KOSSUTH ss (Hungary)

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D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen
Posts: 871
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:46 pm

KOSSUTH ss (Hungary)

Post by D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen » Fri Jun 27, 2014 7:06 pm

Built in 1914 by Ganz-Danubius, Budapest for MFRT as FERENCZ FERDINAND FOHERCZEG.
Sidewheel steamer, Length:61,80m. Beam:15,54m. Depth:2,50m. Draft:1,30m. 2 cyl. compound diagonal engine:580 hp. Passengers:1350.
Passenger steamer on the Danube.
Renamed RIGO (1919), then LEANYFALU (1930)
Heavily rebuilt after World War II and returned to service in 1953 named KOSSUTH.
Reboilered in 1965 with second hand boiler from the sunken German paddle tug REGENSBURG.
Withdrawn after the 1978 season.
Moored at Ujpest and used as the house boat and refectory for employees of MAHART
In 1984 she became a floating sanatorium, but in 1986 she was converted to a museum ship.
Eventually moored at the Chain Bridge (Szechenyi lanchid) in central Budapest as a restaurant with a small maritime museum owned by the Budapest Transport Museum.
In 1995, due to lack of finances, the Museum subcontracted the ship's operation and maintenance to the private company, Kossuth Múzeumhajó Kft (Kossuth Museum Ship Ltd)
The 5-year contract required the company to pay a monthly fee to the museum and to renovate the vessel before a 10-year extension to the operation contract was granted.
The hull was renovated in 2000 by SKL at Komarno.
Later water ingress led to contractual argument between the various parties as to the exact scale of work undertaken during the renovation contract which is yet to be resolved.
Now marketed as the Venhajo Restaurant, run by EURÓPA Rendezvényiroda Kft. who also operate modern vessels on Danube cruises.
The company are also partners in the ZOLTAN FOUNDATION, which owns the Nezmely Ship Museum, which provides technical management for the museum on the KOSSUTH.
Entry to the small museum display on the engine room companionway is free. The ship is also a public restaurant with rooms available for private hire.
Taken to Komarno docks for major reburbishment work in the summer of 2008.
(Hungary 1964,1,5 Ft. StG.2028) Historic Ships, Norman J. Brouwer +Steamships of Europe, A. Deayton + Internet.
Attachments
Kossuth z.jpg
Kossuth f.jpg

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