The aim of this article is to estimate the amount of work performed by coastal shipping in the period just before World War I and to compare its contribution with that of the railways and canals. Until recenüy, with honourable exceptions, the coastal trade in the railway era was either ignored or merited but scant coverage. The impression was given that the railways, like juggernaut's chariot, swept everything else away, rendering obsolete the coach, wagon, canal barge and coaster. By 1910 the railway network was virtually complete compared with, say, 1875, when many branch lines had yet to be constructed, or 1850, when only the basic network had been built, and it might be assumed that litde scope was left for the carriage of freight in coastal ships. Thus, the year 1910 should provide the least favourable case for the coaster and the most favourable for the railway in terms of total tonnage of goods carried. Passenger traffic will not be considered here; this is not to imply that coastal shipping did not carry people, but it seems indisputable that where coaster and railway competed, passengers preferred rail to sea travel. The main strength of the coastal passenger ship in 1910 was in services the railway could not provide in ferrying passengers to places like the Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Channel Isles and the Scottish islands. This article will confine itself to considering the use made of the various types of transport in providing cargo-carrying services.

One measure of freight traffic which might be used is tonnage carried. At first sight this seems the obvious criterion; it is commonly used for foreign trade or modern lorry traffic, and the capacity of railway wagons or canal barges seems crucial. However, a more informative and accurate measure of total cargo movement performed is ton-mileage, as this takes into account not merely the tonnage of goods moved but also the distance consignments were carried. The value of ton-mileage has long been recognized by railway managers and statisticians. Historians, too, have emphasized its importance, notably Hawke, who used it as the measure of total railway output, and Cain, who said that “[t]on miles…are the only reasonable measure of railway output.“ Different forms of transport may be better suited for different lengths of journey.