Isle of Wight Steam Railway Loco updates

There's this one as well - or at least there was five years ago.



(Built by Siemens in 1913 I believe - only about 35 years after "Burgundy"!)

Tom

 

A Stroudley D is serious thread drift.

I did a trawl online this morning of pics of the Isle of Wight E1s, and can now add W1 and W2 to the list of E1s with W4 as having altered and increased balance weights, but the earliest photograph of this is 1948.

Bradley states the balancing was altered for W4 in October 1933, and the other 3 in 1935-36 (p.40). I can see no evidence of any external visual alteration to the balance weights until 1948 when we have evidence of much enlarged centre driving wheel balance weights, and additional 90 degree out of phase balance weights added to the leading and rear wheels.

Cheers,
Julian

 

SREMG list transfer dates as June 32 for Nos. W1-W3 and 12 months later for W4. Post-grouping, heavy goods traffic was most notable by it's absence (by the 1930s, largely comprising concrete Shide-Medina Wharf, loco coal and seasonal domestic coal, from Medina Wharf .... beyond being a convenient place to scrap stock, I'm not sure what Brading/St.Helens Harbour was being used for after 1923.

It therefore would seem heavy summer passenger turns featured prominently in SR thinking, as I can't see for the life of me why the most optimistic traffic manager would have thought a fourth 'heavy goods' loco would be needed .... and who (aside from the notably classicist Col.Stephens) by the grouping era named goods engines?

Is it known whether the rebalancing was done at Ryde, or by wheelsets removed to Eastleigh (I assume it wouldn't have been Brighton or Ashford)?

Incidentally, W1 & W2 were withdrawn not long after the demise of the Newport-Sandown line. As "The Tourist" working, with which the class were most associated, ended with the closure of the Freshwater line after the 1953 summer season, there must have been some traffic to keep them in service for a further three years. Is there anything in summer timetables about direct services between Cowes and Shanklin or Ventnor via the 'level route'?

W3 went in June '59, with W4 somehow holding on until Oct '60, though to judge by negative comments from putative saviours concerning it's condition, you have to wonder when it last actually ran.

 

I've just looked into Messrs. Cooper, Faulkner, Maycock & Silsbury's 'Locomotives of the Isle of Wight Railways.' (Which, incidentally, has some disobliging comments concerning the accuracy of Bradley, at least as far as the Island is concerned.) As a result of complaints about surging, Ryde works rebalanced the wheels, starting with W4 in October 1933 (to little effect, it appears).
Pat

 

I can confirm that the colliery chimney is still at Cranmore.

 

It is now 10 years since the agreement was made for the E1 to go to the Isle of Wight, and some substantial bequest to pay for it's rebuilding with a new boiler.

An update on any progress would be much appreciated.

 

I understand that the tendering process for the boiler construction is occuring at the moment - I think the outcome will probably be announced later this year.

 

I thought we had all agreed to call them 'heritage railways' now?

 

That is correct, after initial consultation with potential manufacturers it became clear that a design and a set of drawings were needed to define the required boiler. These have now been completed, hence the tendering process being active now.

In addition the loco above the running plate & the motion have been dismantled. A great deal of research has been done to ensure that all the visible fittings will match those used on Island E1s. Drawings, patterns and components are being located and some small components are being manufactured. A genuine Island E1 whistle, from W4 Ryde, was available earlier in the year but we were outbid at the auction so a replica will have to suffice.

The intention is to have the loco ready for its 150th.

 

So that will be March 2027.

 

Any updates?

 

0

The new boiler has been ordered from Israel Newton.

 

There is a Facebook group for the E1 overhaul which gets weekly updates from the project lead, this week was air brake castings

 

Could you please provide a link or PM me?

 

I had some trouble finding it too, but did track it down eventually. Link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/825982375307183

Really excited to see progress on this one, a really remarkable survivor and will look fantastic filling a historic gap on the island.

 

An agreement has been signed for 46447 to be overhauled again and remain at the ESR for another 10 years, following the expiry of its boiler ticket next year. Welcome but not unexpected news.