Train ferry operations

Model and prototype rolling stock, locos, multiple units etc.
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jim s-w
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Train ferry operations

Postby jim s-w » Sun Dec 05, 2021 8:55 am

Someone on FB posted this interesting little video of a train ferry being loaded/unloaded



Word of warning. The wheel squeal is horrendous ;)
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

andrewnummelin
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Re: Train ferry operations

Postby andrewnummelin » Sun Dec 05, 2021 11:07 am

Synchronised shunting for efficiency or to maintain balance of the ship?
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Andrew Nummelin

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Rod Cameron
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Re: Train ferry operations

Postby Rod Cameron » Sun Dec 05, 2021 12:13 pm

Both 33/2s - is that coincidence or were there width restrictions on the ferries?
Rod

bécasse
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Re: Train ferry operations

Postby bécasse » Sun Dec 05, 2021 12:38 pm

andrewnummelin wrote:Synchronised shunting for efficiency or to maintain balance of the ship?

To maintain the balance of the ship.

bécasse
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Re: Train ferry operations

Postby bécasse » Sun Dec 05, 2021 12:44 pm

Rod Cameron wrote:Both 33/2s - is that coincidence or were there width restrictions on the ferries?

It probably isn't a coincidence, but I am not aware of any loading gauge restrictions on the ships, it wasn't totally unknown for so-called Berne-gauge wagons to get to Dover on occasion (and at least one got to Hither Green half-a-century ago!), and any British loco would be well within that.

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Brian Harrap
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Re: Train ferry operations

Postby Brian Harrap » Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:36 pm

Love to have seen the operation the other side of Chanel
B

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pete_mcfarlane
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Re: Train ferry operations

Postby pete_mcfarlane » Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:53 pm

bécasse wrote:
andrewnummelin wrote:Synchronised shunting for efficiency or to maintain balance of the ship?

To maintain the balance of the ship.

I'm currently 2/3rds of the way through 'Night Ferry' by George Behrend, which explains a lot of this detail.

Originally the ferries were shunted using reach wagons, and only later in the 1950s were locos permitted on board with the synchronised boarding shown in the video. Behrend claims this was to avoid twisting the link spans. This required repainting parts of the superstructure of the ships black to hide the soot.

The same author's 'Grand European Expresses' also has lots of detail on the various CIWL services via train ferry, and an atmospheric narrative description of travelling from Victoria to Paris by sleeper and the procedures for securing the sleeping cars. There's also a British Transport Film called 'Link Span' which is on Youtube, which I've yet to watch.

A few details worth mentioning from the books: The ships were also originally coal fired, and fueled using bottom door mineral wagons discharging into chutes on the train deck. There were also other chutes on the deck which lined up with the toilet pipes on the CIWL sleeping cars.....


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