Ferry Photographs - Ferry Postcards


Page 1: Calais/Boulogne/Dunkerque Services


Compagnie de Chemins de Fer du Nord (Nord: 1898-1920)
Société Anonymé de Gerance et d'Armement (SAGA: 1920-1951)
Société Nationale de Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF: 1951-1990)
Société Nouvelle d'Armement Transmanche (SNAT)
Société Propietaire des Navaires (SPN: 1990-1996)


This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the eastern channel ferries of the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF). Ships on this page are listed below, and there is a table of individual ship histories.

English Channel services from Dover and Folkestone to France have largely been operated by UK ferries (unlike services to Belgium). However, the Compagnie de Chemins de Fer du Nord (Nord) introduced the two paddle steamers Le Nord and Le Pas de Calais in 1898. These passed to the Société Anonymé de Gerance et d'Armement (SAGA) in 1920, and two new turbines Côte D'Azur (1) and Côte D'Argent (1) were introduced in 1930 and 1932. Both were lost during the war, after being captured by the Germans in 1940.

Services passed to the Société Nationale de Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) in 1951, and two new ferries were introduced the same year, the passenger ferry Côte D'Azur (2) and the train ferry Saint-Germain. Two car ferries were built in 1958 and 1966, the Compiegne and Chantilly, which were replaced by two large multi-purpose ferries Côte D'Azur (3) and Champs Elysées in 1981/1984.

SNCF distanced themselves from the operation when ownership of vessels passed to the Société Nouvelle d'Armement Transmanche (SNAT) in 1989, and the operating company became the Société Propietaire des Navaires (SPN) in 1990. Operations passed to SeaFrance in 1996.


Ships on this Page:-
Le Nord (1898-1920)
Le Pas de Calais (1898-1923)
Côte D'Azur (1) (1931-1944)
Côte D'Argent (1931-1940)
Saint-Germain (1951-1988)
Côte D'Azur (2) (1951-1972)
Compiegne (1958-1981)
Chantilly (1966-1987)
Transcontainer 1 (1969-1986) Chartres (1974-1993)
Côte D'Argent (1977)
Ingénieur Jean Bertin (1977-1985)
Côte D'Azur (3) (1981-1997)
Champs Elysées (1984-1992)
Nord Pas-De-Calais (1987-1996)
Fiesta (1990-1996)

Associated Pages:-
SNCF Page 1: Calais Services - this page
SNCF Page 2: Dieppe Services
SeaFrance
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Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
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Table of Ship Histories
Name Other names Built Champs Elysées Champs Elysées, Stena Parisien, SeaFrance Manet 1984 Chantilly Olympia, Europa Link, Baltavia, El Salam 93 1966 Chartres Express Santorini 1974 Compiegne Ionian Glory, Queen Vergina, Freedom I, Katerina, Al Amirah 1958 Côte D'Azur (3) SeaFrance Renoir 1981 Fiesta Ariadne, Trapezitza, Channel Seaway, SeaFrance Cézanne 1980 Nord Pas-de-Calais SeaFrance Nord Pas-de-Calais 1987 SNCF Fleet History



Le Nord (1898-1920)






Le Pas de Calais (1898-1923)






Côte D'Azur (1) (1931-1944)

Postcard of Côte D'Azur (1) at Calais.




Postcard of Côte D'Azur (1) at Dover.







Côte D'Argent (1) (1931-1940)

Postcard of Côte D'Argent at Calais.







Saint-Germain (1951-1988)

Saint-Germain was built at Helsingør Skibs og Maskinbyggeri, Helsingør, Denmark, in 1951. She entered service in train ferry services between Dunkerque and Dover. She also operated Dunkerque-Harwich and Dover-Calais on occasions, including brief charter to Townsend. She was withdrawn in 1988 and scrapped in India.


Postcard of Saint-Germain at Dunkerque.




Postcard of Saint-Germain at Dunkerque.




Postcard of Saint-Germain at Dunkerque.




Postcard of Saint-Germain at Dover.




Postcard of Saint-Germain.







Côte D'Azur (2) (1951-1972)

Postcard of Côte D'Azur (2) at Folkestone.




Postcard of Côte D'Azur (2) at Folkestone.




Postcard of Côte D'Azur (2) at Boulogne.




Postcard of Côte D'Azur (2) at Folkestone.







Compiegne (1958-1981)

Compiegne was built at Chargeurs Reunis Loire-Normandie, Grand Quevilly, in 1958 as the first French Dover-Calais car ferry. Original registered owners were Société Anonym de Gérance et d'Armement (SAGA). Compiegne also spent brief periods on Boulogne-Dover and Dieppe-Newhaven. In 1981 she was sold to Strintzis Lines and renamed Ionian Glory for the service Brindisi-Korfu-Igoumenitsa-Patras. Ionian Glory was sold by Strintzis in 1989, and subsequently served as Queen Vergina, Freedom I, Katerina, Al Amirah and Al Ameerah. .

