Charles Anthony Brindle
Managing Director, British Rail Hovercraft Ltd, 1965 - 1969.
Above: Charles Anthony Brindle (right) discusses the first SR-N4 route between Dover and Boulogne with (l-r) Captain H Brenna Lund, Captain J Syring and Captain P Barr.
With his naval and business background, Charles Anthony Brindle joined the Western Region in 1962 as part of Dr Beeching's experiment of bringing managers into the railways from industry.
Brindle was responsible for establishing the world's first passenger-carrying hovercraft service between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight in 1966.
Extract 1: Background to British Rail operating hovercraft. 2:29
Extract 2: Recruiting and training the people. 2:30
Above: Brindle (second left) takes delivery of Hovermarine's first craft, HM2-001.
Extract 3: Reactions of the established ferry operators. 2.05
Extract 4: Early days. 1:20
Extract 5: Amusing incidents. 2:15
Extract 6: The start of the Dover-to-Boulogne SR-N6 service. 2:18
Extract 7: The safety record of hovercraft. 2:31