View source for British Rail Class 99 (ships)

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{other uses|British Rail Class 99 (disambiguation)}}
[[File:SS Invicta, Newhaven, 1971.jpg|thumb|99010 {{SS|Invicta|1939|2}} at Newhaven in 1971.]]
The '''British Rail Class 99''' were a fleet of [[Train ferry|train ferries]], most of which were owned by [[Sealink]], that carried rail vehicles between Britain and mainland Europe. When British Rail implemented the [[TOPS]] system for managing their operating stock, these ships were incorporated into the system in order to circumvent some of the restrictions of the application software. This allowed them to be counted as locomotives while carrying railway vehicles in the same way as a normal locomotive would haul a train.

== Details ==

There were fifteen BR Class 99s, used for carrying road and rail vehicles from Britain to the continent (road only vehicles did not receive TOPS numbers). They were of various ages and origins, but all carried the BR double arrow logo on their red funnels. This was generally set up so that the upper arrow pointed towards the bow, and so was reversed on the port side of the ship. The hull was painted blue, with "Sealink" written in large grey letters between the waterline and the deck. A grey stripe was painted on some around parts of the top of the hull, with the main body of the ship being grey or white. Unlike other non-steam locomotives with TOPS numbers, no yellow warning panels were provided. Names were painted on the bow and stern but the TOPS numbers were not visibly carried.

The number 99001 was reused for {{MS|Nord Pas-de-Calais||2}}.<ref name="Harris6b">{{cite book | last = Harris | first = Roger | title = The Allocation History of BR Diesels & Electrics (Part Six (Section B)) | publisher = Roger Harris, Bromsgrove, UK | year = 2006}}</ref>

The table shows the numbers allocated:<ref name="Harris6b" />

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Number
! Name
! Introduced
! Builder / Ship yard
! Type
! Current Status
|-
|99 001
|{{MV|Suffolk Ferry||2}}
|New to [[London and North Eastern Railway|LNER]] 1947
|[[John Brown and Company]], Clydebank.<ref>{{cite book |last=Haws |first=Duncan |year=1993 |title=Merchant Fleets-Britain's Railway Steamers-Eastern and North Western Companies + Zeeland and Stena |location=Hereford |publisher=TCL Publications |page=159 |isbn=0-946378-22-3 }}</ref>
|TF/C/P
|Scrapped 1981
|-
|99 001
|{{MS|Nord Pas-de-Calais||2}}
|New to [[SNCF]] in 1987
|Normed, [[Dunkerque]]
|TF/VF/P
|Active (Cyprus)
|-
|99 002
|{{MV|Norfolk Ferry||2}}
|New to [[British Rail|BR]] 1951
|[[John Brown and Company]], Clydebank.<ref>{{harvnb|Haws|1993|p=161}}</ref>
|TF/C/P
|Scrapped 1983
|-
|99 003
|{{MV|Essex Ferry||2}}
|New to BR 1957
|[[John Brown and Company]], Clydebank.<ref>{{harvnb|Haws|1993|p=162}}</ref>
|TF/C/P
|Scrapped 1983
|-
|99 004
|{{MV|Cambridge Ferry||2}}
|New to BR 1963
|[[Hawthorn Leslie and Company]], Hebburn, England
|TF/C/P
|Scrapped 2003
|-
|99 005
|{{MV|Speedlink Vanguard||2}}
|New to [[Stena Line]] 1973; sold to Sealink 1980
|A.Vuyk and Zonen Scheepswerven B.V., Capelle aan den IJssel, Netherlands.<ref>{{harvnb|Haws|1993|p=169}}</ref>
|TF/C
|Scrapped 2013
|-
|99 006
|{{SS|Twickenham Ferry||2}}
|New to [[Southern Railway (Great Britain)|SR]] 1934
|[[Swan Hunter|Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]
|P/VF/TF
|Scrapped 1974
|-
|99 007
|{{MV|Vortigern||2}}
|New to BR 1969
|[[Swan Hunter]], [[Wallsend]]
|P/VF/TF
|Scrapped 2005
|-
|99 008
|{{MV|Anderida||2}}
|New to [[Sealink]] 1971
|
|TF/C/P
|In service (Greece)
|-
|99 009
|{{SS|Shepperton Ferry||2}}
|New to SR 1935
|[[Swan Hunter]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Clegg |first1=Paul W |last2=Styring |first2=John S |year=1971 |title=British Railways Shipping and Allied Fleets |location=Newton Abbot |publisher=David and Charles |page=56 |isbn=0-7153-5140-0 }}</ref>
|P/VF/TF
|Scrapped 1972
|-
|99 010
|{{SS|Invicta|1939|2}}
|New to SR 1939
|[[William Denny and Brothers|William Denny & Bros Ltd]], [[Dumbarton]]
|P/VF/TF
|Scrapped 1972
|-
|99 011
|{{MV|Saint Germain|1951|2}}
|New to BR/SNCF 1951
|Helsingor Skibsvaerft og Maskinbyggeri A/S Helsingor, Denmark
|P/VF/TF
|Scrapped 1988
|-
|99 012
|{{MV|Chartres||2}}
|New to SNCF 1973
|
|P/VF/TF
|Scrapped 2022
|-
|99 013
|{{MV|Saint Eloi||2}}
|New to BR / [[Société Anonyme de Gérance et d'Armement#Angleterre-Lorraine-Alsace Société Anonyme de Navigation|Angleterre-Lorraine-Alsace Société Anonyme de Navigation (ALA)]] 1975
|Cantieri Navali di Pietra Ligure, Genoa, Italy
|P/VF/TF
|In service (Italy)
|-
|99 014
|{{MV|Transcontainer I||2}}
|New to SNCF 1968
|[[Constructions Navales et Industrielles de la Mediterranee]], La Seyne, France.
|TF/C
|Scrapped 2001
|}
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
!Key
!
|-
|P
|Passenger
|-
|VF
|Vehicle Ferry
|-
|TF
|Train Ferry
|-
|C
|Container ship
|}

