SS Train Ferry No. 2

TSS Train Ferry No. 2 was a freight vessel built for the British Army War Office in 1917.^[1]

History
Name	TSS Train Ferry No. 2
Operator	1917-1924:British Army War Office 1924-1934:Great Eastern Railway as Great Eastern Train Ferry Company Limited 1934-1940:London and North Eastern Railway 1940:Royal Navy
Port of registry
Builder	Armstrong, Whitworth & Company Ltd, Low Walker
Yard number	922
Launched	12 September 1917
Fate	Sunk 13 June 1940
General characteristics
Tonnage	2,678 gross register tons (GRT)
Length	350.5 feet (106.8 m)
Beam	58.7 feet (17.9 m)
Depth	15.5 feet (4.7 m)

History

The ship was built by Armstrong, Whitworth & Company Ltd, Low Walker and launched in 1917. Along with her sister ships SS Train Ferry No. 1 and SS Train Ferry No. 3, they were the first vessels to offer regular transport between Britain and continental Europe for rail freight vehicles. They were ordered by the British Army to provide rail freight transport from Richborough harbour to the continent to sustain the war effort. They had four sets of rails along the train deck and used a link span to load when in harbour.

On 1 February 1919 she was involved in the rescue of British and American soldiers from the American transport USS Narrangansett which had gone ashore on Bembridge Point, Isle of Wight.^[2] In March 1922 she was sent to Ireland to expedite the transfer of surplus Army motor transport.^[3] She made several voyages from Cork and Dublin to Liverpool but was back at Plymouth in December.^[4]

After their use by the British Army ended in 1922, they were purchased by the Great Eastern Railway

The Great Eastern Railway was taken over by the London and North Eastern Railway company in 1923 with its interest in the Great Eastern Train Ferry Company. The new service was inaugurated on 24 April 1924 by Prince George, Duke of Kent.^[5] In November 1928 the journey from Zeebrugge to Harwich was delayed by a gale and took 23 hours rather than the usual 7 and a half.^[6]

In 1934, the Great Eastern Train Ferry Company was liquidated and she was bought by the London and North Eastern Railway.

In 1940 she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy. During evacuation of British troops from France she was hit by artillery from the shore and sank on 13 June 1940 off Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Seine Maritime,^[7] at 49°56′N 00°56′E / 49.933°N 0.933°E / 49.933; 0.933.^[8][9]

References

1. Duckworth, Christian Leslie Dyce; Langmuir, Graham Easton (1968). Railway and other Steamers. Prescot, Lancashire: T. Stephenson and Sons.
2. "Men for Demobilisation taken off safely". Yorkshire Evening Post. England. 1 February 1919. Retrieved 4 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Richborough Train Ferry sent to Ireland". Hull Daily Mail. England. 25 March 1922. Retrieved 4 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "Train Ferry at Plymouth". Western Morning News. England. 28 December 1922. Retrieved 4 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "LNER Train Ferry". Hull Daily Mail. England. 25 April 1924. Retrieved 4 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
6. "Train Ferry 's Ordeal". Chelmsford Chronicle. England. 23 November 1928. Retrieved 4 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "LNER Harwich Fleet List". Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
8. "Le HMS Dafodil ou TF3" (in French). Grieme. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
9. "SS Train Ferry No.2 (+1940)". wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 7 August 2022.

Bibliography

• Anderson, Richard M. (1990). "Re: Mystery Photo No. 97". Warship International. XXVII (2): 107. ISSN 0043-0374.
• Atherton, D. (1990). "Re: Mystery Photo No. 97". Warship International. XXVII (2): 108–110. ISSN 0043-0374.
• Dittmar, Fred (1990). "Re: Mystery Photo No. 97". Warship International. XXVII (2): 107. ISSN 0043-0374.
• Heine, Paul J. (1990). "Re: Mystery Photo No. 97". Warship International. XXVII (2): 107–108. ISSN 0043-0374.