Trivial:- Calais and Boulogne Maritime stations

[STEVIEBOY1]

As I started this thread I would to thank everybody for their contributions. I have been studying Cooks Continental timetable of 1973 and dreaming that I was travelling on those international expresses. It must have been a great experience to be able to get on a train at one of the Channel ports and not get off until you were in some foreign country. I only wish they still ran as now I could spare the time and afford to travel on some of those routes.
Getting on the Eurostar at ST P isn't the same.

Yes, it is interesting looking back, I have a BR International 1985, A Cooks 1974 and a French Chaix 1966. I like reading the footnotes, that showing all the through destinations and the named trains too.

 

[coupwotcoup]

Does anyone know of a link to the Thomas Cook European timetable from May 1988?

If one exists on line of course.

I can remember the map which included Calais - the town had four stations then
I think - Ville, Maritime, Hoverport and a small halt that was about to or had closed
down not far from Ville. I'm sure somebody can verify this.

My first venture took me from Newhaven-Dieppe-Rouen-Montpellier and a Talgo South
but until 1995, going via Dover/Folkestone - Calais was the only option, with the old lady
driving me down to Kent at silly o'clock for the 2am[ish] ferry then a yomp to Ville - no
buses/taxis at 5am.

Were the dedicated trains from Paris to Calais Hoverport not called Turbos?

I'm sure special tickets were needed as I couldn't use my 'France Vacances' pass.

#happydays

 

[Gloster]

The October 1987 edition shows a line from Maritime via Ville to Les Fontinettes, where the line divides towards Paris or Lille. At Les Fontinettes a line crosses the Lille line, running from the Paris direction eastwards via St Pierre towards Dunkerque. The Hoverport is shown to the east of Maritime, but no railway is shown and I can’t find any reference to one on the French Wikipedia. Although there was a Gare de Boulogne-Aéroglisseurs, I don’t think there was one at Calais.

Turbotrains (RTG) were used to Boulogne-Aéroglisseurs from around 1974 to closure in 1991. They were also used to Calais Ville for a few years until 1984.

EDIT: The 1987 map is the same one as posted by Cheshire Scot below. This includes the Ville-Hoverport bus.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Does anyone know of a link to the Thomas Cook European timetable from May 1988?

If one exists on line of course.

I can remember the map which included Calais - the town had four stations then
I think - Ville, Maritime, Hoverport and a small halt that was about to or had closed
down not far from Ville. I'm sure somebody can verify this.

My first venture took me from Newhaven-Dieppe-Rouen-Montpellier and a Talgo South
but until 1995, going via Dover/Folkestone - Calais was the only option, with the old lady
driving me down to Kent at silly o'clock for the 2am[ish] ferry then a yomp to Ville - no
buses/taxis at 5am.

Were the dedicated trains from Paris to Calais Hoverport not called Turbos?

I'm sure special tickets were needed as I couldn't use my 'France Vacances' pass.

#happydays

These maps are from the '74 Cooks.

As noted by Gloster, I don't recall a separate Hoverport station at Calais, Boulogne had one but it is shown as a bus link at Calais at least in '74.

I do recall trecking through Calais to Ville station off one of the through the night ferries several times, having caught a very late evening train down from London (and walked to Eastern Docks). I think the first train to Paris was around 05.50 or similar.

 

[Taunton]

This site has got a full November 89 (and others)

Timetable World – Historical transport timetables and maps

timetableworld.com

 

[30907]

These maps are from the '74 Cooks.

As noted by Gloster, I don't recall a separate Hoverport station at Calais, Boulogne had one but it is shown as a bus link at Calais at least in '74.

I do recall trecking through Calais to Ville station off one of the through the night ferries several times, having caught a very late evening train down from London (and walked to Eastern Docks). I think the first train to Paris was around 05.50 or similar.

There definitely wasn't a Hoverport station at Calais - it would have be3n very difficult to access by rail - only at Boulogne.

 

[coupwotcoup]

@ Gloster That kinda makes sense now. I'm getting my Calais and Boulogne mixed up.

