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Hovercraft "Princess Ann" GH 2007 Boulogne sur Mer Dimanche 12 mai 1974 Photo : Jean-Paul Lescat (lescatj-p@azur.fr)

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le "Chartres" et le "Maid of Orléans" Boulogne sur Mer Dimanche 12 mai 1974 Photo : Jean-Paul Lescat (lescatj-p@azur.fr)

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Le "Maid of Orléans" et le "Chartres" Boulogne sur Mer Dimanche 12 mai 1974 Photo : Jean-Paul Lescat (lescatj-p@azur.fr)

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le Ferry Saint-Eloi Dunkerque Samedi 21 septembre 1975 Photo : Jean-Paul Lescat (lescatj-p@azur.fr)

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le Ferry Vortigern des British Railways Dunkerque Samedi 29 mai 1976 Photo : Jean-Paul Lescat (lescatj-p@azur.fr)

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Looking through an old album turned up this picture of a Cross Channel Ferry. Unusually it shows the stern of the ship which is in fact an old 'train' ferry. The name of the vessel is 'Shepperton' built in 1935 together with 2 other similar ships, distinctive in that their funnels were on either side in order to avoid blocking the train deck. This and a second ship 'Hampton' were operated by the Southern Railway whilst 'Twickenham' set to sea under the French flag. They sailed between Dover and Dunkerque carrying up to 12 sleeping cars or 40 loaded goods wagons. They also had a small garage on board for transporting up to 25 cars. She would therefore have carried the famous 'Night Ferry' which linked Paris with London and would have remained in service until about the mid 1970s. Pictured at Dover in probably the late 1950s. Photo from James & Martin's Picture Collection Copyright 'Jampics' m.hawkes7@ntlworld.com British and Foreign Railway Pictures Jampics Fotopic.

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There has for many years been a close connection between trains and boats no more so than at the Channel ports. All this has now changed as this modern Sea France ferry pictured in 1998 will carry few passengers who have arrived at Dover by rail, famous trains such as the 'Golden Arrow' are long gone. Likewise Britain's first International passenger train that started in 1936 the 'Night Ferry'... which when visiting relatives I can remember seeing at around 6.45am setting off for London with at first steamers and then class 71s in charge... ended in 1980. The VSOE or Orient Express still enables you today to experience something from the past however. Photo from James & Martin's Picture Collection Copyright 'Jampics' m.hawkes7@ntlworld.com British and Foreign Railway Pictures Jampics Fotopic.

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Mv Brading Leaving Portsmouth Harbour for Ryde Pier Head, 1982 Photo by Squire, K (k.squire@virgin.net) Ken's Photographs

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Dover had a busy rail freight operation up until the mid-1990s using boats specifically designed for this, but the opening of the Channel Tunnel brought it to an end. A pair of class 33s were used to see that the two rakes of wagons boarded the ferry equally so as to keep it on an even keel using a linkspan. Sadly Dover Marine that served the Western Docks...from which I arrived by train and departed by ferry on my first trip abroard with the school...has now been demolished. The hovercraft in this picture 'The Princess Margaret' seen entering Dover Harbour in 1998 was indeed not far from ending her career crossing the Channel herself, one that would have seen relatively little involvement with rail passengers or freight compared with 30 or more years ago. Photo from James & Martin's Picture Collection Copyright 'Jampics' m.hawkes7@ntlworld.com British and Foreign Railway Pictures Jampics Fotopic.

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mv Edith Tilbury Riverside - Gravesend Ferry, November 1982 Note the reverse BR double arrow symbol applied to ships Scan by Squire, K (k.squire@virgin.net) Ken's Photographs

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Hovercrafts no longer cross the Channel between Dover and Boulogne but they do the Solent connecting the Isle of Wight with the mainland. However the significance of this picture from a railway viewpoint is Ryde Pier along which the Island Line trains travel to Ryde Pier Head Station where ferries leave for Portsmouth. There is in fact...and admittedly this is a little tricky to spot... a four coach train headed by the yellow and red of the London Transport class 483 followed by a 2 car pre-historic livered blue and yellow unit just leaving the station. Picture taken in August 2003. Photo from James & Martin's Picture Collection Copyright 'Jampics' m.hawkes7@ntlworld.com British and Foreign Railway Pictures Jampics Fotopic.

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The Sealink ferry Earl William arriving at St Peter Port, Guernsey from Portsmouth, 1979. Photo by DA Haisell. Scan by D Haisell (djhaisell@rogers.com)

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The Sealink ferry Earl William arriving at St Peter Port, Guernsey from Portsmouth, 1979. Photo by DA Haisell. Scan by D Haisell (djhaisell@rogers.com)