The Island Line (Isle of Wight)

There are tunnel clearance issues at Ryde hence they need small stock. It's cheaper to use old LU stock, and it does the job already, so there you go. They actually have trainstops and tripcocks in use there!

Do they really use tripcocks on the IoW?

I understand the clearance issues came about beacuse the floor in Ryde Tunnel was raised to stop the flooding that was common in there - it had not been a problem for the steam trains but the third rail didn't like it.

I have also read that some stocks were deemed unsuitable because their traction equipoment is not fully enclosed, and would be damaged by the salt sea spray on Ryde Pier (remember the problems Voyagers, with their roof-mounted equipment) had on the sea wall at Dawlish?

Yes, Ryde tunnel had its trackbed raised to stop the flooding. The line has signals, but does NOT have AWS/TPWS so trainstops are fitted at certain locations!

Indeed, 67ts was refused for that reason, and the necessary mods to have that system fitted were not cost effective.

It was, and the cabs of the steam locos were cut down for this, and so to with coaching stock adapted too, in some way.

The other reason the 67TS were rejected, was because 43 years intensive service through the centre of London on one of the busiest lines has taken it's toll on those units.
As for the 73TS, I've heard that the 72TS will move as it is due for replacement sooner.

Yes, I'd agree, but would the 72s run in 3 or 2 car formation?

No island locos sent over in the SR era or after needed major modifications. The LSWR O2 class locomotives that ran the lines on the island underwent no modification apart from having thier coal bunkers enlarged in the late 1920s. The Brighton 'Terriers' also had thier bunkers enlarged. This was done purely for operational reasons to enable the locos to stay in traffic longer between visits to the sheds to coal up again. The Brighton E1 tanks had no modification at all for island use. The E4 that was sent over in 1949 needed the footsteps modified as they were out of gauge. It also had the chimney reduced in height. In reality it was a failure anyway and proved to be no better than the O2s already there. As far as I am aware no coaching stock sent over in the steam era needed any modification to fit.

BR Standard class 2MT 2-6-2T locomotives were proposed as replacements for the O2s in 1965 and one, 84015, made it to Eastleigh. However the plan to modify it to Island loading gauge was not carried out as the decision had been made to electrify. 84015 was cut up at Eastleigh a short while afterwards.

The reason tube trains were decided on was that the Island lines, having been built to a smaller loading gauge in the first place, had only seen elderly, pre-grouping, coaching stock. Modern coaches, even short underframe BR Mk 1 suburban stock, wouldn't fit under the bridges. Second-hand Standard stock would and would save enough money for the Ryde to Shanklin line to survive. Had this option not been pursued there was a real possibility that the Island would have lost all of its railways as that was what Beeching had originally planned.

What replaces the 1938 tube stock remains to be seen. The current plan is to keep it running until 2017! It will almost be a shame to see it finally go although I am sure it is well past saving now. The moral of the tale is get over there and enjoy it while you still can!

Whatever replaces it will be the first passenger carrying rolling stock to be used on the Island Railways that was built this side of the Second World War........ In 2011 that is a truly remarkable record!

Not forgetting that the current island stock has additional luggage accommodation, as has the '72 stock.

I used to drive the 72 stock on the Northern and then the Jubilee line in the early 80s and found them to be a fast train to drive.
The skill was stopping them in the wet, with the rheo brake making weird and wonderful noises as the wheels began to pick up and slide on the wet rails.
You needed to treat the brake very gently in the wet (same went for C stocks as well).
Some drivers would cut the dynamic brake out by putting the reverser key into reverse.
This would give you an ep only brake which was easier to control in the wet.
And before you ask yest there were instances of drivers forgetting to put the key back into forward. Happy days!

To confirm what Glyn says about the old loco hauled stock, and what Ben says above, to my knowledge none of the stock was modified for island use apart from fitting Westinghouse brakes and birdcages being removed. The 05/03s weren't cut down for island use either.

As far as I know there aren't any trip cocks or train stops in use on the island.

Rheo braked stock would indeed be fun in the wet, especially approaching somewhere like Smallbrook in the wet!

I had a quick trip on the 38 stock a few weeks ago and it seems to be in fine condition, a tribute to the staff at Ryde for doing a splendid job keeping it going. This must surely be the oldest stock in daily use in Europe by now.

As you may know, there's now 2 Ivatt tanks on the steam railway, one of which is under restoration for future use. The IWSR found the original Eastleigh drawings for the mods needed for Island use and these will be used for the rebuilds. I reckon the Ivatts are the most modern locos ever to be on the island!

I've always thought a trick was missed when the 83ts were withdrawn from the Jubilee - yes, I know there was a plan to use some on the Picc; but surely there would have been enough 83ts available?

Oh well, back to reality - 73ts would surely be the better option.

Looking even further forward, the 92ts will only be fit for the scrap man when it gets withdrawn, and as for the 95ts/96ts; I wonder what they'll be like come 2035/6 and time for withdrawal. By then 72ts/73ts will be 63/64 years old so if neither of those stocks work.........well it's the 09ts......and by then (2049) the 72ts/73ts will be well into their 70's!!

Ok, the 38ts is now 73 years young but I somehow suspect they were engineered to last whereas today's stuff really is only made to last 40 years and not a day longer.