So thinking back again, I would have caught a Turbo from GdN to Boulogne Hoverport then 33 minutes
later up the ramp at Folkestone then into town for a few light ales.

Just had a quick rummage through the old mind palace and I am sure the France Vacances pass did
cover the train to the Hoverport, because I can remember walking to GdN from GdL - train strike - with
two birds and they were going back to Blighty too but had to buy tickets and ended up missing the train,
or it could have been something I'd said and they were just avoiding me...

A lot of wine has been downed since then so the memory gets a touch hazy at times.

@ Taunton Cheers fellah, that's most helpful. Shall have a peruse later today.

@ CheshireScot That rings a bell...first train out from Calais Ville to Paris was around 6am.
Did that walk through the docks on numerous occasions up until the birth of E*, although one
time I hadn't taken into account a timetable change and ended up winging to Spain via Lille Flandres.
All part of the fun though.

@ ALL thanks for putting me straight on a few things.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

This thread brings back memories of my ticket fraud against SNCF.

For some reason I had been unable to purchase a ticket at Calais before I boarded the train and no on board ticket check had taken place as the train approached Amiens. I thought 'I can save myself a few francs here' and left the train at Amiens. After short walk in town I returned to the station and purchased a ticket from Amiens to Paris and took the next train south.

If there are any retired Gendarmes reading who are minded to grant absolution can I ask that two other crimes against SNCF be taken into account.
1. Whilst in a cabin on Senlac on the overnight crossing from Dieppe a nice towel with SNCF markings 'fell' into my bag. I still have it!
2. Another instance where something fell into my bag was travelling in a couchette which was not fully occupied. On getting home I found an unused SNCF branded sheet sleeping bag - long gone in a clearout some years ago.
EDIT: 3. Must not forget the Napoli to Boulogne Mme carriage board posted earlier in this thread

End of confession.

Perhaps others have similar tales to admit to?

 

[Taunton]

Perhaps others have similar tales to admit to?

In an unrefurbished (significant - see below) 4-CEP waiting to depart Charing Cross I broke a light bulb, having swung the overnight case up to the rack with huge aplomb and panache, in one great curving movement, in order to impress a girl. We were off to Paris (Dover Priory; shuttle bus; hovercraft; SNCF Turbotrain) for a long weekend, and things had somewhat got to me in advance ... it went off with a huge bang; fortunately we had walked right down to the front of the 12-car and were the first in. Kicked all the glass under the seat.

Mr Chris Green, you had recently started off Network SouthEast, if you send me an invoice I suppose I'll have to pay it. The 4-CEPs were later refurbished internally, including resiting all the lighting, which in all honesty had placed bare protruding bulbs too close to the racks. Whenever I went in one afterwards I always looked up and recollected.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

In an unrefurbished (significant - see below) 4-CEP waiting to depart Charing Cross I broke a light bulb, having swung the overnight case up to the rack with huge aplomb and panache, in one great curving movement, in order to impress a girl. We were off to Paris (Dover Priory; shuttle bus; hovercraft; SNCF Turbotrain) for a long weekend, and things had somewhat got to me in advance ... it went off with a huge bang; fortunately we had walked right down to the front of the 12-car and were the first in. Kicked all the glass under the seat.

Mr Chris Green, you had recently started off Network SouthEast, if you send me an invoice I suppose I'll have to pay it. The 4-CEPs were later refurbished internally, including resiting all the lighting, which in all honesty had placed bare protruding bulbs too close to the racks. Whenever I went in one afterwards I always looked up and recollected.

On a non railway matter I fully expected a motor insurance claim after I ended up in the middle of a roundabout having demolished the chevron sign on the way. In my defence it was very icy hence I was driving very cautiously approaching the roundabout where there was a lack of grit on the road and at less than walking pace the wheel did not respond and we just slid straight ahead. Suspecting there might be CCTV which would pick up the number plate I e-mailed the council to admit to the damage. Their initial response thanked me for reporting the damage and a later one confirmed the damage was now repaired and again thanked me for reporting it with no mention of my part in causing the damage.