Isle of Wight Steam Railway in 'finals' for Lottery Award...

I saw this on GSC and thought it worth mentioning here:

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is in the final 'public vote' stage for a 2010 Lottery award (the only heritage railway in the running)

If you wish to vote, go to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards and look for the Isle of Wight on the map. You don't need to register or give any email addresses - not sure if votes cast outside of the UK will be treated differently, but might be worth a go if you think you'd like to try. Deadline is 13th August apparently.

Voted and it took it ok for me in Spain.

Mike

A great railway which I hope prospers further.

I see they now fully own the 2 ex-army RCT/RE Hunslets 'Waggoner' and 'Royal Engineer' which I have observed in military service albeit stored in prsitine condition.

In fact I think I saw one of them actually in steam at Marchwood, Bicester or Bramley.....the memory fades....

If Martyn Witt (Via Estrecha) ever looks in he might be able to enlighten.

I remember seeing Waggoner at Marchwood in the seventies plus another whose name i dont recall/ the driver there went to Sth africa but i think now he drives on either the Bluebell or Watercress line

Mikey

Talking of the Watercress line, it looks like they could do with some money themselves, as the new shed that was only opened in February this year was partially destroyed by fire the other night, along with some coaches and a U-class tender (Southern Railway, not Austrian!)

http://www.watercressline.co.uk/News/Latest/View/211

Better news at Swanage, though, as the link between the Swanage Railway and the UK main line network is to be fully restored ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-10810290

The Swanage line has been physically connected for a while now but it was the cost of signallling and trackwork to enable regular services passenger services over the branch which was the stumbling block.
I'm very happy to see that has now been resolved.
Adams radial tank and push pull sets every hour...or was that Lyme Regis.....

There are a number of lines with future connections to Network Rail taking place. The Bluebell isn't that far off at East Grinstead after an enormous extension project.

And IMO they should restore the Mid Hants back to Winchester...The Meon Valley should be rebuilt, then relay a nice branch across Langstone with a train called 'Billy' and then all the lines on the Isle of Wight should be reopened with government money.....

The last time I drove or even tried to walk there about 15 years ago it was packed... in April !

Indeed, the track was never lifted, but rather fell in to disuse. When they have been able to run on it, it was with great caution and a speed limit of 15mph!

I seem to recall the other obstacle was the need to tread very carefully past the Wytch Farm Oil/Gas field (apparently the largest onshore gas/oil production facility in Western Europe)

I believe Adams Radials were used at Swanage as were the older Beattie Well Tanks, but latterly the push-pull sets would have been propelled by one of Mr Dugald Drummond's M7 locos - a preserved example of which does indeed appear there from time to time : http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/n-loco30053.htm

Adams Radials were also used on the Lyme - Axminster branch, almost to the exclusion of every other kind of motive power, owing to their ability to negotiate the very tight radius curves found there. In fact, those that were used on that branch worked it right up until its final closure thanks to Dr Beeching. One of the locos was (and I guess still is) preserved at the Bluebell Line: http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pics/adams_tank.html

Oh and if you ever stand for Parliament on those restoration issues, I personally will move to your constituency and vote for you! (that's not meant to be a political statement by the way)

....and I'll reopen the line to Gosport, the Selsey tramway and......all the canals as long as they don't take traffic away from the railways.

You'd have your work cut out reopening the Gosport branch mate! Every day I drive over where the railway lines cross the Newgate Lane, and for the past few months they have been tearing up the track and converting it to a bus corridor.

BTW did you know that the full title of the Selsey Tramway was 'The Hundred of Manhood and Selsey Tramway'. Try painting that down the side of a railbus!

Looks like our votes made a difference for once:

http://www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk/news/latest-news/200-prestigious-award-presented-to-iw-steam-railway-on-bbc-ones-the-national-lotterys-big-night-out.html

Excellent and thanks for bringing it to our attention in the first place.
Did the Scampington and Chipside get anything from the lottery grant?

Well it should do!

Carl Hibbs wrote:

Did the Scampington and Chipside get anything from the lottery grant?

Well it should do!

Too right mate! Certainly the Chipside Goods Shed is in need of some restorative effort.

From November 2005:


Nearly 5 years later, in July 2010: