Isle of Wight Steam Railway

A G6 pour nos jours might need a bit of work - they only had a handbrake and Vacuum ejector. I bet shunting Nine Elms Goods was great fun!
Pat

 

If you've not yet planned your Easter weekend, here's a great reason to include a visit to the Isle of Wight...

Two of our original Island locomotives will be in steam and heading all of our trains over the four days of the Easter weekend. O2 Class W24 Calbourne will be hauling our Edwardian bogie carriages, with 'Terrier' W11 Newport in charge of our Victorian 4-wheeled set. This weekend is a great opportunity to see these two historic icons in action together!

For more details visit the IWSR website. If your travelling via Portsmouth Harbour and Island Line to Smallbrook Junction there's a guide to Island Line connections here.

 

All carriage stock in service dates between 1864 and 1924 whilst the rostered motive power is dated 1878 and 1891. That really is ''heritage''.

 

I took up your suggestion on Saturday and had a thoroughly enjoyable day. Great to have a run behind Calbourne. Perfect weather for photography too - wall-to-wall sunshine but cool enough for decent exhausts. Friendly volunteers, pleasant scenery, appropriate locos and carriages. What more could one want?

 

A big chuffer...? LL*runs*

 

Such blasphemy will not be tolerated on this thread sir, was your mouth with soap!

 

One which despite being in power classification OP has no difficulty with five bogies up 1 in 68/70.

 

Doing what the IOWSR is good at, recreating an image of the past.
The last working of the day Thursday last week, departing Wootton.

Cheers, Neil

 

Any chance of the original pic pls? That's me in the cab...

 

Hoping to ask anyone here in the know for help and advice if that's okay fellas.

After a long time talking about doing so, I'll finally be making the trip down south (from all the way from North East Lincolnshire) to the IoWSR, to experience it for myself. So happens too that the date I'll be going will be for the Spring Gala too on the 15th May.

Being my first time going though, I'm hoping someone might be able help me here with a few questions I got.

1. Should I book ahead for my tickets? Thinking of getting an one day rover ticket.

2. I'll be coming by car, so figure it's recommended to go to Havenstreet. Is the parking ample enough for me to find a space or should I expect it to be a bit tricky possibly?

3. If Terrier 'Newport' isn't running during that gala, will I find it in the Train Story shed instead? Really hoping to see a Terrier in the flesh, especially one of the IoW example, as I can't recall seeing Boxhill at the NRM when I've visited before.

Oh and suppose as an extra question, besides riding up and down the line, what else would any of you recommend me checking out while I'm there and on the Isle of Wight in general. I'm taking my car across for the day, so hoping to make the most of it and check out as much of the island as I can.

 

2. Yes and Yes.

 

Havenstreet has substantial parking much of which has a tarmac surface. However, the roads leading to Havenstreet are narrow and twisting so don't be tempted to cram in too much travelling around Getting back to the ferry in time is a bit important! The bus museum at Ryde may appeal as somewhere not too far from the ferry terminal.

 

Thank you for the advice Paul, I'll be sure to give myself plenty of time to get back to the Ferry Terminal then.

It's an exciting yet nerve-wracking prospect for me I must admit, never traveled so far before, but I'm determined to see it through. Hopefully will have pics to post here, as well as my overall first impressions of the railway.

 

There's also the Lymington - Yarmouth crossing, which if you're not in any hurry adds some scenic potential on either side of the Solent to any drive .... although if the back of a caravan doesn't meet your notions of scenery, a slightly more circuitous route through the New Forest has something to commend it!

 

The Fishbourne route is closest though and doesn't require going through Newport

 

Fishbourne route does involve going through Portsmouth though! I believe there are still roadworks and speed limits on the M27, so leave plenty of time to get to the ferry on the mainland side too...

 

Must admit I find the Lymington route less stressful than the Portsmouth one if I am taking a car.

Tom

 

C'mon Paul, you're a commuter! I did say if you're not in a hurry and whilst negotiating the heaving metropolis of Newport in a car ain't my idea of fun either (ditto Cowes, Ryde & the Costa Geriatrica), a steady poodle around the minor roads of West Wight is a very different prospect.

 

Regards 3, will you see W11 Newport.....that's hard to say I'm afraid. It is usually put back into Train Story if it isn't running for a period, after the 8th May it is not booked out again until June so you have a fair chance someone will move it back round!

The booked locos for the Gala are 24, 198, 41298 and 41313 which hopefully tickle your fancy !

 

Okay thanks for the heads up, I'll be sure to keep that in mind as well.

Thanks for the info! And yeah I'll be pleased to see Calbourne at least, which arguably is the more important one for me to see, being the only one of it's kind left in existence, whereas of course plenty of Terriers to go around! Certainly I plan on seeing the Bluebell Railway as well, so should hopefully see Stepney.