Bit off topic you know anything about boat train services from NI to London? My dad remembers getting a boat and train to London in the 1960's but details are limited. Were there sleeper services from Stranraer that connected with the ferry?
As
30907 mentioned, Sealink operated two ferry routes between NI & England/Scotland in the 1960s.
Both had connecting boat trains to/from London Euston.
The Larne/Stranraer route had "daytime" sailings, with the boat train connections running overnight and carrying sleeping cars in each direction.
The Belfast/Heysham route had overnight sailings (cabins available on the ship if you paid extra), with daytime train connections.
It was basically an overnight journey whichever route you took, the choice was whether you wanted to sleep on the ship or the train, and what time you needed to depart in the evening or arrive in the morning.
The Heysham route also had an additional daytime sailing in each direction on summer Saturdays.
The 1969 BR timetable shows the following times:-
1) Larne/Stranraer
1755 dep Belfast York Road (
train)
1850 dep Larne Harbour (
ship)
2105 arr Stranraer Harbour (
ship)
2225 dep Stranraer Harbour (
train with sleeper & seated accommodation)
0747 arr London Euston
2040 dep London Euston (
train with sleeper & seated accommodation)
0603 arr Stranraer Harbour (
train)
0700 dep Stranraer Harbour (
ship)
0915 arr Larne Harbour (
ship)
1030 arr Belfast York Road (
train)
2) Belfast/Heysham
2140 dep Belfast Donegall Quay (
ship)
0445 arr Heysham Harbour (
ship)
0550 dep Heysham (
train - "The Ulster Express" - conveys restaurant car)
1000 arr London Euston
1850 dep London Euston (
train - "The Ulster Express" - conveys restaurant car)
2251 arr Heysham (
train)
2340 dep Heysham Harbour (
ship)
0645 arr Belfast Donegall Quay (
ship)
As well as the London boat trains, Heysham sailings also had connecting trains from Manchester Victoria and Leeds (via the Little Northwestern).
The working timetables also show several relief trains to/from London & Birmingham operating on the busier days during summer.