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Isle of Wight 'The Tourist'


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Does any kind soul out there have any late 1940's/early 1950's photos of The Tourist train that ran Ventnor - Newport - Freshwater as, I think, a 5 coach train.

 

I am looking to model Ningwood in EM gauge 4mm and have a varied selection of trains to use but would ideally like to run a realistic named train 'Tourist' so could do with an idea of coach formation.

 

Any help would be gratefully received

 

Pete

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Does any kind soul out there have any late 1940's/early 1950's photos of The Tourist train that ran Ventnor - Newport - Freshwater as, I think, a 5 coach train.

 

I am looking to model Ningwood in EM gauge 4mm and have a varied selection of trains to use but would ideally like to run a realistic named train 'Tourist' so could do with an idea of coach formation.

 

Any help would be gratefully received

 

Pete

I'm not sure about the rest of the train but it incorporated the unique Brighton Brake Composite Saloon, diagram 438, No. 6986.  It was rebuilt as a breakdown van in 1959, becoming DS70008.

 

Chris KT  

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I'm not sure about the rest of the train but it incorporated the unique Brighton Brake Composite Saloon, diagram 438, No. 6986.  It was rebuilt as a breakdown van in 1959, becoming DS70008.

 

Chris KT

 

Hi Chris

 

Yes that is the only coach that I am aware of and have a model in the process of being built in it's 1950 guise. I am just struggling with the other 4 coaches used, whether they were the same coaches used each time or whether 6986 was added to a standard 4 coach set that the Island tended to run.

 

Regards

 

Pete

,

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Hello

 

Pre  BR  the  Tourist  was  normally  run  with  an  LCDR  4  coach  bogie  set,  often  set  495  or  496,   reinforced  with  the  LBSC  saloon  or  the  ex  IWCR  railmotor  carriage.

After  1949  the  train  was  normally  run  with  one  of  the  standard  Ventnor  line  6  coach  sets.  The  use  of  the  LBSC  saloon  in  public  traffic after  this  was  very  infrequent.

 

Pete

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Hello

 

Pre  BR  the  Tourist  was  normally  run  with  an  LCDR  4  coach  bogie  set,  often  set  495  or  496,   reinforced  with  the  LBSC  saloon  or  the  ex  IWCR  railmotor  carriage.

After  1949  the  train  was  normally  run  with  one  of  the  standard  Ventnor  line  6  coach  sets.  The  use  of  the  LBSC  saloon  in  public  traffic after  this  was  very  infrequent.

 

Pete

Hi Pete

 

Many thanks for that information. Do you think 6 coaches would still have been used, especially over the Newport to Freshwater section?

 

Kind regards

 

Pete

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Yes  the  6  coach  set  would  work  all  the  way.  E1  hauled  to  Newport,  then  an  O2  for  Freshwater,  although  the  Freshwater  line  had  some  nasty  gradients  these  were  short  and  not  a  problem  for a  through  train.

Freshwaters  platform  was  extended  several  times  over  the  years  to  allow  for  the  bigger  trains.

The  smaller  station  stops  were  omitted.

Although  the  Tourist  was  noted  as  normally  being  a  Ventnor  line  set  post  1949,  the  replacement  set  496  (a  Newport  one)  which  was  only  4  carriages  had  the  SECR  composite  6375  within  its  makeup,  this  still  has  the  mounting  brackets  fitted  for  the  Tourist  headboard.  Photos  of the  Tourist in  the  last  few  weeks  of  the  Freshwater  line  show set  495,  also  a  4  coach  Newport  set  hence  the  use  of  a  Ventnor  line  set  was  not  exclusive.

 

Pete

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Yes  the  6  coach  set  would  work  all  the  way.  E1  hauled  to  Newport,  then  an  O2  for  Freshwater,  although  the  Freshwater  line  had  some  nasty  gradients  these  were  short  and  not  a  problem  for a  through  train.

Freshwaters  platform  was  extended  several  times  over  the  years  to  allow  for  the  bigger  trains.

The  smaller  station  stops  were  omitted.

Although  the  Tourist  was  noted  as  normally  being  a  Ventnor  line  set  post  1949,  the  replacement  set  496  (a  Newport  one)  which  was  only  4  carriages  had  the  SECR  composite  6375  within  its  makeup,  this  still  has  the  mounting  brackets  fitted  for  the  Tourist  headboard.  Photos  of the  Tourist in  the  last  few  weeks  of  the  Freshwater  line  show set  495,  also  a  4  coach  Newport  set  hence  the  use  of  a  Ventnor  line  set  was  not  exclusive.

 

Pete

excellent information - thank you.

 

do you know where I may be able to find any photos of this train? I do have all of the 'usual' IOWBooks and there aren't many photos of the Tourist. I will look through My books for photos of 6375 and sets 495 and 496.

 

Pete

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Branch  Lines  to  Newport  has  photos  taken  at  Newport  in  Sep  1953  showing  SECR  6371 (Saloon  composite)  with  a  Tourist  board  and  LBSC  4163  (6  Comp  brake  Third)  with  the  Tourist  destination  board,  both  vehicles  are  part  of  set  495,  the  other  carriages  in  this  set  (not  pictured)  were  SECR  4135  (4  Comp  brake  Third)  and  SECR  2443  (8 1/2  Comp  Third).

 

Pete

Edited by IWCR
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Branch  Lines  to  Newport  has  photos  taken  at  Newport  in  Sep  1953  showing  SECR  6371 (Saloon  composite)  with  a  Tourist  board  and  LBSC  4163  (6  Comp  brake  Third)  with  the  Tourist  destination  board,  both  vehicles  are  part  of  set  495,  the  other  carriages  in  this  set  (not  pictured)  were  SECR  4135  (4  Comp  brake  Third)  and  SECR  2443  (8 1/2  Comp  Third).

 

Pete

This would have been around the time the this train ceased too.

 

Many thanks for the information Pete, much appreciated.

 

Pete

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