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 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 simple headboard carrying the wording "Hook of Holland" at the top of the smokebox, but this was later changed to read "The Hook Continental", and 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 four engine crews were responsible for this duty. The B12 / "1500" class 4-6-0s were used exclusively and the train was allowed 82 minutes for the 68.9 miles for the down journey. A further new and more luxurious train set was introduced in 1936 with the same composition as the 1925 set and weighing 443 tons tare. Occasionally this was increased by an additional bogie and duties by this time had been taken over by the "Sandringham" or "B17" Gresley 4-6-0s, although their performance was never considered greatly superior to the earlier G.E.R 1500s especially after the latter had been fitted with larger boilers. The service ceased immediately at the outbreak of World War II, with the three ships on the Hook service being requisitioned for war service, and it only re-opened in November 1945 with three sailings per week.