowne died along with him. With pressure from Buffalo city politicians to remove the "eyesore" from its shores, the SkyTop Lounge cars were cut off of their trucks and shipped to a railroad museum in Montevideo, Minnesota
and the rest of the vessel was broken up for salvage in April 2009.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
across the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
, although there are reports of its sporadic use until the early 1970s. At the time of its construction it was the longest ship on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
at 312 feet (95 m). It was a sidewheeler paddle boat and at the time of its retirement it was the last sidewheeler serving on the Great Lakes.
In the 1980s Lansdowne was converted to a floating restaurant
Floating restaurant
A floating restaurant is a kind of vessel which is usually a type of steel barge used as a restaurant on water. For example, the Jumbo Palace at Aberdeen in Hong Kong is one such restaurant. Sometimes retired ships are given a second lease on life as floating restaurants. The former car ferry New...
and was moored just east of Hart Plaza in Downtown Detroit
Downtown Detroit
Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a residential area of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Downtown is bordered by the Lodge Freeway to the west, the Fisher Freeway to the north, Interstate 375 to the east, and the Detroit River to the south.Downtown contains much historic...
. A pair of Milwaukee Road "SkyTop Lounge" railcars were brought onto part of its deck while the remainder was occupied by additional restaurant structure. Patrons of The Lansdowne had a front-row view of the Detroit street circuit
Detroit street circuit
The streets of Detroit, Michigan hosted Formula One racing, and later CART racing, between the 1982 and 1991 seasons. The course was set up near the Renaissance Center and the Cobo Arena, also including a small part of the M-1 highway, also known as Woodward Avenue.Created largely in an effort to...
that hosted the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
United States Grand Prix East. The restaurant in Detroit shut down in the late 1980s or early 1990s. In 1999 it was towed to Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
where much of its superstructure was removed and the SkyTop Lounge cars were stripped to bare shells while owned by Specialty Restaurants of Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
with the intent of making it a riverfront restaurant in Erie. It sunk at its moorings on December 25, 2005 and the City of Erie issued an order that it be removed by March 1. On July 16, 2006 it was removed from Erie and towed to an industrial part of the Buffalo River
Buffalo River (New York)
The Buffalo River is a river that empties into the eastern end of Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, by the City of Buffalo in the United States of America. This stream is called the Buffalo River only in the vicinity of the city and is known as Buffalo Creek as it flows through other parts of...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. On January 30, 2008 it again took on water during a storm at its moorings in Buffalo and began to list. Specialty Restaurants' owner died in 2008 and whatever remaining initiative there was to restore the Lansdowne died along with him. With pressure from Buffalo city politicians to remove the "eyesore" from its shores, the SkyTop Lounge cars were cut off of their trucks and shipped to a railroad museum in Montevideo, Minnesota
Montevideo, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,346 people, 2,353 households, and 1,444 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,190.5 people per square mile . There were 2,551 housing units at an average density of 568.1 per square mile...
and the rest of the vessel was broken up for salvage in April 2009.