Folkestone, The Harbour 1906

Photo ref: 53473

More about this scene

In January 1899 the London Chatham & Dover Railway and the South Eastern Railway amalgamated their fleets under a joint management and operating agreement, though ownership remained unchanged. Folkestone harbour had been purchased by the SER in 1843, and was developed as a cross-channel port with services to and from Boulogne. The small paddler nearest the camera is the 'Myleta', one of two steel-hulled single-deck sister ships built for the SER in 1891 by Samuda Bros, Poplar. At 195 grt and powered by a two-cylinder simple engine, she was used on local services on the Medway, though from 1901 she was based at Ramsgate during the summer season for excursion traffic. Her small turtle weather forecastle was added after she entered service. Next to her is the somewhat larger 'Walmer', a twin-screw triple-expansion steamer built as the 'Trouville' for the LB&SCR by William Denny & Bros in 1894, and sold to the SE&CR in 1901. She was one of three sisters built for about £17,500 each for the Newhaven- Caen cargo service. However, the service proved to be unprofitable and was abandoned, and all three ships were sold to the SE&CR. The small steamer in the background could be either the 'Chatham' or the 'Roubaix' (ex 'Calais'). Both were iron-hulled cargo boats of less than 300 grt, built in the early 1870s by J & W Dudgeon, Cubitts Town, London, for the LC&DR to operate a six-days-a-week service between Dover and Calais. Both were transferred to the amalgamated fleet in 1901. 'Chatham' was sold for breaking up in September 1906. 'Roubaix' was sold to the LB&SCR in 1904 and renamed 'Trouville'. She was broken up in 1911.