Channel 4 Programme

I didn't get too a close a look at the gubbins dangling off that superb underframe. Are those wheelsets new or 'repurposed'? and ..... how was the the buffing gear, plus associated transverse suspension organised (I take it extant old drawings were the basis)?

I did flag up the possibility of 'a few questions' in my initial reaction t'other day!

 

The underframe is very close to the original, but with the advantage for modern stress calculations taken into account and duly modified. The buffing and drawbar arrangement is as per the original. The wheelsets had to be a compromise (cost considerations) so are wagon wheelsets.

 

That you have used Wagon wheelsets is an interesting move, as I can remember seeing several old wheel sets from broken up wagons in the grass at Havenstreet are the railway planning on using a similar set up for the next coach that gets done?
Also, are new air brake cylinders available off the shelf from the various manufacturers or are they not suitable for one pipe operation so where do you obtain replacement air brake cylinders for projects such as 4115 and 10? i'm assuming the PMV'S are already fitted with air brakes before transfer to the island.

 

Only the PMV's transferred to the Island during steam days were air fitted, all the rest of our PMVs are/were vacuum braked. We have fitted air brakes to six of the 4 wheel coaches and to bogie coach 2403. The remaining 4 wheeler used an Island PMV underframe so was already air braked. So far the majority of parts have come from stock. We made the air brake cylinder that is fitted to IWR 10 as the diameter and stroke were not available from our stock.

Many 4 wheel coaches that other railways have restored are on wagon underframes, I imagine further Oldburys will use wagon wheelsets.

 

Are the wagon wheel sets smaller diameter? (3’ rather than 3’6”?)

What were they when originally built?

Tom

 

Not a clue I'm afraid Tom. The wheelsets in question and the new drawbar/buffing springs and new side springs, one new axle guard in the background.

 

What has been said about the railways on the IOW on this and other threads is fascinating.

Can anyone recommend a good book on the subject?

 

There is a series by R.J. Maycock and R. Silsbury on each of the various companies plus volumnes on Ryde Pier and the Southern Railway years. These are published by Oakwood Press but, unfortunately, are increasingly hard to come by.

Paul H

 

I should imagine the wheelsets were from the pipe wagons mentioned in Roger Silsbury's stock book dated 1994?

Roger mentions these were acquired to provide underframes for the Oldbury carriages - of 1864 vintage. Obviously things have moved on somewhat, and I note that Mark Brinton's original drawings are dated 1997 - so 20 years on IWR No. 10 is now restored.

I last bumped into Mark when he turned up at Canton in the cabin used by the veteran band employed keeping the Rhymney Lines LHCS fleet in operable condition hauled by the 37s when they were also being used on many other services on the Valley Lines in South Wales during a hiatus after Arriva took over, with severe shortage of 142/143s and 150s. "I know you!" "Yes, I know you!"

Mark's drawings dated 1997 are in the Maycock and Silsbury book on the IWR, published by Oakwood. Interestingly, Mark shows a central 4 way group of chairs in the centre of the first class saloon of the 3 compartment 1st saloon and small 2nd compartments either side of the Oldbury carriages for the opening of the IWR.

I would like to think that the later 1882 IWR Oldbury carriage No.38 at Havenstreet might be the next Oldbury for restoration as this is the carriage that legend has it Queen Victoria traveled in. But I also appreciate that the 'flat pack' additional chassis would suit one of the other 1864 Oldbury carriages, and that quite a few have survived is quite remarkable.

I think you could charge quite a premium to travel in a carriage Queen Victoria allegedly travelled in! No other preserved railway could make such a claim!

The late Don Vincent spent many years researching 'all' of the old grounded carriage bodies he could find on the on the Isle of Wight by bus journeys and much walking. It is quite interesting that a number of ex- Isle of Wight carriages ended up on Hayling Island. There were probably a lot more never rescued or identified around Hayling Island and Selsey and the Witterings.

Cheers,

Julian

 

Should also have referred to "Isle of Wight Steam Passenger Rolling Stock" by R.J/ Maycock & M.J.E. Reed, also published by Oakwood.

PH

 

A couple of things.

Firstly, no-one is really sure which vehicle Queen Victoria travelled in and the 1882 Oldbury vehicles were slightly longer than the earlier ones. Thus it is unlikely No. 38 would be selected. The present Queen certainly has travelled in the Ventnor West set.

Secondly I believe (open to correction) that a derelict van (? L.N.E.R.) was acquired specifically for its wheels.

PH

 

The loco side, right back to the beginning, is covered by the RCTS volume "A Locomotive History of Railways on the Isle of Wight", D.L. Bradley, still fairly easy to get hold of second hand.

Tom

 

As Gary has said, no. 21 is the next Oldbury due in for restoration - with the under frame kit already in stock. It makes sense as the underframe has already been designed, but I’m sure it can be tweaked one day to suit the 1880s examples.

Regarding the lack of a brake coach. I know the IWR purchased a number of NLR coaches second hand. Several NLR brake coach bodies survive on the mainland. Are any of these of the same type used by the IWR? If so could one of these be used?

 

The rights to this work have been purchased by the IOWSR and a group currently is engaged in a revision,

PH

 

The LNE van was acquired to provide parts to enable us to resurrect one of the Island van bodies.

 

There is one thing which intrigues me. The culmination of the programmes is a train formed of all the vehicles restored. As the IOW is an air braked line and the others likely to be vac, the pullman could be dual, Will the IOW coach have to be tempoarily fitted with a blow through vac pipe. I noted that in the programme there was a blow through air pipe fitted with the restored coach sandwiched between braked vehicles.

 

Looking at the photos in Steam Railway and the footage on the show, it ran at Llangollen with a Toad brakevan, could it have run unbraked?

 

They said on the program that it didn’t have any brakes at all.

It’s having air brakes fitted now, but was unbraked when it ran at Llangollen.

 

duplicate post

 

Before it left Havenstreet it was fitted out with its through air brake pipe, although modified to have vacuum bags at each end. Other than that it was entirely unbraked.