Gloster
Established Member
I think that there is a subway at Sandown (I rarely go that far south) and there may not be enough clearance over it.Remind me again why they didn't lower the track?
I think that there is a subway at Sandown (I rarely go that far south) and there may not be enough clearance over it.Remind me again why they didn't lower the track?
That’s a highly likely reason then, especially given the range of height changes they were looking for. Might easily have needed a foot or more.I think that there is a subway at Sandown (I rarely go that far south) and there may not be enough clearance over it.
I would make a guess at two reasons: lighter track, including less ballast, in the past, and nobody thinking it particularly unusual if you had to climb up into the train....but surely the platforms once took mainline steam trains? ...or does the subway postdate the introduction of tube stock?
...but surely the platforms once took mainline steam trains? ...or does the subway postdate the introduction of tube stock?
Island trains being made up of retired ex-mainland stock is nothing new - in steam days, the rolling stock was from inter-war, Edwardian or Victorian days, and had foot-boards, as shown by the survivors on the steam line.I would make a guess at two reasons: lighter track, including less ballast, in the past, and nobody thinking it particularly unusual if you had to climb up into the train.
...but surely the platforms once took mainline steam trains? ...or does the subway postdate the introduction of tube stock?
That‘s how I understand it. Standard height for new construction on the wider network, (as seen in various planning drawings), is 915mm.b) SWR want level boarding/1.1m, so they need to be *higher* than most mainland platforms - pretty much just Crossrail and Heathrow have that height IIRC?
That‘s how I understand it. Standard height for new construction on the wider network, (as seen in various planning drawings), is 915mm.
Is it still rescheduled to open mid-May? Not long to go now!
August was also mentioned in the ‘commentary’ to the video on the Islandecho that showed 002 (?) being lifted onto the back of a truck at St Johns Road (it is #1,146 on the Class 484 to replace 483 on Islandline (or some similar title) thread). It is not entirely clear if this applies to reopening or just to all the 484 being in service.I read somewhere that it won't happen before August! I hope that's duff gen!!
More Dorman signals going up: https://www.facebook.com/groups/355569249197459/permalink/472019130885803/
I read somewhere that it won't happen before August! I hope that's duff gen!!
August was also mentioned in the ‘commentary’ to the video on the Islandecho that showed 002 (?) being lifted onto the back of a truck at St Johns Road (it is #1,146 on the Class 484 to replace 483 on Islandline (or some similar title) thread). It is not entirely clear if this applies to reopening or just to all the 484 being in service.
Is it still rescheduled to open mid-May? Not long to go now!
I read somewhere that it won't happen before August! I hope that's duff gen!!
There was some talk about traincrew going over to Eastleigh to do much of their training there.The crews have to be trained on the 484's, some of which potentially could be done on the mainland.
I do hope the maintenance staff have been using 484001 for training.
The signalling staff have to be trained on the changes.
Sadly I can not see the service resuming before mid-June.
484001 has not travelled the over the full line or even St Johns - Shanklin.
To be fair she did complete a number of trips to Shanklin late last year, though hardly the intensive test running we were expecting...
(Pedant alert)If anyone is interested there is a online technical presentation being done on the upgrade works. I don't think access is particularly restricted and it should be available as a recording afterwards:
Isle of Wight Railway – Island Line Upgrade Works, online
OSL Global are the Principle Contractor and are delivering a challenging upgrade of the Island Line under a JCT Design & Build contract.www.ice.org.uk
If anyone is interested there is a online technical presentation being done on the upgrade works. I don't think access is particularly restricted and it should be available as a recording afterwards:
Isle of Wight Railway – Island Line Upgrade Works, online
OSL Global are the Principle Contractor and are delivering a challenging upgrade of the Island Line under a JCT Design & Build contract.www.ice.org.uk
As an ICE member myself I would agree, but I think standards are slipping! Having had the experience of a graduate claiming that the company was racist by insisting that client reports were grammatically correct I am not totally surprised.(Pedant alert)
I would have hoped and expected that the ICE (of which I'm a member) would have been more careful about the difference between "principle" and "principal".
Hmm, fortunately I didn't come across that, but my view would be that it's racist to accept poor literacy from some racial groups but not others. In fact some of my non-indigenous graduates wrote better English than some of the locals. However I'm risking taking the thread too far away from the Isle of Wight now!As an ICE member myself I would agree, but I think standards are slipping! Having had the experience of a graduate claiming that the company was racist by insisting that client reports were grammatically correct I am not totally surprised.
Good progress now at the south end of the line.
Track and ballast has been removed at Shanklin:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/355569249197459/permalink/427021858718864/
https://www.facebook.com/ShanklinConservatives/posts/2729435750720412
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10159418553437755&set=p.10159418553437755&type=3
Lake is all but finished:
View attachment 89479View attachment 89480
The Up platform at Sandown appears to be approaching completion, using the same pre-fab system as Lake above the old surface:
View attachment 89483
Brading is now well underway, with ballast being laid for the southern turnout and new signalling equipment beginning to appear, while the Ryde end of the Down platform is being rebuilt.
View attachment 89481View attachment 89482
https://www.facebook.com/groups/355569249197459/permalink/426597782094605/
https://www.facebook.com/RCRIOW/posts/162741342278088
Hmm, fortunately I didn't come across that, but my view would be that it's racist to accept poor literacy from some racial groups but not others. In fact some of my non-indigenous graduates wrote better English than some of the locals. However I'm risking taking the thread too far away from the Isle of Wight now!
The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is operating again, but as it is not possible to get to Smallbrook by Islandline a bus service is in operation. This runs hourly during the steam railway’s operating periods from Esplanade to Havenstreet, which means they pass by the terminus of the railway at Wootton, although they do not appear to stop there. Those buses that I have seen so far seem to be the same as those on the normal rail replacement service: double-deckers carting a load of air round the countryside.
That would be great and perhaps something IWSR should look into longer - term, maybe they could offer a round-trip from Ryde using Island Line, the heritage trains and a heritage bus.shame they can't team up with the bus Museum to run a shuttle with vintage buses