Roy Thornton Collection

Steel twin screw turbine steamer, one of three identical stern-loading railway ferry boats ordered by the Southern Railway in 1933 for their intended new Dover-Dunkirk ferry service. Built by Messrs. Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd., Walker-on-Tyne (Yard No. 1450), and engined by Parson’s Marine Steam Turbine Co. Ltd., Messrs. Yarrow & Co. of Scotstoun, Glasgow, providing the oil-fired boilers. Launched October 23^rd, 1934.

Technical Data

ID Number - 5322544

Length on deck - 346.8 ft(105.36m)

Breadth of hull - 60.7 ft(18.50m)

Depth - 18.2 ft(5.55m)

Draught - 12.5 ft (loaded)

Tonnage - 2,839 gross

1,044 net

1,200 deadweight

Speed - 16.5 knots (max), 15 knots (service)

Engines - 4 Parson’s single reduction steam turbines of 948 nominal horse power in

two sets, each driving one screw

Power - 3,300 kW

Capacity - 500 passengers, 12 sleeping cars and 2 baggage wagons (or 40 x 25-

foot(7.62m) goods wagons), 25 cars.

Call Sign - GLYW

History

October 23^rd 1934: Launched.

March 1935: Delivered to Southern Railways, London, England.

1935: Berthed in Southampton until the opening of the “Train Ferry Dock” at Dover in 1936.

November 14^th 1936: Commenced service between Dover - Dunkerque.

1939: Commenced service as a mine-layer in the English Channel and renamed HMS SHEPPERTON.

July 1940 - June 1944: Commenced service as a troop-transport between Stranraer and Larne.

August 1944: After being held in reserve at Southampton. Began to carry engines and wagons to France. Fitted with special cranes on the vessels stern, weighing 258 tons and jutting 35 feet beyond the vessels stern. Similar to a kind of derrick fitted with great straps for lifting engines, each strap weighing 2.5 cwt. For vehicles of less than 60 tons a ramp was used, and beyond that the derrick, which could cope with a load of 84 tons and would first lift and turn the engine and then drop it gently on board.. A ferry’s full load was 16 locomotives, with the engines ready coaled and about 20 trucks.

Roy Thornton Collection

1945: Renamed SHEPPERTON FERRY.

1945: After the war and together with HAMPTON FERRY, she operated a commercial transport service between Dover - Calais.

May 1947: Final sailing between Dover - Calais. She was then sent to the Clyde for refitting and conversion to burning oil instead of coal.

1947: Redelivered to Southern Railways and re-installed in train-ferry service, re-opening the post-war London-Paris “Night Ferry“.

December 15^th/16^th : Took the first train from London across the Channel to Dunkerque

January 1^st 1948: Registered to British Transport Commission, Southern Region.

April 17^th 1948: Collided with the quay wall of the dock at Dunkerque, sustaining damage to her plates.

November 29^th 1950: Grounded for some time on the wreck of a destroyer outside the lock at Dunkerque and was withdrawn for repairs at Newport. On her arrival there she accidentally grounded again, this time on the submerged wreck of a Royal Navy motor torpedo boat and was not towed clear until midnight on the day of her arrival. Following temporary repairs she was taken to Cardiff for a full overhaul.

December 1950: Returned to Dover.

1953: Had her rear doors stiffened.

1956: Operated between Dover - Boulogne covering for LORD WARDEN which was under repair for several months following a collision.

 Boulogne 1956. Stéphane Poulain Collection

April 9^th 1962 - April 17^th 1962: Operated as relief between Stranraer and Larne.

January 1^st 1963: British Railways Board succeeded British Transport Commission.

March 2^nd 1963 - March 19^th 1963: Operated as relief between Stranraer and Larne.

February 24^th 1964 - March 14^th 1964: Operated as relief between Stranraer and Larne.

1963 - 1964: Vessels painted in the new livery of British Railways, (blue hull and red funnels) and the “Double -Arrow”

February 15^th 1965 - March 3^rd 1965: Operated as relief between Stranraer and Larne.

November 1969: It was announced that British Rail’s Shipping and International Services Division (S.I.S.D.) had adopted the new brand name Sealink and as a consequence all vessels were eventually painted in the new house colours.

Ted Ingham (left) and the Roy Thornton Collection (right)

August 26^th 1972: Final day in service between Dover - Dunkerque, then laid up in Dover.

September 12^th 1972: Towed to Bilbao.

September 17^th 1972: Arrived Hierros Ardes S.A, Bilbao, Spain for scrapping.

Roy Thornton Collection

All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for errors and omissions. All items included in this article are subject to ©. We would like to thank: Ted Ingham and Stéphane Poulain for there assistance in producing this feature.