TF ''Carrier'' was a

train ferry A train ferry is a ship (ferry) designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train f ...

introduced by the Edinburgh & Northern Railway, later incorporated into the

North British Railway The North British Railway was a British railway company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with English railways at Berwick. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followe ...

, to cross the

River Tay The River Tay ( gd, Tatha, ; probably from the conjectured Brythonic ''Tausa'', possibly meaning 'silent one' or 'strong one' or, simply, 'flowing') is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in Great Britain. The Tay originates ...

as part of its route between

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

History

Scotland

Launched in 1858, the ''Carrier'' was the third and smallest vessel in a fleet of six train ferries introduced by Thomas Bouch, the engineer of the ENR/NBR, to carry the company's trains across the

Forth Forth or FORTH may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''forth'' magazine, an Internet magazine * ''Forth'' (album), by The Verve, 2008 * ''Forth'', a 2011 album by Proto-Kaw * Radio Forth, a group of independent local radio stations in Scotla ...

and Tay estuaries. Bouch was not only responsible for their design but also that of the

linkspan A linkspan or link-span is a type of drawbridge used mainly in the operation of moving vehicles on and off a roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) vessel or ferry, particularly to allow for tidal changes in water level. Linkspans are usually found at ferry t ...

s and associated equipment. The ferries carried goods wagons and, occasionally, empty passenger coaches. The passengers themselves crossed by conventional paddle steamers. Built by Scott & Co of

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

, ''Carrier'' was a 243 GRT paddle steamer, long and wide between the paddles. She was powered by two oscillating cylinder steam engines, each developing . She had two tracks on her deck each capable of handling 7 wagons. Initially allocated to the Tay crossing she was transferred to the Forth crossing along with her sister ship ''Robert Napier'' when Bouch's ill-fated

Tay Bridge The Tay Bridge ( gd, Drochaid-rèile na Tatha) carries the railway across the Firth of Tay in Scotland between Dundee and the suburb of Wormit in Fife. Its span is . It is the second bridge to occupy the site. Plans for a bridge over the Tay to ...

opened in June 1878. When that structure collapsed on 28 December 1879, ''Robert Napier'' returned to the Tay to re-establish the link but ''Carrier'' remained at Granton.

Isle of Wight

By 1883 ''Carrier'' was surplus to requirements at Granton and was sold to The Isle of Wight Railway Marine Transit Company which wished to establish a ferry service between Langstone station on the

LB&SCR The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR; known also as the Brighton line, the Brighton Railway or the Brighton) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its ...

Hayling Island Hayling Island is an island off the south coast of England, in the borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, east of Portsmouth. History An Iron Age shrine in the north of Hayling Island was later developed into a Roman temple in the 1st c ...

Branch and St Helens station on the Bembridge branch on the island. The service commenced in 1885. The following year the TF Carrier was hired to the

London, Brighton and South Coast Railway The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR; known also as the Brighton line, the Brighton Railway or the Brighton) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its ...

due to the IoWMTC's financial state. However the ''Carrier'' was ill-suited to the exposed waters of the Solent and the service ceased in 1888 and the ship sold for scrap.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrier 1858 ships Ferry transport on the Isle of Wight Steamships of the United Kingdom Merchant ships of the United Kingdom Ships of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Ships of the Isle of Wight Railway