LNER Train Ferrys.

Hi all,

I have been trying to find out about pre-war British railway wagons that ran on the Continent. The book "Gateway to the Continent" FWPVeale recently came into my hands, which is about the SR and preceeding companies but mention is made of a train ferry port at Pegwell Bay/Richborough built 1916-18 and a fleet of train ferrys. The ferrys sat idle from 1918 to 1924 when they were transfered to Harwich "whence a goods train ferry service to Zeebrugge was organised by the LNER."

This sounds to me like some direct interchange of wagons took place regularly! :-) The SR ferry began service in 1936.

So, did the LNER own special wagons capable of operation on the Continent, or was this just European wagons travelling to Britain???

Was it just LNER or did all the companies contribute stock?

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Gregory Procter
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Complicated. The ferrys were built by the army to supply the troops in world war one, the GER purchased one of the terminals and moved it (due to silting problems at the original berth) - They also purchased some ex WD stock (vans I believe) which were equipped for use on the continent. Stock came the other way as well - During the second world war the German wagons (mainly vans I believe) although well built and useful were not put in general service but were passed to the forces for use as stores

What I have on this traffic . . .

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Reply to
Mike

Further thought - There is a dearth of information on the early continental wagons brought over by the ferries but also on the wagons owned by the LNER and used for this work. The only illustration I could find was a poster showing the Harwich ferry fully loaded with what looked like long wheelbase (possibly twelve foot wheelbase) vans. I am pretty sure it's on the web somewhere, try a search for GER ferry (I seem to remember it was a GE poster).

HTH

Reply to
Mike

The standard Deutsche Reichsbahn designs of about 1930 (LWB stanchion wagon and goods van) are documented. These were narrowed versions of their standard wagons and could be bashed from the various models available in HO.

As the LNER ferry service only started in 1925 I would have thought that GER predated the service?

Reply to
Gregory Procter

I would guess these would have been built for the SR ferry service from 1936?

In HO, the Piko model is a good representation, and the Roco and Liliput models can be shortened by two panels to match. For OO, Rivarossi made vans in 1:80 scale. All those need relettering with bi-lingual signage and anchor lettering.

Lima made a horrible HO low side wagon with offset brakesmans cabin with two containers which are excellent models of the ice cooled fruit/vegetable containers used for export to Britain etc from the mid 1920s until the post war period. It was sold in numerous liveries including BR(!) The containers I have were labeled "Mercedes Benz" and "Agfa"(?) but should be either white or silver with "FS" and a number. (Oh for coloured photos from the 1920s ;-)

Now there's a wagon I would enjoy modelling!

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Gregory Procter

So did I but I seem to remember thats what the poster said - I'll have a trawl and see if I saved it, if so I'll e-mail it to you

Reply to
Mike

You were right - take a look at

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There are several more posters re ferries but non on the LNER service at . . .

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Regards

Reply to
Mike

I'm sure I recently saw a set of scale drawings of stock used on the Harwich ferries. Unfortunately, I've no idea whether it was in a dusty old magazine at the model railway club, or in book on sale at a show somewhere, so sadly this isn't much help...

Reply to
Arthur Figgis

At least they exist! I'll try and find them.

Reply to
Mike

I can wait ... have you found them yet? :-)

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Gregory Procter

Nothing found on the various on-line mag index lists. I have e-mailed some of the related societies but nothing found yet.

Reply to
Mike

Thanks :-)

Reply to
Gregory Procter

Re that poster - I think the one I remember was different, I distinctly remember it had vans clearly visible. Also re the name of the company - It was GE ferries - This from the GER Society website . . .

The incorporation of the Great Eastern Railway into the London & North Eastern Railway in 1923 did not result in any immediate profound changes to railway operations in East Anglia. Business was much as usual with freight traffic in East Anglia continuing as a significant contribution to the LNER's turnover. This was augmented by the inauguration of the Harwich-Zeebruge train ferry service in 1924 by the independent Great Eastern Train Ferries Ltd.

I thought I remembered it being Great Eastern on the poster

Reply to
Mike

This from the HMRS Info Exchange - Sadly I had to let my membership lapse when I became a carer (cost became an issue) - I believe they will sell back issues of the mag to non members

Bill Bedford (way back in 1998) was looking at this area. (quote) I'm interested in the pre WW2 European traffic, which was taken via the Harwich ferry and the Societé Belgo Anglais des Ferry Boats. Does any one know an archive, perhaps on the Continent, which could have this sort of information? (unquote)

Paul Bartlett replied (quote) See HMRS Journal Vol 16 part 6 and you may get some answers. I even suggest some diagrams which seem worthy of someone producing model kits or RTR - the one at the NRM is an exceptionally nice example, pre-war (just) very long active life and extremely numerous. Bob Wallace (see Rail Express) has also done quite a lot of research on the ferry vans. Paul (unquote

Peter Tatlow replied: (quote) See 'British Railways Illustrated' Vol 2,1992/3, page 284-286 'LNER's Entry into Europe', includes consideration of traffic before and after WW2. (unquote)

Reply to
Mike

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