Isle of Wight Steam Railway

I come back to my point - in the modern world we don't need heritage railways for transport reasons, so modern laws of economics are not really relevant. As long as the collection can be maintained and viewed -and even occasionally used - isn't that enough justification, if people want to see and use it? I for one am opposed to false limits being applied by those who are not directly involved and are commenting on hypothetical grounds. Those who are involved will know what they believe they can cope with.

 

Getting the grounded bodies now and conserving them does give future generations the option of rebuilding them, leaving them to rot away doesn't.

 

Hard disagree. The basics of supply and demand will still apply, and require people and money. The assessment of that capacity and demand will, as always, lie with those running the organisation.

 

Even harder disagree! If supply exceeds capacity the stuff will be lost and we're all no worse off than we would have been if it were scrapped in the first place. On the other hand, if it can be saved until there is a place in the restoration queue then we are better off. The only real caveat is where there are numerous examples of a type preserved - e.g. class 08, 31, 37, 47 diesels, most types of BR Mk 1 coaches - even 45491 if it comes to it !

 

No indeed, and we don't actually need heritage railways at all, but we are all profoundly happy that they exist. I didn't make any point about the economics of heritage railways. I was struck by what @Alan Kebby said upthread about there being perhaps 50 grounded bodies on the island (and as he said they 'obviously' can't all be restored). My line of thought was 'what on earth would the IoWSR do with another 50 vehicles?', and whether or not it could, even over a long period of time absorb such a number.

 

Its true that the time is not that far off where any further grounded bodies will become surplus to requirements, unless of course they are historically very significant, and worthy of long-term conservation. We're probably at that stage where no further large scale heritage projects will be started, and those who are going down the route of having at least one set of veteran 4-wheelers will have already begun that odyssey.
We've been incredibly fortunate in this country for that early 20th century trend of repurposing redundant carriages, and that there has been a good supply of van underframes to adapt for them (is there any other country which did this?).
It's sad, but the universal truth is that we can't save everything.
I applaud the IoWSR for its single-minded pursuit of a "Train for all Periods". Its a gold standard which probably, only the Bluebell is matching.

 

Precisely. If capacity is stretched too thin, the risk is not just to the queue of unrestored vehicles but also the existing fleet.

That’s not about trying to run a heritage railway as if a modern high productivity railway, but about acknowledging constraints. And that, brutally, comes down to supply and demand. If demand is high, and supply limited, vehicles will attract greater values.

 

"unless of course they are historically very significant, and worthy of long-term conservation" which begs the question, Should we be trying to recreate the day to day railways of yesteryear with rolling stock that was widely used, or a museum of unique specimens that were rarely seen?

 

Very much the former. I was referring to items along similar lines to the Cowes and Newport carriages, which, of course were seen very much on a day to day basis in their time.

 

As far as possible, a bit of both! I feel agree that not everything can be saved but the IoW is a very special location in terms of what has survived and can still be rescued, and I applaud those who are trying to save what is feasible. When so many railways are dominated by Mk 1 carriages the non-enthusiast might be forgiven for thinking that early production examples were built to be used on the Stockton & Darlington immediately post-opening with Locomotion No. 1!

 

"Historically very significant" can also be equivalent to widely used. To take a Bluebell example, as the sole SER brake carriage known to have survived, I'd suggest that https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pic2/secr/ser_brake3rd.html is of very great historical importance - but it is also a completely prosaic sort of carriage for its era. You don't have to be a royal carriage or Directors' saloon to be considered historically very significant, magnificent though such vehicles are.

Tom

 

Heading towards the final leg home of a very enjoyable day at the Island Steam Show today. The railway and trains were very busy, so hopefully it proves very profitable for the railway.

198 Royal Engineer and 24 Calbourne were both in steam, both of which I have travelled on during both my previous visits (1998 for 198 and 2014 for W24) and Rose behind both today, the latter looks fantastic in Malachite Green and on the longer rake it was hauling.

I also enjoyed The Barn, having a pizza and couple of drinks in there towards the end of my time at the railway, which looks great with all the Island Railwayana on the walls, especially the original sign from Ventnor Station and had a very comfortable feeling about it. I also noticed the ice cream hatch at the restaurant still has some great Ice Cream from my last visit.

I'll post some pictures when I get a chance to, hopefully tomorrow evening.

 

How long ago was that visit? Will it still be within it's sell-by date?!!

 

Here's some pictures from yesterday as promised.

I would hope it's in date! I meant just good ice cream in general, especially with how the weather was yesterday.

 

Following on from the discussion of the IoWSR collecting additional coaches, I just wondered if, Terriers aside, there are any further steam locos in preservation which worked on the island and are yet to return there?

 

Not really, although there is a gap which could only be filled by a new-build, that being one of the Beyer-Peacock 2-4-0 tanks.
If WW2 hadn't intervened, "Ryde" would probably be with us now

 

Former Island Line class 03 03179 is returning to the island and moving to a new home at Haven Street.

Coming on an initial 10 year loan deal. Probably unique as the only item of stock not owned by the IOWSR?

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CYnvumVyC/

Iconic Loco coming home to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway

One of the Island’s most well-known Diesel locomotives from the post-steam era is set to return home after an absence of twenty-seven years and a full restoration.

❤️Class 03179 (also known as Clive) was built at British Rail’s Swindon works in 1962 and worked on the mainland until 1987 before being transferred to the Isle of Wight to haul engineering trains. She was uniquely painted into the now iconic Network SouthEast livery of red, white and blue and remained at work on the Island for ten years before being sold and leaving the Island in 1998.

The locomotive continued to earn its keep with private mainline operators until finally withdrawn and disposed of in 2016.

Over the last 8 years the locomotive has been fully restored to her Network SouthEast condition by Andy West, Dale West and Andy Ashton. And now after a partnership agreement 'Clive' will return to the Island’s rails for an initial 10 year period, resplendent in full Island era Network SouthEast livery - Thank you to the Friends of Network SouthEast for permission to use the livery.

Arriving in October and travelling across the Solent with our friends at Wightlink.

Read more about this exciting news here:
https://iwsteamrailway.co.uk/2025/09/iconic-isle-of-wight-loco-coming-home/

 

This is the latest in a long stream of impressive manoeuvres by the IOWSR, who are continuing to do a fantastic job in balancing running a professional commercial operation with a steady ticking off of the "enthusiast wish list".

To get another genuine Island engine back on the IOW, even in a supporting role (I realise Class 03's will never be the starring element of the railway's public offering) to me screams of a long term collections policy steadily being realised. Even if diesels are not your thing, there can't be many that deny that getting one of the two Ryde allocated machines back just "feels right". It's the sort of thing any working museum should be aspiring to do if possible.

I'm sure 03179 will be a lovely compliment to the Class 05, and being dual braked represents the more useful of the Ryde pair in comparison to vacuum only sister '079. Ever since 03179 entered preservation, I have harboured a desire to see it return to the island in Network SouthEast colours! It was another thing I thought very unlikely.

In addition to the Pier Tram Trailer, Ashey station and the Cowes & Newport pioneering coach body, the railway is really shaping up to be nailing it in terms of post-Covid achievements. Bravo.

Sent from my moto g85 5G using Tapatalk

 

NSE is an important and distinctive part of the Island's railway history, fantastic to have it properly represented - and a useful loco too.

Have both the Waterloo & City match trucks, which it spent so much time coupled to, left the island?