Didn't there used to be trains that instead of disgorging their
passengers at the docks actually drove (drove?) steamed on to sidings
on the decks of ships then steamed off Stena-like to continue their
journey across Europe?

"Troy Steadman" wrote in message
m...
Didn't there used to be trains that instead of disgorging their
passengers at the docks actually drove (drove?) steamed on to sidings
on the decks of ships then steamed off Stena-like to continue their
journey across Europe?

Yes you are correct. In 1990 I was on a train from Denmark to Sweden and
instead of getting of the train to board the boat, they simply loaded the
carriages onto the train, there were rails imbedded into the deck

It took a while to chain the carriages down and it was a bit disconcerting
to be sitting in a railway carriage that was going up and down as opposed to
rocking from side to side. 1 person in my compartment didn't even realise we
were on a boat, it was night time, and went to use the toilet, before the
days of retention tanks.

It was a very smooth operation and a very strange experience

Theres three routes in Europe that still use train ferries:

Puttgarden-Raedby between Germany and Denmark.
All Hamburg-Copenhagen EuroCitys use this route. The Train justs get driven
on to the deck and then driven off at the other end and shares the deck with
other cars and lorries, if you want you can get of the train and use the
facilities on the ferry or just wonder about the deck, its quite a novelty
seeing a train sat next to an HGV on a ferry deck.
See:http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/dk/...-5092/P1010192
..jpg
&
http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/dk/...92/dsb5285.jpg

Villa San Giovanni-Messina between Italy and Sicilia.
All through trains from the Italian mainland to Sicilia use this route, your
shunted in and out of the ship on to the rail deck and you have to remain on
the train for this one.
See: http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/it/misc/ferry/pix.html

And finally from Trelleborg-Sassnitz between Sweden and Germany, used by the
nightly Berlin Night Express. Dont know much abut this one.

On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 21:10:19 +0000 (UTC), "Boogaloo"
wrote:


snip

Villa San Giovanni-Messina between Italy and Sicilia.
All through trains from the Italian mainland to Sicilia use this route, your
shunted in and out of the ship on to the rail deck and you have to remain on
the train for this one.

Not true. You can get out and visit the bar, or stand at the railings
and watch the sun set over Sicily, as I did about 3 months ago.

See: http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/it/misc/ferry/pix.html


--

Regards

Mike

mikedotroebuckatgmxdotnet

"Troy Steadman" wrote in message
m...
Didn't there used to be trains that instead of disgorging their
passengers at the docks actually drove (drove?) steamed on to sidings
on the decks of ships then steamed off Stena-like to continue their
journey across Europe?

Freight used to be handled this way from several ports, uncluding Harwich
and Dover.

The only passenger service to taken across by ship was the Night Ferry,
which ceased in 1980. I did the trip and photographed the process about a
month before it ceased. Handling was very smooth: I slept (sober) through
the handling at Dover on the return trip only waking up half-way back to
London (Victoria).

"Tim Christian" wrote in message
...


The only passenger service to taken across by ship was the Night Ferry,
which ceased in 1980. I did the trip and photographed the process about a
month before it ceased. Handling was very smooth: I slept (sober) through
the handling at Dover on the return trip only waking up half-way back to
London (Victoria).

There was one night in, IIRC, 1967 or 1968 when there was heavy rain and
flooding in Kent, and each route the train took was blocked and it had to
turn back. Passengers expecting to wake up on the way in to Paris woke up at
Gravesend.

In the 1960s this was a very heavy train, loading up to 17 vehicles, though
only the wagons-lits and fourgons (vans for registered baggage) went across
on the ferry. Wagons-lit passengers went through customs formalities at
Victoria, though seated passengers went through customs at Dover. The
gangway door between the two parts of the train had to be firmly locked.

Peter

"Peter Masson" wrote in message
...

There was one night in, IIRC, 1967 or 1968 when there was heavy rain and
flooding in Kent, and each route the train took was blocked and it had to
turn back. Passengers expecting to wake up on the way in to Paris woke up
at
Gravesend.

It was in October 1968. I was in digs in Crawley and had a very dodgy
journey back on the Sunday night in question. Hever Castle was flooded IIRC.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

For passengers, as far as I know, only the "Night Ferry", between Victoria and
Paris actually did this, via Folkestone.

There was a freight-only equivalent via Harwich at one time.

The equipment used in both ports was a leftover from World War One equipment
installed to supply the troops!

There may have been others, but I am unaware of any.

The 1950s BTF film "Link Span" is a wonderful documentary showing just how this
operated.

Marc.

Troy Steadman wrote to uk.transport.london on Sat, 18 Dec 2004:

Didn't there used to be trains that instead of disgorging their
passengers at the docks actually drove (drove?) steamed on to sidings
on the decks of ships then steamed off Stena-like to continue their
journey across Europe?

There was indeed - the "Golden Arrow" ran from London to Paris
overnight, via Dunkerque. Only first-class passengers (I think I am
right in saying) remained on the trains; the others had to get off.
This was the "Night Ferry" service beloved of generations of students,
and used by many of my contemporaries as a cheap way of travelling
between the two capitals. But the train service was considered the last
word in luxury when it was inaugurated.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 18 December 2004

I think there's still a route between Germany and Denmark that does this