Steaming back into Ryde?

i also think that martin1656's comments re paul hitchcock were not very nice. paul knows far more than many on here about the IW railways, and his comments are considered and based on realities and sound judgement and knowledge of the peculiarities of the IW.
his views ought to be respected.
cheers,
julian

 

Thanks for the sentiments!

Paul H.

 

Appreciated!

Paul H.

 

Hello,

I agree,
PH comments are thought provoking and refreshing.


Nick

 

Martin, sadly there are a number of people on here who had their sense of humour removed at birth and take posts deadly seriously. Don't let it worry you.

 

An interesting photo from a previous stock replacement proposal the unit is set up to mimic a 503 unit to test the fit in Ryde tunnel, from all accounts they would fit even then.

 

Gary, just out of interest, were the island 03's cut down to fit ryde tunnel ? i know nuclear fred was, but i can remember looking at the pair of them when both were on the island and i/m not sure if the NSE one had had its cab cut down

 

Yes, 03079 and 03179 both had the cabs cut down, but not to the same extent as the BP&GV ones. The roofs are lower and flatter on 79/179, and start immediately above the cabside windows, which remain full height.

 

thanks, i assume that the one used by the IOWSR, will if the railway does indeed get offered the chance to run to esplanade, will need to be cut down, as will the 2 ivatt tanks, does the drawings for this from the plan to ship standard 2 tanks to the island still excist , or has the works done to the tunnel raised the overall hight to a point where cutting down isnt needed?

 

Major work was done in Ryde tunnel a few years ago which means that no mods would need to be carried out, in the original post the following is stated "The IWSR's general manager is reported as supporting the return of steam to Esplanade 'in principle' but said getting to Ryde St John's Road was a more realistic aim." He would not be saying that if major mods were required.

 

I remember the 84xxx tanks stored at Bolton when the plans for sending them to the IoW fell through. One of them did move 'South' but IIRC the only mods required were to do with the conversion to air brakes. I think the RCTS volume had more details but I'm away from home at the moment so can't look it up. Ray.

 

The 1 in 50 gradient from the tunnel finishes even closer to the platform end than I recalled. Checked last Monday it goes right to the platform end which makes provision of a runround there even more unlikely. The curve here is another difficulty in finding stock to replacing the tube trains. There are no glib, easy solutions I am afraid.

PH

 

As you say, concentrate on getting to St Johns first, see if you can make it pay, then if the layout can be changed at esplanade, thats for the future
but im not sure a restart on a 1 in 50 light engine is going to be easy, especially on greasy rails. or having to run over part of the pier come to think of it

 

there was talk some years back of Wightlink cutting a channel to enaable the catamerans to berth right up in Ryde, so doing away with the pier, is that still an option for them? or is it another in the too expensive box?

 

As it seems to me, the problem is more around leaving a rake of vehicles on 1 in 50 detached from a locomotive whilst the latter runs round. Rather eyebrow raising!

I have known Esplanade station all my life but only in the last six months or so have I been a very regular visitor. It is extremely cramped, hemmed in by the pier and the steep rise from the tunnel, which lies below high water spring tide level. To make things worse it is on a sharp curve. I don't know whether there is room (I suspect not) to rebuild a straighter, more level platform away from the Island Line and thus allow the latter to continue to fulfil their function. The cost would be frightful although the loss of the present structure would not be an architectural tragedy. Although I can no way speak for the IOWSR I would be extraordinarily surprised if the latter would entertain anything which would prejudice Island Line's public transport remit.

What this amounts to is "Don't be greedy, gricers and develop some sense of reality". Steam trains may get back to St. John's, although opinions are divided as to whether this should be an aim or only entertained if Smallbrook becomes isolated.

PH

 

As much as it pains me, you are probally right, the island line isnt what it was back in 1966 when i saw my first 02, that was at pier head, and it sticks in my mind, lookng though the railings at this engine as it waited to un couple, i have been a visitor to the island for many years, from easter 1967, when i first saw the tube trains, and calbourne stuck at the back of the storage road i can remember the first trips to wooton with spitfire and 2 bogie coaches, and always took a trip to shanklin where we used to stay as a kid, its now a pizza place near the crab , back then Shanklin still had its loop and head shunt, and working boxes its now a pale shaddow of what it was

 

i have often wondered what engine it was, we caught the 0815 from Woking, a 4 cor unit, this was last saturday in August 1966, so we would have got to the island about 11.00-1130 i know because we couldnt get to the house before 3pm,and i raise hell because i wanted to get the train, and mum said, no we are getting the bus
we always took the last week August, first week September, for 5 years, same place.

 

Request for help -

Can anyone point me at somewhere (preferably online) where I can read the original IW County Press article that started this debate. (I've tried searching their website but it doesn't seem to be on there).

Also, have the IWSR issued any official response to the report?

Any help much appreciated

 

I do not think that the article appeared in the on line version of the paper even though it was a front page story. I imagine very little in the way of detail will be revealed until all the different avenues have been explored. Even though I work for the IOWSR I am not party to the discussions, I will just wait patiently until eventually an official announcement is made.