The Isle of Wight

Class 483 two car EMU 006 is a former London Underground unit of 1938 vintage. It stands at Shanklin station, the southern limit of the Isle of Wight electric railway. It has arrived with the 0946 from Ryde Pier Head. 5/4/04

006 pauses at the small wooden halt at Lake on the outskirts of Shanklin with the 1053 from Shanklin back to Ryde Pier Head.

The other unit in traffic on this day is 002, here it runs into Sandown station with the 1115 from Shanklin. The station has double track as trains pass here, but not on this occasion.

After a fairly short wait 002 has reappeared after running to Ryde Pier Head and back. The train is 1142 from Ryde Pier Head. The ballast here is made up of shingle and pebbles from one of the island's beaches!

Turning round as 002 makes its station stop and it crosses 006 with 1153 from Shanklin.

Out in the countryside of sorts and 002 passes by Morton with an up service, 1213 from Shanklin.

006 pauses at Brading, once a busy junction station for the short 2 3/4 mile branch to Bembridge which closed on 21/9/1953. Only the up platform is in use now. The train is the 1253 from Shanklin.

On the east side of the station is the boarded up shell of Brading signalbox. Unit 002 hums away from the station with the 1313 Shanklin departure.

A long lens shot of 002 passing a former Southern Railway concrete PWay hut in Whitefield Woods with the 1342 off Ryde Pier Head. The uneveness of the track is shown up well. 5/4/2004.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway extended their metals to Smallbrook Junction in 1991. Originally there was a junction here but no station. Now there is a station but no junction. 0-6-0ST Hunslet Austerity 198 runs round its train as unit 007 passes on the "main line!" with 1042 from Ryde Pier to Shanklin. 7/4/2004

Just north of Smallbrook Junction the line becomes double track for the remainder of the distance to Ryde Pier Head. 002 forms an up working 1417 off Shanklin. 5/4/2004

The main station on the 8 1/4 mile line and the engineering base is at Ryde St John's. 006 pauses with 1508 from Ryde Pier Head. The buildings on the right are the maintenance sheds

Turning round and 006 departs Ryde St John's and passes the only working semaphore signal and its controlling signalbox, one of two surviving Evan O'Donnell 'boxes built in 1899 and moved here from Waterloo East in 1928. The signal will be placed at danger after the train has passed. When it is clear of the section, the signalman will pull the signal off for the next train which has not even passed the station going the other way!!!

The sun has made a brief appearance and shines on unit 007 which has been repainted into the red livery it wore when used on London Underground services.

On the next road over from 007 is 004. It, like 006 and 002, is decorated in dinosaurs in recognition of the island's fame as a major location for the survival of dinosaur remains.

Unit 001 has been withdrawn and stored here for many many years and is heavily graffitied and wearing Network SouthEast livery. 006 passes by with the 1535 from Shanklin

006 runs back to Shanklin, 1608 from Ryde Pier Head, and has emerged from the short Ryde Tunnel, out of sight to the left, and passes the fixed down distant.

The north end of the tunnel is much more accessable than the south end. 002 descends into the 391 yard long tunnel with 1648 from the Pier Head station. The line is below sea level at this point and the building in the cutting wall to the right contains a pump to remove water that seeps in. The tunnel dimensions was the deciding factor in what stock was available to replace the vintage steam hauled coaches.

Unit 006 makes its station stop at the third station in the town of Ryde, this is Ryde Esplanade. The train is 1635 from Shanklin. This station forms an interchange between the railway, the island's busses and the hovercraft service to Portsmouth.

Looking across the water to the pier and unit 002 clattering over the boards with the 1638 Pier Head departure.

On the pier now and 002 is back and heading "out to sea", 1717 from Shanklin. In the foreground are the supports and girders of the tramway system that ran the length of the pier and closed in 1969. 5/4/2004

This shot was taken two days later and unit 009 is in traffic and runs for dry land with the 1745 from Pier Head station. 7/4/2004

002 gets away from Pier Head, seen in the background, with yet another 20 minute run to Shanklin, 1745 off. People and cars have disembarked from one of the numerous ferries that call at the end of the pier. 5/4/2004

The end of the line and Pier Head station and 006 is afforded some form of protection from the elements. It will depart at 1808 back to Shanklin.

On time the small two car unit departs Pier Head for the run to Shanklin. It is due there at 1831 having stopped at 6 intermediate stations.