Rail Ferries

[samwillis]

Hello Everyone - I'm a historian and I'm working on a series filming ship models called Maritime Innovation In Miniature. It's fantastic https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/the-models

One of the models I'm filming in the next couple of weeks is a train ferry - so I really need a bit of help learning about train ferries and identifying one in particular - photos attached. the model is in the foyer of teh IMO (international maritime organisation). I need to be able to say some interesting things about this vessels' design and construction and also about the design and construction of rail ferries in particular.

I'd hugely appreciate any help you can offer.

Dr Sam Willis www.sam-willis.com

 

[Gloster]

Try getting hold of a copy of Train Ferries of Western Europe by Patrick Ransome-Wallis. Although it came out in the mid-1960s it gives a very good background history and the basic considerations involved. Unfortunately, the great majority of train-ferries in Europe have ceased operating, mostly replaced by fixed links, and those elsewhere in the world don’t always operate in similar environments.

 

[Flying Snail]

That is a model of a series of 4 ferries built from 86-89 in Germany, the first being originally named Mukran.

The ferry site

This homepage contains information and pictures of ships and ferrys in Europe

www.ferry-site.dk

The ferry site

This homepage contains information and pictures of ships and ferrys in Europe

www.ferry-site.dk

The ferry site

This homepage contains information and pictures of ships and ferrys in Europe

www.ferry-site.dk

The ferry site

This homepage contains information and pictures of ships and ferrys in Europe

www.ferry-site.dk

I don't recognise the livery/branding, I would guess it is either a demonstration model from the shipyard or as it is on public display in IMO possibly a fictional identity so as not to be seen as promoting/endorsing any specific operator.

 

[EAD]

Looks very much like a prototype model for the ferries the DDR/GDR built for rail freight with the USSR in the 1980s. These were from memory the largest rail ferries ever built and held a world record for that. The port at Sassnitz/Mukran on the Island of Rügen was built specially by the GDR for this service in the mid 1980s as the ferries carried Russian gauge waggons as can be seen on the model. Five in total were built, split between GDR (2) and USSR (3). The EGF on the side refers to Eisenbahngüterfähre (or railway goods ferry) and they were type EGF-321 built by MTW in Wismar.

There is a good summary (in German only it seems) on wikipedia here. There are also a number of German TV documentaries about Mukran and this operation, not least given it was built at the height of the Cold War and there have always been rumours that the lower deck was used to also transport Soviet military equipment to the GDR.

Edit - just to note flying snail got there first.

 

[30907]

English usage is Train Ferry, and you should find a fair bit online.
Eisenbahnfaehre in German - the EGF-321 design is 1980s DDR according to
https://www.seeleute-rostock.de/content/moreships/8-RoRo/8d-EGF-321/rwcferry.htm
Traghetto in Italian - where the last W European survivors operate.

Most modern train ferries are capable of being used as conventional RORO ferries as well, and the Puttgarden-Roedby ferries had bow loading as well as stern for rail, unlike most.

 

[randyrippley]

This is a total guess, but the general outline is much like the ferries which ran from East Germany to Lithuania for a few years from 1986

theres a monochrome photo of one in dock at https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-t...-transportation-in-the-klaipeda-23024156.html

and a brief history in German (which I am not going to attempt to precis) at
https://www.wiki-data.de-de.nina.az/Fährverbindung_Mukran–Klaipėda.html


google translate version
https://www-wiki--data-de--de-nina-az.translate.goog/Fährverbindung_Mukran–Klaipėda.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

==edit==
beaten to the post while I was thinking, we all came to the same conclusion though!

 

[WesternLancer]

Might not be relevant but if you want some good UK archive film footage the British Transport Film 'Link Span' from 1956 (this was the in house British Railways Film Unit) includes some stuff on train ferries that ran to the UK IIRC - BFI hold the archive and have released it on a commercial DVD - tho it also looks like it is uploaded on you tube if you want to get the idea

The Best of British Transport Films Volume 2 (2-Disc Blu-ray Set)

A second volume of highlights from the British Transport Films collection, available on Blu-ray for the first time This title is temporarily out of stock.

shop.bfi.org.uk

eg see from 9mins 50 secs in - but you will probably be interested in the whole documentary - a bit later it covers the Night Ferry through train(passenger wagons lit sleeping cars London to Paris and I suspect the only UK passenger train ferry service - ran until c1980)

 

[samwillis]

Hello Everyone and many thanks for your time, knowledge and help with this, hugely apprecaited.