There were also a number of other Sealink vessels which did not carry rail vehicles and so did not receive TOPS numbers.

While in traffic several vessels were involved in various incidents. ''Vortigern'' grounded on the approach to [[Ostend]] in 1982.<ref name="Vortigern">{{cite web
  | author=Robert Vermaat
  | publisher=Robert Vermaat
  | url=http://www.vortigernstudies.org.uk/artgra/ship1.htm
  | title=Vortigern the Ferry
  | year=2004
  | access-date=2008-08-25
  }}</ref> ''Sealink Vanguard'' collided with ''European Gateway'' on the approach to [[Harwich]], also in 1982, causing serious damage to the latter vessel, which nearly sank altogether.<ref name="Sealink Vanguard accident">{{cite web
  | author=RNLI
  | publisher=RNLI
  | url=http://rnli.harwich.org.uk/Stories/EuropeanGateway/EuropeanGateway.htm
  | title=Harwich Lifeboat Station
  | access-date=2008-08-25
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120084313/http://rnli.harwich.org.uk/Stories/EuropeanGateway/EuropeanGateway.htm
  | archive-date=20 November 2008
  | url-status=dead
  }}</ref> This was the most serious accident that a Class 99 was involved in while working for Sealink, resulting in six fatalities.

== Disposal ==

The mixed origins of the fleet meant that disposal was carried out in a patchy manner, and at no point were all 15 Class 99s in service. Instead, ships were cut up at any time after the 30-year-old mark, and so Sealink disposed of 6 prior to privatisation in 1984. No.99 009 ''Shepperton Ferry'' was withdrawn and broken up in Spain in 1972<ref name="Shepperton Ferry">{{cite web
 |author=Nigel Thornton & Ray Goodfellow
 |url=http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/shep.htm
 |title=Shepperton Ferry
 |year=2008
 |access-date=2008-08-25
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090812074231/http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/shep.htm
 |archive-date=12 August 2009
 }}</ref> while No.99 010 ''Invicta'' was dismantled in the Netherlands in the same year.<ref name="Invicta">{{cite web
  | author=Nigel Thornton & Ray Goodfellow
  | url=http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/inv3.htm
  | title=Invicta
  | year=2008
  | access-date=2008-08-25
  | url-status=dead
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102060941/http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/inv3.htm
  | archive-date=2 January 2010
  | df=dmy-all
  }}</ref> No.99 006 ''Twickenham Ferry'', the oldest member of the fleet, was withdrawn for scrap in 1974.<ref name="Twickenham Ferry">{{cite web
  | author=Nigel Thornton & Ray Goodfellow
  | url=http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/twick.htm
  | title=Twickenham Ferry
  | year=2008
  | access-date=2008-08-25
  | url-status=dead
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004230706/http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/twick.htm
  | archive-date=4 October 2011
  | df=dmy-all
  }}</ref> No.99 001 ''Suffolk Ferry'', No.99 002 ''Norfolk Ferry'' and No.99 003 ''Essex Ferry'' were all withdrawn around 1980 and broken up shortly afterwards.<ref name="Harwich Ferries">{{cite web
  | author=Ian Boyle
  | url=http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/BR8_Harwich.html
  | title=Suffolk Ferry, Norfolk Ferry and Twickenham Ferry
  | year=2007
  | access-date=2008-08-25
  }}</ref>

