Mac Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Does anyone know which one of these train ferries was the first to be built.? 1..The Egyptian Railways Nile Chain Ferry at Kafr El-zaiyat was designed and manufactured(in Newcastle) by Robert Stephenson and Co. 2..The EPDR 'floating railway' across the River Forth (designed by Sir Thomas Bouch and operating circa Feb 1850) Mac Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 I'd guess the Forth one. Bouch is acknowledged to have resolved all the attendant problems of tidal ferry operation with his invention of what became the linkspan and all train ferries since have worked on the same principles. There isn't a lot of information on the Egyption one but it seems to date from a few years later. All my reference material is Europe or UK-specific and doesn't cover anything further afield. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac Posted September 27, 2013 Author Share Posted September 27, 2013 From various sources... Mac Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebottle Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 According to Wikipedia, Bouch's "Floating Railway" started operations on 3rd February 1850 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_and_Northern_Railway This was commemorated by a plaque in Forth Street, Burntisland - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobester_35/4647931573/in/photostream/ This website has info and pictures - http://www.burntisland.net/forth-pl.htm If the above and the sources you quote are accurate, Bouch and Grainger would seem to have it. However, again according to Wikipedia, there were more primitive antecedents - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_ferry#History Grainger's "Leviathan" in model form on the East Fife 4mm Group's "Burntisland". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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