The MV Cambridge Ferry was a notable train ferry built in 1963 by Hawthorn Leslie & Company in Hebburn, with yard number 754. She measured 403 feet (122.83 meters) in length, with a beam of 61 feet 4 inches (18.69 meters) and a draught of 12 feet 1 inch (3.68 meters). As a 3,294 GRT vessel, she was designed to carry both rail freight and passengers. Her propulsion system comprised two Mirrlees 4-stroke single-action diesel engines, each with seven cylinders measuring 15 inches (380 mm) stroke by 20 inches (510 mm) bore, collectively rated at 3,720 horsepower (2,770 kW). These engines powered twin screw propellers, enabling her to reach a speed of 13.5 knots (25 km/h). She was equipped with innovative features for her time, including the Flume stabilisation system and controllable pitch propellers, both firsts within the British Railways fleet. The vessel’s dimensions and design allowed her to carry 38 railway wagons or 200 motor cars, along with up to 100 passengers. She was launched on November 1, 1963, and completed by December of the same year, registering under the UK Official Number 305493 with the call sign GMOB, and her home port was Harwich. Her maiden voyage took place on January 2, 1964, from Harwich to Zeebrugge, Belgium. Throughout her service life, Cambridge Ferry operated on various routes, including Harwich to Zeebrugge, Dublin, and the Irish Sea routes between Stranraer and Larne, as well as Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire. She was extended in 1977 to increase her car-carrying capacity and was later registered to Sealink in 1978. Notably, she was involved in transporting vehicles for the film "A Bridge Too Far" in 1976. Her service was interrupted by a collision with Saint Eloi in 1987 off Dover, causing significant damage and repairs. She was later transferred to ownership of Stena Line in 1990, serving various routes until her withdrawal in 1992. Subsequently, she was sold to Malta, renamed Ita Uno, then Sirio, and reflagged to Panama before being scrapped in Turkey in 2003. Her long operational history and technological innovations mark her as a significant vessel in British and European ferry services of her era.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.