London and North Eastern Railway
L.N.E.R. Shipping
The London and North Eastern Railway (L.N.E.R) was the second largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It existed from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948, when it was divided into the new British Railways' Eastern Region, North Eastern Region and partially the Scottish Region.
The London and North Eastern Railway (L.N.E.R) was the second largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It existed from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948, when it was divided into the new British Railways' Eastern Region, North Eastern Region and partially the Scottish Region.
SS Accrington
Launched : 1910
Tonnage (GRT) : 1,629
Launched : 1910
Tonnage (GRT) : 1,629
- Built for the Great Central Railway and served on the Grimsby – Hamburg, Germany route. Acquired by LNER in 1923 and passed to Associated Humber Lines in 1934.
- From July 1942 used as a convoy rescue ship in the Second World War and completed 40 escort voyages. Returned to LNER post-war and in 1946, with her sister Dewsbury, was transferred to Harwich to replace war losses.
- Passed to British Railways in 1948. Served until scrapped in 1951 mainly on the Harwich - Antwerp route.
S.S. Amsterdam
Launched : 1930
Tonnage (GRT) : 4,220
Built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank for use on the Harwich – Hook of Holland service. A sister of Vienna and Prague.Sold in 1941 to the Ministry of War Transport and converted to a troopship. In 1944, she struck a mine and sank off Normandy, France.
Launched : 1930
Tonnage (GRT) : 4,220
Built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank for use on the Harwich – Hook of Holland service. A sister of Vienna and Prague.Sold in 1941 to the Ministry of War Transport and converted to a troopship. In 1944, she struck a mine and sank off Normandy, France.
R.M.S. Antwerp
Launched : 1920
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,957
Launched : 1920
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,957
- Built for the Great Eastern Railway. Acquired by LNER in 1923 and operated on the Harwich - Antwerp service. The vessel was returned to the LNER in 1945 and fitted out as a troopship. Passed to British Railways in 1948 and served until scrapped in 1951 carrying troops between Harwich and Hook of Holland.
R.M.S. Archangel
Launched : 1910
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,570
Built as St. Petersburg for the Great Eastern Railway. Renamed Archangel in 1916 and acquired by LNER in 1923. Bombed and sunk on 16 May 1941 off the East coast of Scotland.
Launched : 1910
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,570
Built as St. Petersburg for the Great Eastern Railway. Renamed Archangel in 1916 and acquired by LNER in 1923. Bombed and sunk on 16 May 1941 off the East coast of Scotland.
S.S. Arnhem
Launched : 1947
Tonnage (GRT) : 4,981
Launched : 1947
Tonnage (GRT) : 4,981
- Built by John Brown and Company at Clydebank for use on the Harwich – Hook of Holland route. She was the company's first oil burner. Passed to British Railways in 1948 and served on the Hook of Holland route with her near sister Amsterdam [of 1950] until withdrawn in April 1968. Attempts to sell the vessel failed and she was scrapped in 1969.
S.S. Bruges
Launched : 1920
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,948
Built for the Great Eastern Railway for service on the Harwich – Antwerp route.A sister of Antwerp and Malines. Acquired by LNER in 1923. Whilst operating as a cross channel troopship based in Southampton, she was bombed and sunk on 11 June 1940 off Le Havre, Seine Maritime, France.
Launched : 1920
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,948
Built for the Great Eastern Railway for service on the Harwich – Antwerp route.A sister of Antwerp and Malines. Acquired by LNER in 1923. Whilst operating as a cross channel troopship based in Southampton, she was bombed and sunk on 11 June 1940 off Le Havre, Seine Maritime, France.
S.S. Malines
Launched : 1921
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,969
Built for the Great Eastern Railway by Armstrong Whitworth at Newcastle, for service on the Harwich – Antwerp route. Acquired by LNER in 1923 but was torpedoed and sunk off Port Said in 1942. Having been raised and towed back in 1945 to her builders, the level of engine damage led to her being laid up and she was eventually scrapped in 1948.
Launched : 1921
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,969
Built for the Great Eastern Railway by Armstrong Whitworth at Newcastle, for service on the Harwich – Antwerp route. Acquired by LNER in 1923 but was torpedoed and sunk off Port Said in 1942. Having been raised and towed back in 1945 to her builders, the level of engine damage led to her being laid up and she was eventually scrapped in 1948.
S.S. Prague
Launched : 1930
Tonnage (GRT) : 4,220
Launched : 1930
Tonnage (GRT) : 4,220
- Built by John Brown and Company at Clydebank, a sister of Vienna and Amsterdam, for use on the Harwich – Hook of Holland route.Sold in 1941 to the Ministry of War Transport and converted to a troopship. Returned to LNER in 1945 and re-opened the Hook of Holland service but in a spartan condition and without her running mates; the Amsterdam was a war loss and the Vienna retained as a troopship by the Ministry of War Transport.
- Upon arrival of the new-built Arnhem in 1947, she was sent for an overdue refurbishment but was gutted by fire and sank whilst at the shipyard. She was raised and towed to Barrow in September 1947 where she was broken up.
S.S. Roulers
Launched : 1894
Tonnage (GRT) : 1,753
Launched : 1894
Tonnage (GRT) : 1,753
- Built by Earle's Shipbuilding in Hull as "Vienna" for the Great Eastern Railway and entered service with her sisters Amsterdam and Berlin on the Harwich - Hook of Holland route.
- Renamed Roulers in 1920. Acquired by LNER in 1923 and served on the Harwich–Zeebrugge route until withdrawn and scrapped in 1930.
R.M.S. St Denis
Launched : 1908
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,570
Launched : 1908
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,570
- Built by John Brown and Company at Clydebank as "Munich" for the Great Eastern Railway for service on the Harwich – Hook of Holland route. Requisitioned in the First World War for use as a hospital ship and renamed St Denis.
- Acquired by LNER in 1923 and continued to serve the Hook of Holland route until 1932 when she was relegated to summer secondary services by new buildings on the Hook route.
- She was employed in evacuation duties at Amsterdam in 1940 when she became trapped and was scuttled. Salvaged by the Germans and served until scrapped in 1950, having been renamed twice as Skorpion and Barbara in the interim.
S.S. St George
Launched : 1906
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,456
Built for the Fishguard & Rosslare Railways & Harbours Board for their Irish Sea service. Sold in 1913 to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, London for service in the Bay of Fundy. Returned to the U.K. in 1915 as a hospital carrier until 1918.
Launched : 1906
Tonnage (GRT) : 2,456
Built for the Fishguard & Rosslare Railways & Harbours Board for their Irish Sea service. Sold in 1913 to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, London for service in the Bay of Fundy. Returned to the U.K. in 1915 as a hospital carrier until 1918.
- Purchased by the GER in 1919.
- Broken up at Blyth Q4/1929
R.M.S. Vienna
Launched : 1929
Tonnage (GRT) : 4,227
Launched : 1929
Tonnage (GRT) : 4,227
- Built by John Brown and Company at Clydebank for the Harwich – Hook of Holland route, the first of three sister vessels. In 1932 she had modifications carried out including an extension to her promenade deck and inaugurated a programme of short summer cruises to the near continent which were to become very successful and which continued until 1939. In this pre-war period she was considered the pride of the Harwich fleet.
- Sold in 1941 to the Ministry of War Transport and converted to a troopship.
- Post-war the vessel operated under LNER/BR management as a leave ship for the British Army of the Rhine with services from Harwich - Hook of Holland and Tilbury – Ostend. She was based at Harwich in that period where she suffered an engine room explosion in February 1952 which killed two crew members.
- She was withdrawn from service in June 1960 and scrapped later that year in Belgium.