Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Damn .... forgot about that one! In my defence, it was only there until the SR sorted the lightweight PW. OK, so who's got a set of nameplates for it to wear for it's visit?

 

The problem was that the thread was jumping around so much, it got hard to understand what coaches you were on about, I see now that you were referring to the Beavertail observation coaches, I agree with you in as far as its good to see historic vehicles finally getting the TLC they deserve, I'm sorry if i caused any ill feeling, perhaps they might have been better in the historic carriages section? leaving this to IOW related matters? we all do tend to get a bit of thread migration from time to time,

 

I don't think you appreciate how lush Victorian First class could be. The two 1864 vehicles currently in service on the IOWSR are astonishing.

The most astonishing vehicle from the corridor era I have been in is the Bluebell's Maunsell droplight third . My sniffy attitude to Mk. 1s derives very largely from a comparison with the ''droplight''.

 

It's a beautiful vehicle, isn't it? So clean of line on the outside, and the Jazz upholstery really does give the interior that certain je ne sais quoi.

 

The IWSR (back in the 80s) was the first place I saw the same sort of loving attention lavished on carriage interiors as other lines did on their locos. It's great to note Haven Street now has some serious competition in this regard.

 

The IOWSR, for me, is on a very small list indeed of lines where the rolling stock interest and potential equals, or possibly even exceeds, the locomotives.

This is one of the reasons a published carriage strategy is so exciting, even for those of us who are merely visitors to the railway.

I won't indulge in "telling others how to spend their money", but if the railway even achieves half of what's in the document, then we have an incredibly rich future to look forward to...

Sent from my moto g(8) power using Tapatalk

 

What’s also impressive is that unlike some lines, which might have a vintage set for special or occasional use, on the IOWSR they are the normal day to day stock and you are guaranteed a ride on one.

 

Mind you, a Mk 1 is heaven on earth compared with the hideous interiors of some modern rolling stock. Try one of the Thameslink class 700s. Horrendous. Carriages may be more solidly constructed (and thus safer) and trains run at faster speeds now, but in terms of ambience, it has been downhill all the way since the 1930s.

 

be interesting to see what customers think getting off a new 484 onto an IOWSR train at Smallbrook, I wonder what the first comparison will be? i bet it will be, Theres no WiFi or charging points for my phone, before sitting down and going wow, these seats are really comfortable.

 

With the restoration of the first IWR stock to see public service for the first time in nearly a century, it's got to be one of very few places* the average age of the fleet has markedly increased.

*and a nod here to the IMR, where the gradual restoration of long stored stock makes the IoM the other place this applies. The FC Soller's very fine carriages are most certainly vintage, if nearly half a century younger than the IWR's surviving kit.

 

Only after solving the question of how to open the doors.

 

pressing the round rubber stop like crazy, Door won't open

 

Well, last year one visitor said to me (quite unprompted) that third class on the IOWSR was more comfortable than first on Network Rail! If she is right N. R. really need to get a grip.

 

In 1898 this was the porter's job. As well as dealing with ''semi-slam'' locks, opening droplights with leather straps is beyond most people's experience.

 

Which they most certainly are (and do!). Has anyone asked if the IWSR trains have WiFi yet?

I noted the comment in the IWSR document concerning the success of the modified GUV undergubbins on the 4w stock, which bodes very well for future restorations Can't wait to see a fully PP-operational 'Ventnor West' set and to experience not just those interiors, but the ride offered by the laminated wooden chassis on the superbly restored Oldbury(s).

 

the coaches don’t even have permanent lighting yet never mind WiFi

 

Pre grouping, IWCR 1st class passengers (so it is alleged) needed their own umbrellas when on board, so to continue established island traditions, for any evening services, I'll just have to bring my own candlestick then!

 

Of course when the 4-wheelers are running, you'll be able to get off a class 484, cross the platform, and board set 484...

 

Point of order, NR are more likely to take a grip of IoWSR than passenger accommodation on the national network.

 

I'm curious as to what people's attitudes would be to heritage lines providing WiFi? It could probably be done without being visually noticeable, the way LED lighting is now becoming common. (I'm going to pass over the point that for most people, one doesn't get on a vintage train to bury one's nose in an electronic device, rather than partaking of the views outside; let's assume that it's intended for occasional casual use, like someone using a mobile phone there. Let's also pass over the question of 'would it make economic sense'.) Would this be OK as 'something contemporary customers expect' (the way food on trains generally now has to be a step up from what BR provided in the 1950s), or 'too big a step'? I can see both sides of that...

Noel