Hook Continental

The Hook Continental was a passenger train running between London's Liverpool Street Station and Harwich Parkeston Quay where it connected with the night ferry sailing to the Hook of Holland in the Netherlands. It was introduced as a named express by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1927, and was part of the marketing strategy pushing the concept of almost seamless travel from London overnight to numerous European destinations utilising the company's own ships and the excellent rail connections from the Hook of Holland.

An express service had existed under Great Eastern Railway (GER) operation prior to the amalgamation of the railway companies, and the GER had in 1904 produced its first corridor train set of 13 coaches specifically for the service. This was also the first GER train to be steam heated throughout and Claud Hamilton 4-4-0 steam locomotives were equipped to supply it with steam.

The train initially carried a fairly simple headboard carrying the wording "Hook of Holland" at the top of the smokebox, but this later evolved into a more elegant "The Hook Continental" which carried both the British and Dutch flags either side of the definite article. This was also carried at the top of the smokebox. An example of the similar "Day Continental" headboard can be seen at the National Railway Museum.

In 1925 a new train set was placed in service composed of eleven bogie coaches and two Pullmans but it was considered a very difficult turn due to the weight of the train and the climbs to Bethnal Green and Brentwood, with speed restrictions through both Chelmsford and Colchester, followed by the severe restriction over the junction at Manningtree. The tare weight was 430 tons with a gross of up to 455 and it constituted the 'top link' at Parkeston shed where 4 engine crews were responsible for this duty and were considered masters of their work. The B12 / "1500" class 4-6-0's were used exclusively and the train was allowed 82 minutes for the 68.9 miles for the down journey.

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