Night Ferry

The Night Ferry was Britain's first international passenger train. Service commenced on the evening of the 14th of October 1936 and offered overnight sleeping car service between London and Paris and eventually from 1956, to Brussels. The service was of course suspended during the period of hostilities. The Night Ferry ceased operation on the 31st of October 1980.

In the latter part of the 1970's, the train was hauled between London Victoria and Dover Western Docks, originally named Dover Marine, by either a Class 33 diesel electric or Class 73 electro diesel locomotive. Southbound, the first vehicle was a Mk. 1 Brake Composite Corridor (BCK S21270 or S21273), a minimum of two CIWL Type F sleeping cars and one or two SNCF vans. The Mk.1 coach was included in the consist only for the conveyance of the guard as the Night Ferry was exclusively for customers having a reserved sleeping car berth. The Mk. I coach had its gangways modified to align with the sleeping cars. At Dover Western Docks the locomotive and BCK were detached and a Class 09 shunter would propel the sleeping cars and vans on to the ship for the crossing of the English Channel to Dunkerque. The reverse of this operation took place the following morning with the return working to London Victoria.

By its nature, operating at night and on an extremely erratic schedule due to numerous disputes, the Night Ferry was quite difficult to see, never mind capture on film. Despite all this, these photos were taken at London Victoria in the evening and Dover Western Docks in the very late evening and the extremely early morning during the final years of operation of the Night Ferry, between 1977 and 1980.

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	The regular arrival and departure point for the Night Ferry at London Victoria was Platform 2. On a winter evening the empty stock is awaited. (Photo: Alexander Clark)
	During the longer summer evenings it was possible to see the Night Ferry depart London Victoria in daylight. A Class 73 electro diesel is ready to depart for Dover Western Docks.
	London Victoria and on this autumn evening the Night Ferry will be taken by a Class 33 diesel electric loco on its journey to Dover Western Docks.
	It may be seen in this illustration that Type F sleeping cars have passenger access doors at one end only. The door space at this end contains an attendant's office and opposite is a compartment for a boiler.
	A close up view of the compartments of a Night Ferry Type F sleeping car, ready to depart London Victoria.
	On this evening the Night Ferry arrives at Dover Western Docks behind a Class 33 diesel electric locomotive.
	A view of a Night Ferry Type F sleeping car in the traditional colours of the CIWL just having arrived at Platform 4 at Dover Western Docks.
	A few Type F sleeping cars were repainted in a different blue and redesignated with the French railways logo, SNCF.
	On the rear of the Night Ferry, we see an SNCF fourgon or van. This vehicle would accompany the sleeping cars onto the ferry.
	On another evening the luggage capacity has been doubled and two fourgons are in the consist.
	A view of the Night Ferry consist at Platform 4 in Dover Western Docks as a Class 09 diesel shunter starts to embark the train on to the ferry.
	The Class 09 diesel shunter is removing the Night Ferry from Platform 4 and will detach the BR Mk. I coach before propelling the consist on to the ferry.
	The eastern approaches to Dover Western Docks in the early morning. The sleeping cars and fourgons have just been disembarked from the ferry and the Class 73 takes the consist out onto the Dover Priory line at Hawkesbury Street Junction.
	Once clear of Hawkesbury Street Junction, the consist is propelled into Platform 6 at Dover Western Docks Station.
	Platform 6 at Dover Western Docks. A Class 73 electro diesel is ready to take the Night Ferry to London Victoria.
	One of the few sleeping cars repainted with SNCF markings is ready to depart Platform 6 for London Victoria.
	The Night Ferry has just departed Dover Western Docks and is passing the site that was once the South Eastern Railway's Town Station.
	The London bound Night Ferry is now seen passing Archcliffe Junction where the line from Dover Priory Station joins.
	A view of the complete Night Ferry train on its early morning journey to London Victoria. This scene is taken from the footbridge adjacent to the eastern portal of Shakespeare Cliff Tunnel.
	From the same location as above, the Night Ferry is just about to enter Shakespeare Cliff Tunnel, then Abbot's Cliff Tunnel and via Folkestone Warren, Folkestone Central, Ashford and to London Victoria.
	An overall view of Dover Western Docks showing the station and the train ferry dock and link span. No train ferry is berthed. The vessel departing is a Jetfoil on route to Ostende.
	One of the train ferries used on the Dover to Dunquerke crossing was "Shepperton Ferry". This ship entered service in 1935 and was withdrawn in 1972. She is shown here at Dover Western Docks in July 1969.
	It is still possible to view one of the CIWL F Type Sleeping Cars by visiting the National Railway Museum in York. This photograph shows Car 3792 on display. (Photo: Alexander Clark)
	This brass plate may be seen on Car 3792 which is on display in the National Railway Museum, York. (Photo: Alexander Clark)
	This Night Ferry sign is on display in the National Railway Museum at York. (Photo: Alexander Clark)

The Night Ferry model.

Representing the locomotives of the Night Ferry train in 00 scale is the easy bit as models of the Class 33 are made by Heljan and the Class 73 by Hornby. Lima also made excellent models of both the Class 33 and Class 73. The Mk. I Brake Composite Corridor is available from Bachmann. To model the Night Ferry consist accurately in 00 scale would require resorting to having to construct the sleeping cars and vans from kits.

To enable completion of a representation of the "Night Ferry" train in a reasonable time and at a sensible cost, compromises have had to be accepted. Sourcing ready to run sleeping cars and SNCF luggage vans requires a bit of searching on the used models market.

The CIWL type F sleeping cars were marketed by Playcraft in the UK and were made by Jouef. They are made to H0 scale but with a little modification the consist can be made to look acceptable. The Mk. 1 Brake Composite Corridor (BCK) is a model by Trix. The vans or fourgons illustrated on "Seabourne Marine" are modified Jouef vehicles. More accurate models of the ferry vans made by MMM-RG are illustrated below.

	These first two illustrations of the model of the Night Ferry train are on "Seabourne Marine", a former Eastbank MRC exhibition layout.
	A view of the Night Ferry departing "Seabourne Marine" for London.
	The Playcraft Jouef model of the Type F sleeping car is really quite a good model considering it being manufactured in the 1960's and its extremely low selling price.
	A close up view of the compartment side of a Playcraft Jouef CIWL Type F sleeping car showing the Paris London destination board.
	More accurate models of the SNCF ferry vans are made by French company MMM-RG. Two pre owned models have now been acquired since the layout photographs were taken.  The two types of luggage vans are illustrated, with and without accommodation for the guard.