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South Coast of England : Lymington - Yarmouth Ferry

The Southern Railway, on its establishment in 1923 after the grouping of regional railway companies into major conglomerates, obtained two ferry crossings to the Isle of Wight. Whilst the Portsmouth-Ryde crossing was primarily a passenger-only service with large paddler steamers employed to cross Spithead, the "quieter" crossing from Lymington in rural Dorset had been characterised by cargo and especially vehicular traffic. Towed cargo barges were an early feature of this crossing, making tugs equally prominent as passenger vessels, and the crossing was an early convert to drive-through motor ferries, including the pioneering British ferry MV Lymington, driven by Voith-Schneider propellor units introduced in 1938.

The railway company reverted to paddle propulsion, albeit backed by a diesel-electric unit, when the drive-through ferry DEPV Farringford was launched in 1947. The passenger paddler PS Freshwater was out of the fleet by 1960. Farringford's last run was on November 8th, 1973 after which she was transferred for further service on the Hull-New Holland ferry.
The service continues with drive-through motor vessels
Paddle steamer taken over after railway amalgamations of 1923

Lymington (1893-1929) Sold for use as a houseboat and later became a Sea Cadets training ship
Solent (1902-1948) Scrapped

New build by Southern Railway

 Freshwater (1927-1959)

 Farringford (1947-1974)  Diesel-electric Paddle Vessel 
Southern Railway  (Cross-Channel and Portsmouth-Ryde ferries)
South Coast