Christopher125

BBC: Isle of Wight rail work falls further behind after flooding

That's been the case for a few years now hasn't it? Last photo of a 158 on flickr is 2018. Here's a video of the testing at Fareham, looks like some management turned up to check how things are going: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wIrkqN73lg

Big day today - the first proper test runs have taken place since the upgrade, with 001 seen at Shanklin. 002+003 have also started daytime running to Fareham: https://www.facebook.com/groups/355569249197459/posts/530414731712909/ 484003HedgeEnd140721(b) by Simon Howard, on Flickr

Some photos of the new panel in the box at St Johns - looks like the Up signals at Smallbrook have been moved from the Ryde side of the junction to the Brading side? https://www.facebook.com/groups/355569249197459/posts/528943238526725/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/355569249197459/posts/528905068530542/

The IW Council have published a summary of their 'restoring your railway' proposals, the best they could come up was Ryde-Newport... via Sandown, a laughably impractical idea using 'hybrid light rail'. A missed opportunity and a waste of £50,000 unfortunately. https://iwightinvest.com/regeneration-prospectus/restoring-your-railway/ https://iwightinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RYR-SOBC-Executive-Summary.pdf

Just received these, Brading has progressed but completion doesn't look imminent unfortunately. Brading by Chris, on Flickr Brading by Chris, on Flickr

It's been quite the palaver, but in the next few days the pedestrian structure at Skew Bridge near lake will be lifted back into place - the post below details the night it was removed. Safe to say the access point for the road-rail crane is not one you'd expect... anyone know why it couldn't just trundle along the railway from Sandown (or Shanklin)? https://www.facebook.com/beaverbridges/posts/10151383295919986

They are pretty much there now, still finishing off Brading but the ramps are nearly done and just needs lighting, fencing and surfacing to complete AFAICT. Anyway, big news today - 484001 has been towed through the tunnel by a unimog, both Up and Down lines apparently. Didn't venture onto the pier though. https://www.facebook.com/groups/355569249197459/permalink/509569960464053/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/355569249197459/permalink/509546340466415/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/355569249197459/permalink/509570217130694/

It seems most stations are now more-or-less complete, Brading being the exception unfortunately. Lake by Chris, on Flickr Shanklin by Chris, on Flickr

Interesting photo of 004 being moved to Sandown - confirms both signals on the Up line at Smallbrook have disappeared, surplus to requirements? https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4369870343023514&set=a.192468694097054

484004 came over on the ferry yesterday, while today 007 was propelled at walking pace by a Unimog to Sandown - it's now being loaded ready for transport to Havenstreet: 483007 at Sandown by Chris, on Flickr 483007 and 484004 at Sandown by Chris, on Flickr

AIUI only Shanklin is gaining any screens (Pier Head and Esplanade already have them) - one appeared late last year under the canopy next to the taxi rank. 002+003 did another return trip to Fareham last night, that surely bodes well?

I was just remarking on the 'off peak season' - aside from Winter Sundays, evenings etc it's half-hourly all year round. Even when they aren't, without passenger information screens it would seem unwise to confuse people by putting Down trains in the Up platform.

Progress, hopefully - 002 and 003 were back on the network last night doing more runs to Fareham so Network Rail must be happier, and they sound ok in Stuart's video below: https://www.facebook.com/groups/376349029705042/permalink/737316100274998/ Fingers crossed it went as hoped and there are more runs soon.

I've seen the suggestion that permission would be gained from the signalman but it's not clear how this would work - the station is unstaffed and the foot crossing carries a reasonably well used footpath. They could re-route it but I've seen nothing mentioned so far. Are you sure? I was expecting trains to pass at Brading all year round.

Perhaps, but it's all semantics - the foot crossing will be open and available regardless. Besides, with the stairs of this temp bridge located at the far Ryde end of the platform the foot crossing won't be much further to walk anyway. Nope, the footpaths use foot crossings either side of the station.

I'm not sure I follow? Neither footbridge will be PRM-compliant, anyone using a wheelchair will need to use the foot crossing at the other end which is being rebuilt with suitable ramps down to track level. Nothing's being replaced - there was, and still will be, a footpath crossing at the other end of the station which will also give access to the other platform. The footbridge is additional, and won't be needed until passenger trains start serving Platform 2... eventually. The bi-directional signalling could even delay that, if services start off hourly.

True, but why would it matter? Passengers can just use the foot crossing at the other end, which they'll probably prefer to this temporary one anyway. The whole thing is bizarre.

SWR were offering carriages free to a good home, so someone shelling out £32k for a rusted-through shell seems... unlikely. Anyway, the temporary footbridge is now going up at Brading so the old one can be sorted out - quite why it's needed with a foot crossing and no trains for many months is hard to understand, but the views should great.... Brading by Chris, on Flickr

Interesting video this showing a steam-hauled clearance run through Platform 2 at Brading, might be worth trying again at this rate...

When Go-Ahead took over local management were really expansionist and it was a big success, people would write to the local paper complaining about too many buses on the roads. Back in 2007/08 they even tried running 24/7 on their main routes which was pretty extraordinary.

This presentation by OSL to the 'Railway Civil Engineers Association' doesn't give any hint of further delay so I guess time will tell. Interestingly a connection to the Steam Railway for engineering access, planned but ultimately not installed, could yet be resurrected... (50:33)

Hard to say what the situation is regards signalling and any remaining gauging issues, but this aerial footage does suggest the stations should be ready - the island at Brading was, and presumably still is, going to take a little longer to commission.

If the infrastructure work isn't finished it won't be far off and much - though certainly not all! - is Covid related. Vivarails delay will be many, many months and Adrian has admitted can't be blamed much on the pandemic.

Remember these have a new traction package with AC motors, and these tend to struggle with the 3rd rail I think it's safe to say? Getting them to behave has often required extensive testing at Old Dalby, Wildenrath, Bournemouth etc but Vivarail ran out of time on the island and some limited running on Bombardier's short test track never seemed sufficient.