Isle of Wight Steam Railway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Isle of Wight Steam Railway |
|
|---|---|
Southern Railway 0-6-0T Class A1X W11 'Newport' runs round the train at Wootton Station
|
|
| Locale | Isle of Wight |
| Terminus | Smallbrook Junction Wootton |
| Commercial operations | |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Isle of Wight Railway Co. Ltd. |
| Operated by | Isle of Wight Railway Co. Ltd. |
| Stations | 4 |
| Length | 5+1⁄2 miles (9 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preservation history | |
| 1971 | Opened |
| Headquarters | Havenstreet depot |
The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is a special old railway on the Isle of Wight. It runs for about 5.5 miles (9 km) through pretty countryside. You can ride from Smallbrook Junction to Wootton station. Along the way, it stops at Havenstreet, which is the main hub. Here you'll find the railway's offices and a place where they keep the trains. At Smallbrook Junction, you can even switch to the modern Island Line trains!
Contents
How the Railway Works
The railway is run by the Isle of Wight Railway Co. Ltd. Most of the people who work here are amazing volunteers! They help keep the old trains running.
You can usually ride the trains from June to September. They also run on some days in April, May, and October, and on public holidays. Many tourists love visiting the railway to see the old steam engines. They also enjoy the railway cafe!
Special Events
Every August Bank Holiday weekend, the railway holds a big event called the Island Steam Show. It's a fun festival with lots of steam power! You can see not just trains, but also traction engines (like steam tractors) and old steam fair equipment. There are also other cool attractions that change each year.
For big events like steam galas or "Day out with Thomas" days, they sometimes bring special engines from the mainland. These engines travel by boat to the island. Then they are carefully moved to Havenstreet to join the fun!
The Trains and Carriages
The railway has several amazing steam locomotives. They also have a few smaller diesel engines called shunters. Four of these diesel engines have a special history on the island.
To make the collection even better, they have found and fixed up many old carriages. Some of these carriages were built way back in 1864! The newest ones were made in 1924. They also have more than 45 old freight wagons. The oldest of these wagons dates back to around 1860.
In 2020, the railway got its first electric train! It's called British Rail Class 483 483007 and its nickname is "Jess Harper." This train came from the nearby Island Line. For now, it's on display. But in the future, it might be changed to run on batteries and even carry passengers again!
The Carriage Shed
At Havenstreet, there's a special building called the carriage shed. It's built to keep the railway's collection of old Victorian and Edwardian carriages safe. This way, they are protected from bad weather and damage.
The shed has four tracks inside. Each track can hold four large carriages. It's a very big building, about 75 by 25 meters! The railway worked hard to raise money for this shed. They even got a grant from the Heritage Lottery. Now the shed is open, and you can go inside to see the beautiful old carriages.
Railway History
The very first railway on the Isle of Wight opened in 1862. It connected the towns of Newport and Cowes. This line became the start of the Isle of Wight Central Railway. By 1890, the island had a large network of railway lines. However, most of these lines were not very well kept. They also didn't have many passengers or goods to carry. This was because the island was quite isolated and not very rich at the time.
Because of this, the island's railways often couldn't afford new trains or carriages. Instead, they used older equipment that was brought over from the mainland. Many of the trains and carriages you see at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway today are like this. They show what trains were like on the island in the early and mid-1900s. But they also show what trains were like on the mainland in the mid to late 1800s! This makes them very special and historically important. Some of the steam engines are even over 100 years old!
Closures and Preservation
The first railway lines on the island closed in 1952. Then, in 1966, more lines closed, including the one from Ryde to Newport and Cowes. The very last steam trains on the island ran on December 31, 1966.
But a small group of railway fans, called the Wight Locomotive Society, didn't want to see all the steam trains disappear. They raised money to save one of the last steam engines, W24 Calbourne. They also saved some carriages.
Then, in 1971, the Isle of Wight Railway Co. Ltd. was formed. They bought a short section of track, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, between Wootton and Havenstreet. From this small start, the railway slowly grew. In 1991, it reached Smallbrook Junction. A new station was built there. Now, passengers can easily switch between the steam railway and the Island Line trains.
Future Plans
People have sometimes talked about extending the line from Wootton towards Newport. However, it's probably not possible to restore the whole line. A road now sits where Newport station used to be. Also, houses have been built on other parts of the old line.
But there is still a section of the old trackbed from Wootton to the edge of Newport that is empty. This part could possibly be used in the future. Another idea is to extend the line from Smallbrook Junction to Ryde St John's Road station. This would use one of the two tracks that the Island Line already uses.
Did you know? Inside the grounds of Havenstreet railway station, there's also the Haven Falconry Bird of Prey Centre! You can see amazing birds of prey there.
Gallery
-
The railway's famous locomotive, British Railways 0-4-4T W24 'Calbourne', getting ready at Wootton.
-
Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST WD198 'Royal Engineer' turning around at Wootton.
-
British Railways 2-6-2T Class Ivatt Two No. 41298 at Wootton station.
-
A map showing the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
-
A diagram of Isle of Wight railways, showing old and new lines.
-
A 1914 map of railway lines around the Isle of Wight.
Images for kids
-
483007 at the IOWSR (Isle of Wight Steam Railway) train story area.
