Isle of Wight Steam Railway Diesel gala 2017

Many a true word ...!

 

Could you imagine Mr Hitch's reaction if a Deltic did cross the Solent? I'd have to attend that one!

 

I'll chip in to send an RMB as support coach.

So naughty.

 

It is ok because if BR had decided to dieselise the lines on the Island rather than electrify then they would have used Deltics

 

Shows the limitations of some peoples knowledge. Unlikely to fit.

PH

 

It certainly wouldn't fit in Wootton headshunt. From a personnel point of view I do wish that the headshunt was longer, their are a few air fitted locos both steam and diesel that would then be possible gala visitors.

 

Shows the limit of some peoples' senses of humour. Unlikely to get the joke.

 

Start digging Gary, on a serious note though, can the head shunt be made any longer by digging out the bank and having a retaining wall ? but of course then you might get an outbreak of large chuffer itus (by IOW standards)

 

The soil here is blue lias clay which is a notorious source of problems. A few civil engineering restrictions do help to ensure railways keep some sense of proportion in what they operate on an everyday basis!

PH

 

At the cost of operating flexibility? for instance lets say your loco dept. are testing a repaired loco, and decide to pilot a service train with it, at Wotton, you have to split each engine and recouple in the loop, that adds time, if the head shunt could take two engines, you wouldn't need to split them,

 

Hardly an everyday requirement. Can be done quite readily in the other direction.

PH

 

There is a very simple solution. Top and tail the train with a class 40 at the other end. Or if we want to go more modern image, why not a nice class 66.

Maybe gbrf will name a 66 after the line and you can do the honours of unveiling it at Havenstreet. Then in your honour a special run through to Ryde.

I’m thinking that you could have a special gala devoted to all the different types of br catering vehicles.

In the name of authenticity it should be at least a 12 coach train - this would have the added advantage that you could get in the rear carriage at Smallbrook walk through to the front and get off at Wotten all without the train having to leave the station.

A deltic with a nice rake of mk1s or mk2s in nse or virgin liveries powering through Havenstreet, what more could you ask for.

 

Having been involved in building the headshunt at Wootton, I can say with certainty that the soil conditions were interesting. With modern plant and an appropriate budget extending the headshunt would be feasible although it might be easier to move the points again and further extend the platform to compensate.
In my personal view the additional operating flexibility would be worth the effort but there are always many competing bids for capital money!

 

We'll send a Hall over for gauging first, once that's had a run anything else should fit rather comfortably.

 

No actually you missed the point by quoting garbage that Mid Hants had not had a 73 named after it.

 

Just put both engines on full power. You won't need to worry about Ryde tunnel any more, it'll be blown away!

 

do you want a biscuit?

You’re still missing the point, but nevermind. You knew that there was a 73 named after the mid hants. Well done you!

Ryde Cutting has a nice ring to it.

 

In that case, it's just as well I won't be mentioning my "cut'n''shut" idea for a few MKIII's with doors altered to open inwards and a couple of sawn-off HST power cars, with the whole kit'n'kaboodle finished in Nanking Blue with white window surrounds ..... D'oh!!!

 

As I live virtually above Ryde ' tunnel ' I could end up homeless

 

this poses a problem. We could always use the tunnel at ventnor, sort of like batman’s Batcave to rehouse you. Or maintaining an iow tradition, grounding the body of a carriage or wagon in the middle of field somewhere for you, container living is quite popular and in shoreditch they’ve converted some tube stock to offices, so as the 1938 stock is about to go, we can use one of them. You might end up with a load of hipsters knocking on the door all the time though.