The remaining eight members of the fleet (99 004/5/7/8/11-14) left British Rail ownership when Sealink was sold in 1984, after which they were invariably renamed (sometimes several times, making them harder to trace). The vessels were scattered across the world, with new homes including Cuba, Greece, Canada and Malta. Subsequently, six of the ferries (now all over 30 years old) have been broken up, but two were still in service as of 2023. No.99 008 ''Anderida'' has, since 1988, was owned by Cooperative de Transport Maritime et Aerien in Canada but has since been sold to the Greek company Ainaftis. She is the oldest survivor of the fleet, dating back to 1971. She now carries the name ''Armenistis''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ferryshippingnews.com/ainaftis-roro-armenistis-made-her-debut-at-piraeus-port/|title=AINAFTIS’ Roro ARMENISTIS Made Her Debut At Piraeus Port|date=25 June 2020}}</ref> and retains several historic features.<ref name="Anderida 2006">
{{cite web
  | author=HHV Ferry
  | url=http://www.hhvferry.com/can_al_06_2_3.html
  | title=C.T.M.A. Voyageur
  | year=2006
  | access-date=2011-11-29
  }}</ref><ref name="Anderida">
{{cite web
 |author=Nigel Thornton & Ray Goodfellow
 |url=http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/anderida.htm
 |title=Anderida
 |year=2008
 |access-date=2008-08-25
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004230721/http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/anderida.htm
 |archive-date=2011-10-04
}}</ref> No.99 013 ''Sporades Star'' is now owned by [[Seajets]].<ref name="St. Eloi"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:281658/mmsi:241584000/imo:7207451/vessel:SPORADES_STAR|title=Ship SPORADES STAR (Ro-Ro/Passenger Ship) Registered in Greece - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 7207451, MMSI 241584000, Call sign SVAJ3|website=MarineTraffic.com}}</ref>

Meanwhile, No.99 011 ''St. Germain'' was dismantled in India in 1988.<ref name="St. Germain">{{cite web
 |author=Nigel Thornton & Ray Goodfellow
 |url=http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/germain.htm
 |title=St. Germain
 |year=2008
 |access-date=2008-08-25
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004231012/http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/germain.htm
 |archive-date=2011-10-04
}}</ref> No.99 014 ''Transcontainer I'' was broken up early in 2001, also in India,<ref name="Transcontainer I">{{cite web
 |author=Nigel Thornton & Ray Goodfellow
 |url=http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/trans.htm
 |title=Transcontainer I
 |year=2008
 |access-date=2008-08-25
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121050121/http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/trans.htm
 |archive-date=2008-11-21
}}</ref> while No.99 004 ''Cambridge Ferry'' met its end in Turkey in 2003 after working off Malta as ''Ita Uno'' and ''Sirio''.<ref name="Cambridge Ferry">{{cite web
 |author=Nigel Thornton & Ray Goodfellow
 |url=http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/cbf.htm
 |title=Cambridge Ferry
 |year=2008
 |access-date=2008-08-25
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004231347/http://www.doverferryphotos.co.uk/pastandpresent/cbf.htm
 |archive-date=2011-10-04
}}</ref> No.99 007 ''Vortigern'' moved to Greece for ferry services around the islands, for which she was renamed ''Express Milos''. She finished her days as the ''Nisos Limnos''; Greek regulations on the age of passenger ferries prompted her to be sold for scrap in India in 2004.<ref name="Vortigern 2">{{cite web
  | author=HHV Ferry
  | url=http://www.hhvferry.com/vortigern.html
  | title=Vortigern
  | year=2005
  | access-date=2011-11-29
  }}</ref>

99 005 ''Speedlink Vanguard'' was scrapped in 2013,<ref name=SV>{{cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/stena_shipper_1973.htm |title=M/S STENA SHIPPER. |publisher=Fakta om Fartyg |language=sv |access-date=11 August 2015}}</ref> while 99 012 ''Chartres'' was scrapped in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Ships/Myth-7330040.html|title=Myth - Passenger ship, IMO 7330040, Callsign D6A2879, Flag Comoros - vesseltracker.com|website=www.vesseltracker.com}}</ref> As time goes by the surviving Class 99s (99008/13) will probably also be broken up.

==See also==
* [[British Railways ships]] for details of all ships operated by British Railways and Sealink.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091231142723/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/feeders.html Details of several railway ships, including some of the 99s]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071025045531/http://www.competition-commission.org.uk//rep_pub/reports/1970_1975/fulltext/075appendices.pdf Report (1973)]}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071022171435/http://www.competition-commission.org.uk//rep_pub/reports/1981/fulltext/146appendices.pdf Report (1981)]}}

{{British Rail Locomotives}}
{{BR Class 99}}

[[Category:Ships of British Rail|99]]
[[Category:Train ferries]]
[[Category:British Rail numbering and classification systems]]
[[Category:British Rail ferry operations]]