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.

In my day, up to January 1966, the IOW ferries were definitely NOT "rusting
hulks" but were a pleasant trip to and from Ryde Pier head where a couple O2
class 0-4-4Ts and period trains made up of pre-grouping coaching stock
would meet every ferry to take you onward to Ventnor or Cowes. If you
wanted just to get to Ryde, then the tramway was there to whisk you to the
landward end of the pier.

On the Pompey side, all the Harbour platforms were in use as was the outer
track where an ancient oil tank carrying the ferry fuel was usually stabled.
The tanker was marked "To operate between Portsmouth Harbour and Fratton
only" and look pre-grouping in age. Of course, the signalbox was also in
use, don't know if it still is these days. It was set at an angle as there
used to be a track crossing the harbour on a wooden trestle that used to
pass in front of the signalbox. The trestle was bombed during WWII and
never repaired, though the trestle bents were in situ through the 1960s.
At the Town station, all the platforms were in use, including the parcels
bays and up on the high level platforms, the branch to the dockyard, with
its small signalbox, was also in use. The branch to the dockyard required
down trains to use the Up line platform to access the dockyard branch.

Now they were happy days.


-- Cheers

Roger T.