Chatham Steamers- The Paddle Steamers of the London Chatham & Dover Railway

The London Chatham & Dover Railway was the operator of the prestigious Dover to Calais service between 1864 and 1899. The outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853 saw the government sell their Dover to Calais service to local operators Jenkins & Churchward. The arrival of the London Chatham & Dover Railway in July 1861 eventually saw the commencement of railway ownership, which lasted until 1984. Victorian inventiveness saw the appearance of three vessels of unusual design which it was hoped would alleviate sea-sickness. As a railway company, the London Chatham & Dover Railway was frequently criticised for the poor quality of its rolling stock. In sharp contrast, its Marine Department rose to the highest levels of e?ciency and set the standard. With unrestricted access to the British Newspaper Archive, the author has unearthed much previously unpublished material so that, for the first time, the fascinating story of the ships and operations of this period can be fully explained.