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What a lovely day was had but a very early start.
Leaving the house at 5:45 it gave me enough time to walk to East Croydon. I had intended to to catch the 06:53 to Barnham to meet a mate there. It was a nice walk. I managed to get to East Croydon for 06:18 so I was able to catch the 06:23.
Bold = Haulage, Red = Winner, All others are sightings.
Whilst awaiting my train I managed to note down some 700s.
700135 on 9T03 Bedford to Brighton.
700150 on 9J08 Horsham to London Bridge.
700138 on 9T00 Brighton to Bedford.
I caught 1C03 Victoria to Bognor Regis/Portsmouth Harbour 377103, 377475.
Passing Purley 66749 was stabled in the Forster Yeoman sidings.
Horley revealed 700044 on 9R08 Gatwick Airport then at Gatwick 700138 left with 9T10 Brighton to Bedford. Three Bridges we never passed the depot but 700121 was on 9J12 Horsham to London Bridge. At Horsham my train divided but I also noted 700139 on 9J14 Horsham to London Bridge.
On arriving at Barham I was pleasantly surprised to see 150002 on 1S91 Portsmouth Harbour to Brighton in GWR livery (cop). I was going to hang around longer but my mate got off the Portsmouth train. Jumping on 1S06 Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour 377120. Off the train, along the platform and on to the Ferry.
After a lovely smooth crossing we headed to the train and caught 2D17 Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin 008 (cop). The Depot at Ryde had all of the Island Line stock out which meant cops of; 002, 004, 007, 009. How bumpy the Island line is, it felt like repeatedly having whiplash LOL. The line is operated by former London underground stock built in 1938.
At Shanklin we got off and waited for the next train as it stopped at Smallbrook Junction. Shanklin is the current terminus od the Island Line as it’s now known. Prior to the Marples' plan (aka The Beeching Report), that happened in 1960s, the line extended to Ventnor. My mate, Stu, showed me when the line went, now it’s a driveway to a holiday camp. The Island’s railways were decimated when the Axe fell.
The train back to Smallbrook Junction was 2U24 Shanklin to Ryde Pier Head 006.
At Smallbrook Junction we got our tickets, Stu is a member and has a free ticket and I used my Staff Priv card (BROS). In the platform was the 11:05 train with WD198 (Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0 ST) and a beautifully rake of coaches. The loco left on time and in a clear contradiction the line to Wooton was a comfortable and smooth ride. Network Rail need to put in some investment into the Island line.
Stu and I alighted at Wooton and began to wander down the platform and asked the young lad what time the train left back to our next location, Haven Street, and he gave us the time. As we headed to look for the route of the old line to Ventor the young lad called out that he had got it wrong and that it was about to depart so we jumped back on. On the dot of 11:36 WD198 departed with the next stop being Haven Street.
Haven Street is the hub of the line with visitors centre, shops, café, model railway and the line’s depot. We grabbed a meal which was both really nice and reasonably priced. Stabled around the depot were all of the lines stock:
41313 = LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T
41298 = LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T
235 = Andrew Barclay 4wD Shunter
24 = LSWR O2 Class 0-4-4T
38 = Barclay 0-6-0T
11 = LB&SCR A1 Class 0-6-0T
8 = LB&SCR A1 Class 0-6-0T
D2059 = British Rail Class 03 0-6-0DM
D2554 = British Rail Class 05 0-6-0DM
Back on the train at Haven Street and we caught WD198 to Smallbrook Junction then 008 back to Ryde and the train back to Croydon.
1J53 Portsmouth Harbour to Victoria 377425.
A lovely day out with a really nice mate. Stu knows a lot about the IOW railway’s history and should really write down his memories of the island’s railways.