Complete history of Compiegne


Postcard of Compiegne at Calais.




Postcard of Compiegne at Calais.




Photograph of Compiegne at Dover.




Photograph of Compiegne at Dover.
Photo: © FotoFlite.




SNCF postcard of Compiegne at Calais.




Photograph of Compiegne.







Chantilly (1966-1987)

Chantilly was built at Dubigeon-Normandie S.A., Nantes, for SNCF in 1966. She primarily served Dover-Calais until 1987, with occasional relief work at Dieppe. Chantilly was sold in 1987 to Agapitos Brothers for a Chalkis-Rhodes-Kapathos service as the Olympia. In 1990 she was sent to the UK for rebuilding, and returned to service with GT-Link as Europa Link, serving between Gedser-Travemünde and Gedser-Rostock. In 1993 she was sold to Polish interests and was renamed Baltavia, intermittently working charters with Europa Linjen (successors to GT-Link) on services from Gedser. In 1996 Baltavia was sold to El Salam Shipping and renamed El Salam 93, entering the Red Sea pilgrim trade.

Complete history of Chantilly


Postcard of Chantilly (on delivery?).




Official SNCF postcard of Chantilly.




Official SNCF postcard of Chantilly.




Postcard of Chantilly at Calais.




Postcard of Chantilly at Calais.







Transcontainer 1 (1969-1986)

Photograph of Transcontainer 1 off Felixstowe in 1979.
Photo: © Ian Boyle




Photograph of Transcontainer 1 off Felixstowe in 1979.
Photo: © Ian Boyle






Chartres (1974-1993)

Chartres was delivered from Dubigeon-Normandie SA in 1974, initially as a freight ferry between Dover and Dunkerque. During the summer she ran as a car and passenger ferry between Dover and Calais/Boulogne, returning to the Dover-Dunkerque freight route during the winter. She covered for regular ship overhauls on the Newhaven-Dieppe route twice in 1975/76. In May 1982 Chartres moved to the Newhaven route, with occasional winter stints back at Dunkerque. In 1990, Chartres returned to eastern channel services from Dover/Folkestone to Calais/Boulogne, with new ALA (Angleterre-Lorraine-Alsace) colours.

Chartres was sold to Agapitos Lines in 1993 as Express Santorini. In 1999 she was sold to Minoan Flying Dolphins, for their Hellas Ferries brand, and in 2005 is used by Hellenic Seaways, all the while retaining the name Express Santorini.

There is a complete postcard history of this ship on this link.



Official SNCF postcard of Chartres.
Publisher: Editions Greff, Paris.
Purchased on board Newhaven-Dieppe, 2nd June 1982.




Postcard of Chartres at Calais.
Publisher: Editions Estel - 1679R.




Postcard of Chartres at Calais.
Publisher: Artaud - XR158.




A.Duncan photographic postcard of Chartres.







Côte D'Argent (2) (1977)

Côte D'Argent (2) was the first of two French hovercraft. She was burnt out and scrapped before entering service.






Ingénieur Jean Bertin
(SNCF: 1977-1985)

French postcard of Ingénieur Jean Bertin.




UK postcard of Ingénieur Jean Bertin at Dover.







Côte D'Azur (3)
(SNCF: 1981-90)
(SPN: 1990-96)

Côte D'Azur was built in 1981 for SNCF (French National Railways) by Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre, Le Havre. She entered service on 29th September between Calais-Dover, also serving on the Boulogne-Dover route shared with their Sealink partners. In 1990, ownership of Côte D'Azur was transferred to Société Propietaire des Navaires (SPN), in which Stena Line took a 49% interest (Stena having acquired the UK-owned Sealink operation). From 1996, SPN marketed their services as SeaFrance. Côte D'Azur was rebuilt in Le Havre in January 1996, returning to service as the SeaFrance Renoir. In 1999, Stena Line sold their 49% back to SPN. Following the delivery of SeaFrance Rodin, SeaFrance Renoir is classed as the spare ship, but operates extras during the summer (for example on Saturday 21st June 2003, she made one morning return trip to Dover).

There is a complete postcard history of this ship on this link.



SNCF official postcard of Côte D'Azur.
The first few cards show the initial colour scheme.




SNCF official postcard of Côte D'Azur.
Mage 20192.




SNCF official postcard of Côte D'Azur.
Mage 10.




SNCF official postcard of Côte D'Azur.
Mage 24.




