Dover

Diesel Dilemmas - top page

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

Locomotive(s) Location Comments Date Seen by
D4099 Dover Dover Marine 30/05/1971 Bob Stone
4110 Dover 13/06/1971 Alan Donaldson
4099 Dover 28/08/1972 Alan Donaldson
3470, 4106 Dover 31/08/1972 Alan Donaldson
3470, 3817, 4099, 4101, 4106 Dover 01/09/1972 Alan Donaldson
D3719, D3817, D4001, D4099, D4110 Dover 02/12/1972 Tom Bartlett
3719 Dover Dover Priory 31/03/1973 Rob Stone
3719, 4107, D4099 Dover Marine Station,Mystery Excursion,1Z45, East Lancs to Ramsgate. 26/05/1973 Alastair
3998, 4106, 4107, 4110 Dover 15/09/1973 N. Sporne
08830 Dover 04/05/1974 John Woolley
09008, 09011, 09013, 09018, 09022 Dover Marine Station. Mystery Excursion, East Lancs to Margate, 1Z22. 25/05/1974 Alastair
09008, 09013, 09018, 09019 Dover 26/05/1974 Tom Bartlett
09011, 09022, 08847, 08892 Dover Dover Marine,All line Rail Rover. 28/08/1974 Alastair
09011 Dover 04/09/1974 Andrew Yates
08650, 09008, 09022 Dover Dalesrail trip 13/04/1975 N. Sporne
08650, 09008, 09022 Dover Dover Marine 24/08/1975 Rob Stone
09018 Dover 02/09/1975 Andrew Yates
09008, 09011 Dover 24/09/1975 N. Sporne
08847, 08892, 09018 Dover 28/09/1975 Peter Hall
09013, 09018, 09019 Dover 27/12/1975 Alan Donaldson
08833, 09008 Dover 24/01/1976 Stewart Hookins
09008, 09011, 09019 Dover 27/03/1976 Peter Hall
08650, 09022 Dover 30/10/1976 Peter Hall
08892, 09019, 09022 Dover 11/04/1977 Peter Hall
09018 Dover 23/04/1977 Paul Green
09008 Dover Dover Marine 11/08/1977 eastwestdivide
09019 Dover Dover Priory 13/08/1977 Oscar Calder
08847, 09013, 09018 Dover 23/07/1978 Brian Cuttell
08833, 09008 Dover 22/08/1978 Paul Green
08833 Dover 24/03/1979 Brian Cuttell
09019, 09022 Dover 26/05/1979 Paul Green
09013, 09022, 09023 Dover 30/09/1979 Kevin Law
09018, 09022 Dover 06/10/1979 Paul Green
09008 Dover 06/10/1979 Paul Green
09018, 09022, 09023 Dover Western Docks 15/03/1980 Richard Upton
09019, 09022, 09023 Dover 20/07/1980 Kevin Law
08833, 09023 Dover 21/09/1980 Kevin Law
08847, 09022, 09023 Dover 04/10/1980 Kevin Law
09018, 09021 Dover town yard 01/08/1981 Jerry Glover
09008, 09023 Dover ferry sidings 01/08/1981 Jerry Glover
08847, 09021 Dover town yard 05/08/1981 Jerry Glover
09013, 09018 Dover ferry sidings 05/08/1981 Jerry Glover
09013 Dover Dover Town 03/09/1981 eastwestdivide
09011 Dover Dover Town 01/10/1981 eastwestdivide
09021 Dover 13/10/1981 Alan Donaldson
09018, 09021, 09023 Dover 28/11/1981 Kevin Law
09013, 09019, 09022 Dover 03/04/1982 Paul Green
09013, 09021, 09022 Dover Dover Town area 03/08/1982 eastwestdivide
09018, 09022 Dover 14/08/1982 Kevin Law
09019 Dover 01/05/1983 eastwestdivide
09011, 09019 Dover 14/05/1983 Stewart Hookins
08414, 09013 Dover 26/05/1983 Stewart Hookins
09011, 09023 Dover 29/05/1983 Kevin Law
09011, 09018, 09008 Dover Archcliffe Jc 18/07/1983 K Busby
09018, 09019 Dover 25/07/1983 K Busby
08830, 09008, 09011 Dover Western Dock 14/08/1983 Alex Mowbray
09018 Dover Dover Town 08/09/1983 eastwestdivide
09021, 09023 Dover Dover Town 19/09/1983 eastwestdivide
09008 Dover 19/05/1984 Andrew Yates
09019 Dover 24/05/1984 Stewart Hookins
09019, 09022 Dover Western Dock 07/08/1984 Alex Mowbray
09018 Dover 31/05/1986 Andrew Yates
09013, 09024 Dover 07/06/1986 Roy Hennefer
09021, 09023 Dover ferry sidings 13/07/1986 Jerry Glover
09008 Dover town yard 13/07/1986 Jerry Glover
09013, 09021, 09023 Dover 22/11/1986 Stewart Hookins
09013, 09023 Dover Town yard 11/04/1987 Andrew Dodgson
09019, 09021 Dover 12/03/1988 Roy Hennefer
09002, 09013, 09018, 09019 Dover 29/04/1988 Stewart Hookins
09021, 09022 Dover town yard 18/07/1991 Jerry Glover
09018, 09019 Dover My notes say Dover West 25/04/1992 Chris Larkin
09011 Dover 09/04/1994 K Busby
08653, 08825, 08913 Dover 16/07/1994 Brian Cuttell

 

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