Hayling Island Railway

I was looking at a 1966 issue of Railway Modeller and it had a list of places to visit during the summer. It was obviously quite a short list of preservation schemes given the year but one I hadn't heard of was at Hayling Island, has anyone got any information about it?

Thanks

Dave

 

It was one of several schemes around the same time that didn't get off the ground. IIRC one of the,now preserved,Terriers was earmarked for it. Not sure if it was the same one that was outside The Hayling Billy pub for a while.Ray.

 

The one outside the pub is now IOWSR No. 8 "Freshwater"

Paul H.

 

Thanks for the info, the other standrad gauge 'lines not open yet' in the list were: Dart Valley, Worth Valley, M&GN Sheringham, and Rother Valley Tenterden.

Dave

 

It is possible that the scheme referred to in that edition of the the Railway Modeller from 1966, and most likely to be the August edition. Was the one that planned to electrify the Line and use Trams. The local forum for Hayling Island often has bits about the line.
Billy Line after 1963 - Hayling Forum

 

There's some good footage of the Hayling line from 1963 on the Portsmouth News website at the moment - just mute the sound to get rid of the awful music!
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/nostalgia/memories-of-the-hayling-billy-1-5205262

 

Indeed, that was the scheme that was around at that time. An ex-Blackpool tram, intended for the scheme, sat in the yard at Havant for some time.

 

That tram was the only surviving Blackpool "Marton VAMBAC" and is now beautifully restored at the East Anglia Transport Museum in Carlton Colville. It was considered that the use of trams would remove the need to strengthen the rather tired railway bridge to the island.