The SS Lansdowne was a notable railroad car ferry constructed in 1884 by the Wyandotte Shipyard of the Detroit Dry Dock Company. At 312 feet (95 meters) in length, it was the longest vessel on the Great Lakes at the time of its launch. The ship was a sidewheeler, a propulsion design characterized by large paddle wheels mounted on the sides of the vessel, and it maintained this configuration until its retirement, making it the last sidewheeler to serve on the Great Lakes. Its engines were derived from the older paddle steamer Michigan, built in 1878. Throughout its active service from 1884 until 1970, the SS Lansdowne operated primarily between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, across the Detroit River. It was captained by Nick Saad from 1942 to 1969, a period during which the vessel became a familiar fixture in the region. Its operation concluded when the ship's port engine, a steam-powered cylinder, blew out as it was leaving Detroit Slip in 1970, marking its last voyage under its own power. Afterward, the Lansdowne was repurposed as a barge, towed by a towboat. In 1981, the vessel was transformed into a floating restaurant by the Specialty Restaurants Corporation of Anaheim, California. Moored just east of Hart Plaza in Downtown Detroit, it hosted diners with views of the Detroit street circuit during the Formula One United States Grand Prix East. The restaurant operated until the late 1980s or early 1990s, after which the ship was towed to Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1999. There, much of its superstructure was removed, and the vessel was intended to become a riverfront restaurant. However, it sank at its moorings on December 25, 2005. The Lansdowne was subsequently towed to Buffalo, New York, in 2006, where it deteriorated further. Its remaining structures and the Skytop Lounge railcars were eventually removed, and the vessel was broken up for salvage in April 2009. The SS Lansdowne holds maritime significance as a pioneering and historic Great Lakes vessel, recognized for its length, age, and status as the last sidewheeler on the lakes.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.