On Sun, 28 Dec 2014 14:29:00 +0000, e27002 Aurora
wrote:

Thanks - it's more than fifty years since I've been there, but even
then I loved it because it was so old fashioned,

It seems so along ago now back last summer. However, for the first
time in nearly a quarter century I visited the Isle-of-Wight. Back
when my children, were children, we were frequent visitors. One year
we even vacationed there.

It was time to see how things had changed. So, June 8, my spouse and
I headed for our local station en-route to the Island. Time was when
our station was dirty heap with peeling green and cream paintwork and
minimal staff. Now it buzzes with life. It is well staffed with
helpful, nay, kind staff. Both platforms have refreshment rooms.
There are now elevators to the over bridge.

As we bought our tickets the guy behind the glass gave us tips and
hints for our day out. The new railway has a truly human face. Gone
are the jobsworths of yesteryear.

After a short ride we were at Portsmouth Harbour Station. Whilst it
is resplendent in Southwest Trains' colors, it does have an oddity.
Platform 2 is fenced off and no longer has an adjacent track. The
station is on a pier giving access to the IoW and Gosport Ferries.
Back in the days of the nationalized railway the structure was found
to be unsound. Rather than carry out the necessary repairs British
Rail simply took the track over the weak spot out of use. One
suspects that trains now terminate at Portsmouth and Southsea which
would otherwise have terminated at Portsmouth Harbour.

We had a wait for the ferry, but in due course we boarded a well
appointed catamaran. These are such an improvement of the rusting
hulks of yesteryear. The cats are considerably faster also.

We arrived at Ryde Pier and awaited our tube train. The reason for
posting this to two urban groups is for the tube interest. The Island
Line is something of an unofficial preservation line for London's
tubes. The old 1938 stock are the iconic tube train to some.

We enjoyed a pleasant tube ride to Smallbrook Junction where we
alighted into the perfect summer's day. The IoW Steam Railway's
platform although new, is a period piece, with its wooden boards and
Southern Railway Targets.

In ten minutes or so, into sight came a thing of great beauty: A train
of Southern Railway compartment stock hauled by A1X (Terrier) 0-6-0T
Number W8 'Freshwater". Time had slipped backwards and one enjoyed a
moment of sheer delight as birdsong was punctuated by the gentle
puffing of the Terrier.

Despite being modified for disabled use, our carriage perfectly evoked
the old Southern. The trim and seating was perfect as were the
reproduction Southern maps.

We took a look around Haven Street. The station is pleasant enough,
but losing some of its atmosphere as more and more buildings, and
facilities, are added. I guess on every preserved railway some
authenticity has to be sacrificed for the need of maintenance crews
and visitors. We spent some time touring the museum. The museum
helps recall the age when free men invested their capital and labor
and produced the marvellous Southern Railway system.

We watched a show of birds of prey and then proceeded to Wootton. ISTR
there was once a plan to turn locos there on a small turntable.
Clearly that never happened. There is merely a set of hand operated
points at Wootton's platform end now.

After watching the loco "run-around" we left the railway for a good
pub lunch. Afterwards we headed back to Ryde by bus. Sadly this last
steam train to Wootton runs rather too early.

At Ryde Esplanade to joined another preserved tube train to the Pier
head. At the Pier Station I noticed that the Sealink Signs, like the
Island Line's green totems, are in Gill Sans typeface. Oh joy, the
new, customer oriented providers, have room for color and artwork in
the corporate image. This is such a change from the back and white
"this is what you are getting" statist railway.

A day to remember. Photos on Google plus to those "added", at
http://tinyurl.com/mjwlmuk