European Railroad Discussion > Overseas for Christmas

The Isle of Wight is off the South Coast of England, reached by passenger and vehicle ferries from Portsmouth, Southampton and Lymington, taking under an hour for the crossing. Wight is a delightful place to go for a break, especially as it's heritage railway, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway was running 'mince pie specials' on the 26th and 27th.

They ran a two train service behind their War Department 0-6-0ST no.198 and ex-LMS Ivatt 2-6-2T no.41298. Neither of these engines are 'authentic' they never ran on the IoW in steam days, but the coaching stock they were pulling most definitely is. The four wheel set behind the 2-6-2T is a remarkable tribute to the restoration work of the IoWSR. Most had been pensioned off by the Southern Railway in the 1930s and sold to residents for use as sheds, animal houses etc. So here are three pictures taken on Boxing Day whilst we were out walking.

1: 198 approaching the Railway's HQ at Haven Street with the bogie set. Ex-London, Brighton and South Coast coaches moved to the island by the Southern Railway in the 1930s, which remained in service until the end of steam in 1966.

2: 41298 between Smallbrook Junction and Ashey on the second train of the day

3: 2343 is another ex-LBSCR carriage, from 1896 which arrived on the island in the 1920s, pensioned off in the early 1930s and sold to an islander who incorporated it into their home. It was donated to the railway and restored to service in 1997. On it's left is 6378 a London Chatham and Dover Railway car from 1886. It became a garden chalet in 1937, and was rescued by the railway in 1984, restoration was completed in 2009.

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Charming! Nobody does rail pres like the Brits! Thanks for the look.

Very, very nice.  I really wish I could have ridden over the whole network before the bulk of it was abandoned.
Gordon

Isle of Wight was one of the few Heritage railways my dad and I rode in our month in Great Britain almost ten years ago. We rode the Hovercraft from Portsmouth then the ex London tube stock to the station that the IofWSR connects with. After our ride we rode the buses around Isle of Wight. Great day out! 

Jim 

tq-07fan Wrote:
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> After our
> ride we rode the buses around Isle of Wight. Great
> day out! 
>
> Jim 

The Southern Vectis Omnibus Company, once owned by the Southern Railway (Vectis was the Roman name for Wight). It has a song about it

https://www.google.com/search?q=southern+vectis+bus+song&oq=south&aqs=chrome.4.69i57j69i61l3j35i39j46i39i175i199j0i131i433i512j46i131i433i512j0i131i433j46i131i433.3806j0j7&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#