TSS ''Train Ferry No. 2'' was a freight vessel built for the British Army War Office in 1917.

History

The ship was built by Armstrong, Whitworth & Company Ltd, Low Walker and launched in 1917. Along with her sister ships and , 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 The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

. In March 1922 she was sent to Ireland to expedite the transfer of surplus Army motor transport. She made several voyages from Cork and Dublin to Liverpool but was back at Plymouth in December. 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 Prince George, Duke of Kent, (George Edward Alexander Edmund; 20 December 1902 – 25 August 1942) was a member of the British royal family, the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary. He was a younger brother of kings Edward VIII and Geo ...

. 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. 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 The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

. 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 Saint-Valery-en-Caux (, literally ''Saint-Valery in Caux'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. The addition of an acute accent on the "e" (Valéry) is incorrect. Geography The town is locat ...

Seine Maritime Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-Infé ...

, at .

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Train Ferry No.2 1917 ships Steamships of the United Kingdom Ships built on the River Tyne Ships of the Great Eastern Railway Ships of the London and North Eastern Railway Maritime incidents in June 1940 World War II shipwrecks in the English Channel World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United Kingdom Train ferries