Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Grey squirrels came over from America not Europe.

 

That's me corrected then! Here was me thinking another reason for Br**it. Next they'll be enforcing those pesky European plugs on us.

 

.... or, put another way, blew the lot a pie-in-the-sky delusional pipe dream of better times ahead, in tbe teeth of all evidence to the contrary, based on unsubstantiated rumours, thereby ending up with a perpetually skint operation, whose solitary new-bought piece of rolling stock was a motorised set of Chesterfield sofas*.

Actually, it's probably just as well the line didn't prosper. Could you imagine a Merchant Navy, down from Waterloo, backing 12 into the bay platform at Newport? Grey squirrels everywhere, I tell you!

* that's a rather harsh description of a certain Drewry product which I would actually love to see recreated.

 

Sorry - that will teach me to read which post is actually quoted as my first assumption was @30854's post was answering the one immediately before it until I wondered how motorised sofas came into Brexit.......!

Steven

 

I know one resident who would be fairly unimpressed...

 

yes a red squirrel , those pesky Americans, after my nuts, they are not aving them I tells yeh,
I wonder if there would have been a named train , an Solent Express from Waterloo calling at Woking Basingstoke, Southampton, Lymington, Yarmouth , Newport Sandown Shanklin and Ventor ( restaurant service through out )

 

Just got to ask ..... how would you describe it, Steven?
I think the top photo must've been taken before they inflated it ....

[Image credit: pretty bloomin' obvious!]

 

I think he'd have been even less happy if they'd managed to lift the weight restriction at Langstone Harbour...

 

Fantastic!

I just thought your description perfectly described something else! You know, B*****t!!!! (Except for the sofas, although I suspect JRM would find that carriage very much suits his style of reclining!)

Steven

 

Oh, I don't know - the line of thought that if the tunnel had been built, then that might have happened is a few steps beyond 'they thought about bringing Ivatt 2MTs across' but definitely in the same direction!

Steven

 

But where do you put the donkey?

Tom
(with apologies to WA Stanier)

 

Where do I send my donation to the replica build project?!

 

DFS!

 

Well, it's a development on the Class 33 that went over a year or so back

 

Think the adage, what happens on the island stays on the island is true.

Don't need a permanent link.

South Island customs should be respected

 

You might think that ..... I couldn't possibly comment.

The symbiotic relationship between driver, donkey and railcar was evidently developed from an early age .....

[Original credit unknown .... according to it's caption]

 

Perhaps the nearest the island will ever get to a Drewry is the existing D2059 shunter, which was put to work on the timetabled service last Wednesday after the failure of 41298 on the first train out of Smallbrook Junction. This being 'The Tourist' which was meant to run non-stop through Haven Street, but stopped for 41298 to be replaced by the Drewry shunter. The diesel ran for the rest of that day, and on Thursday the Terrier W11 took over her duties. With the O2 working both those days on the two train timetable, I got plenty of variety in my two day visit. On Thursday afternoon, I noticed an Austerity in steam, perhaps down to work the one train service on Friday.

The IoW Steam railway packs a good punch, with the excellent Train Story and museum/ shop facilities, plus refreshment facilities.

 

The Vectis bus network is brilliant, and frankly I see no point in paying the rather hefty fares that Wightlink levy for taking cars to the island. My friend and I left the car at Lymington, and got from Yarmouth to our hotel at Shanklin by double deck bus (splendid views) via Newport (change from 7 to 2) in about an hour of travelling time. Most buses run half hourly, and even better on the 9 route between Newport, and Ryde via Wootton station.

However, we chose to access the steam railway by electric train via Smallbrook Junction 'for old times sake'. The ride (no pun intended) on the electric train was very bouncy and not for those of a nervous disposition.

 

Agreed. I visited a few weeks ago with two under fives, and was very impressed how much there was to keep children amused.

Dressing up as a train driver to drive and fire the model Calbourne. Dressing up as a guard with flags to wave. A real semaphore signal to operate. Children’s playground. Falconry displays. Indoor play area near the second hand book stall. Model railway with Thomas on it.

They can get bored at other railways, but didn’t want to leave the IOWSR!

 

Thank you gentlemen for showing your understanding of what a modern visitor attraction has to attempt to do. This includes things to interest all ages and levels of interest. Having had an involvement in a revamp of the museum information panels, I do know that they cannot be too complicated for visitors who are on a package holiday and are being "taken around" to lots of places. However there has also been a distinguished international academic specialising in the Victorian period so things cannot be too basic. Simplifying without dumbing down is a bit of a challenge.