SNCF official postcard of Côte D'Azur.
Artaud XR155.
Photo: P.Revel




Mage postcard GR116 of Côte D'Azur.




SPN official postcard of Côte D'Azur.
Raymon 7570.
Photo: © FotoFlite.




Simplon Postcards sp1031 of Côte D'Azur at Calais in October 1990.
Photo: © Mike Louagie




CT Postcards 053 of Côte D'Azur at Calais in April 25th 1992.
Photo: © Bert Pellegrom




CT Postcards 053 of Côte D'Azur at Calais in April 25th 1992.
Photo: © Mike Louagie







Champs Elysées
(SNCF: 1984-90)
(SPN: 1990-92)

Champs Elysées was built in 1984 by Chantiers Dubigeon S.A., Prairie-au-Duc, Nantes, for SNCF Calais-Dover services shared with their Sealink partners. She also operated between Boulogne-Dover. In 1990, ownership of Champs Elysées was transferred to Société Propietaire des Navaires (SPN), in which Stena Line took a 49% interest (Stena having acquired the UK-owned Sealink operation). Champs Elysées was transferred to the Newhaven-Dieppe service, which at that time was run by SPN. In 1992 Champs Elysées was chartered to Sealink Stena Line when they took over the Newhaven-Dieppe service, for which she was renamed Stena Parisien. In 1997 the charter was ended, and Stena Parisien entered service between Dover-Calais for SeaFrance as the SeaFrance Manet. In 1999, Stena Line sold their 49% back to SPN.

A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.



Photograph of Champs Elysées arriving Dover Western Docks in 1986.
Photo: © Ian Boyle.




Photograph of Champs Elysées arriving Dover Western Docks in 1986.
Photo: © Ian Boyle.




Photograph of Champs Elysées arriving Dover Western Docks in 1986.
Photo: © Ian Boyle.




Simplon Postcards issue sp1015 of Champs Elysées in SPN colours, leaving Newhaven.







Nord Pas-De-Calais
(SNCF: 1987-89)
(SNAT: 1989-96)

The SNCF train ferry Nord Pas-de-Calais was built in 1987 by Chantiers du Nord et de la Méditerranée, Dunkerque. The train ferry route was Dover (Western Docks)-Dunkerque, plus she also worked as a freight vehicle ferry between Dover-Calais. Nord Pas-de-Calais had limited accommodation for 80 passengers. In 1989, ownership was changed to Société Nouvelle d'Armement Transmanche (SNAT). In 1996 she was renamed SeaFrance Nord Pas-de-Calais, running for SeaFrance as a vehicle ferry between Dover-Calais.

A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.


Simplon Postcards sp1030 of Nord Pas-de-Calais at Calais in October 1990 (visiting during a strike at Dunkerque).
Photo: © Mike Louagie




Simplon Postcards sp1113 (issued August 1992) of Nord Pas-de-Calais.
Photo: © Mike Louagie







Fiesta
(SPN: 1990-1996)

Fiesta was built in 1980 by Kockums Varv Ab, Malmö, for Rederi Ab Nordö, Malmö. She was initially named Ariadne, and had two sisters Zenobia and Scandinavia. In 1981 she was sold to So Mejdunaroden Automobile Transport, Bourgas, Bulgaria (S.O.M.A.T) and renamed Trapezitza. She entered service with MedLink between Livorno-Iran-Iraq. In 1988 Trapezitza had a brief charter with DFDS, before being bought, along with sistership Tzarevetz, by Sealink (UK). Trapezitza was briefly renamed Fantasia (1) (which was eventually used on her sistership). In May 1989, she entered service between Dover-Calais as the freight ferry Channel Seaway. In October of the same year she was sent to Lloyds Werft, Bremerhaven, for rebuilding as a passenger ship, appearing as the Fiesta (2) in May 1990. She was registered to Société Propietaires des Navaires (SPN), in which a 49% interest was held by Stena Line AB. In 1996 she was renamed SeaFrance Cèzanne. Stena Line sold their interest in SPN in 1999.

A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.


Chantry Classics postcard of Fiesta (2).





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Name	Other names	Built
Champs Elysées	Champs Elysées, Stena Parisien, SeaFrance Manet	1984
Chantilly	Olympia, Europa Link, Baltavia, El Salam 93	1966
Chartres	Express Santorini	1974
Compiegne	Ionian Glory, Queen Vergina, Freedom I, Katerina, Al Amirah	1958
Côte D'Azur (3)	SeaFrance Renoir	1981
Fiesta	Ariadne, Trapezitza, Channel Seaway, SeaFrance Cézanne	1980
Nord Pas-de-Calais	SeaFrance Nord Pas-de-Calais	1987