A great pleasure to see you and this video again. Always something I look forward to. Hope you are well, and again, good to see you again! Cheers Ant! 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸
Super vid .... thanks so much. Lovely to see long lost 02s (and W24, which is thankfully still with us on the IWSR Smallbrook to Wootton line) For once, Richard Beeching can't be blamed for the fall of the island's lines. After the first raft of closures, starting with the Ventnor West - Merstone branch in 1952, the whole network was at risk, with only a 10 year moratorium on closures agreed in 1956, due to the state of the roads. Come the end of 1966 and more of a surprise wasn't just Ryde Shanklin not getting the chop, but being electrified. Many would say the Island's roads being upgraded remains to be addressed!!
FYI the remaining Island lines were scheduled to close in March 1964 when the notice of closure was served. BR did nit expect the backlash against closure.
Greetings from Poland You've just brought back some wonderful memories from 1958, 59 & 60. Holidays in Bembridge and numerous train journies during those times. Thanks so much
Very interesting video - thanks. It was a huge mistake to close the line from Shanklin to Ventnor. Unfortunately, it was just one of so many short-sighted decisions to close UK lines in the 1960s.
Not quite. BR knew that the bulk of passengers alighted at Shanklin as that was where the bulk of the Hotels, B&Bs, and Guest Houses were, from ticket receipts and purchases. Less than 20% went to Ventnor and even less in the winter months. Also to electrify down to Ventnor would cost £264k, as a 4th substation would be needed and its 33kV O/H line connection. The business case for its retention was a poor one.
Well researched historic pics lovely. Yesterday I was playing a tape I recorded out of the train window in early '60s from Ryde to Ventnor. At Wroxall a lady said quietly to her friend walking along the platform "I think I've got something falling down..." I wonder how old she is now he kid is probably coming up to retirement age!
A lovely video about a lovely place. You also have the happy knack of choosing appropriate music for your videos, something many RU-vidrs don't get quite right.
Can’t wait for the next one to Ventnor….The station was unusual as it had a small turntable at the end of the platform instead of points for the loco to runaround
Hi Ant, lovely seeing you again fab interesting video, Never been to Isle of White so thanks for the tour, BTW love your t shirt my son would love that! his sense of humour.❤😂😊
A Nice vid Ant, thank you for the effort, living in Wroxall and Drinking in Shanklin I can assure you that that walk can take nearly an Hour, Question have you walked up Manor Road to view the tunnel portal. Southern water use it to pipe drinking water and sewage to Sandown in separate pipes I should add !.
I'd love to be able to time travel back to when all these old lines were still working. The IOW railway lines have always fascinated me. Great video... but "Water pipe", really?🤔😂
Not to get off subject, I was halfway through the vid before I noticed your shirt. I thought at first it was a National Geographic Society shirt -- silly me...... What a great place for a walk, wish I was there to enjoy the journey.....
Well done Ant. Nice to see another IOW video again after most of them being in the North. I think that each one that you do gets just a little bit better as you get more skilled at the editing snd the narrstion. Just very well done and a story well told.
We were on holiday last Year at Leigh on Solent and went over to the Isle of White, i made the Family walk to the first Red brick Brick bridge, saw the Telegraph post you filmed...thanks for filming the extension 😂
Great video... super as always... You should do a Video Railways wise with Wobbly Runner Paul from Sheffield... make a great pairing Ant you would-- your both the best on youtube in my eyes
Another fantastic video Ant. One question which may seem daft but here we go. Shanklin to Ventnor. What happens to the engine? Were there sidings to take it from the front to the back but in my mind it would be facing the other way. Was there a turntable? I honestly haven't a clue and hope you can clear it up for me or anyone in the comments. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed it.
Locos changed ends at Ventnor where there was a run round loop that extended into the tunnel. If you find my other comment there's a link to a video made by Gareth Icke. He and his dad David walked the entire route from Shanklin to Ventnor. They didn''t go through St Boniface Down tunnel as it's now the property of Southern Water, but they visited the northern portal. Father and son both have good knowledge of the Ventnor station trackwork and associated infrastructure. See if you can find my other comment. The last part of the video will answer your question.
Great to have vids back Ant , excellent as ever . It's amazing how much is still in place after all these years . Are you doing the final leg to Ventnor and the long tunnel ? Otherwise its a bit of a hike over the top . Done that a few times , amazing views from the top though .
Hi I’m really enjoying the videos. I was looking through your videos to see if you have walked the west meon lines down near Southampton? It’s very interesting lots of ww2 history, Winston Churchill held secret meetings with allies at Droxford station.
Thanks Ant. Lovely stuff. You may have seen it already, but for others reading this, I'm including a link to the final part of the video made by Gareth Icke. With his father David, he walked the entire route from Shanklin to Ventnor with the exception of St Boniface Down tunnel, although they visited the northern portal (Gareth accidentally called it the southern portal). This URL ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tuhFKa1x4sQ.htmlsi=yG_sTD3uTmbl1Ycg&t=1788 starts the video at the site of Wroxall station, now covered by a Travis Perkins yard as you probably discovered. Thanks again, and best wishes from Bristol.
