Dover

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Kent and East Sussex Shunting Locomotive observations in the 1970s, 80s and 90s - top page

Class 09 4107 in use at Dover Town yard on the 14th June 1969. RCTS archive

Several shunting locomotives were kept busy in Town Yard and Ferry Sidings. The norm was three for most of the 1970s and 80s. The number though reduced when Class 33/2's took over train ferry loading duties.

Further details regarding the situation in the 1980's and 1990's has been provided by Graham Ledger who worked in the trainferry part of railfreight / RfD HQ at the time. Graham says "The old arrangement at Dover Western Docks with the St Germain/St Eloi (i.e. before the linkspan and the Nord Pas De Calais) was that two 350 hp shunters were used in loading and unloading the ferries. There were 2 tracks on the ramp (points and four tracks on the ferries) and to keep the ferries stable and prevent them tilting a similar no/weight of wagons had to be propelled simultaneously along each track, with two locos running side by side. This was normally done with some haste. (Incidentally, it presented the not unusual hazard of stepping out of the way of one noisy approaching train into the path of another - the area had inset track) I am pretty sure that three locomotives were kept at Dover Western Docks to ensure that two were always available. Can't remember why they were 09s rather than 08s but it might have been for maintenance purposes so they could scuttle back to Hither Green - although they went onto the ship fast it wasn't THAT fast. Because of the angle of the ramp relative to the track on the dockside (even though the ship was in a dock i.e. not affected by tide) the locos balanced on the middle wheels at one point. I think that the replacement by 33/2s coincided with the new linkspan but I'm not sure".

Sightings for Dover