A bit more in the general how one would like things to have gone wishful-thinking sphere: seeing a couple of possible threads in Railway HIstory and Nostalgia" in which it might go, and having trouble choosing: am starting a totally new thread.
Involves the Isle of Wight, nowadays one of my favourite places in the world; and a Wight might-have-been to which I gave a short reference in the End of Steam thread. Around the turn of the 1950s / 60s, British Railways briefly entertained a notion of modernising in a steam context, their surviving lines on the IOW: Ryde Ventnor and Ryde Newport Cowes. The idea was, adapting modern 2-6-2Ts for Isle of Wight conditions, and transferring them to the Island, basically to replace the aged ex-LSWR 0-4-4Ts of class 02 then in charge of all Island rail services. Experimentally, BR Standard class 2MT 2-6-2T 84022 was thus modified at Eastleigh works, with cab cut down for IOW clearances, and air-brake pumps fitted.
(In my End of Steam post, I referred to the very similar Ivatt 41*** 2-6-2T type, of which the BR 84*** locos were more or less a copy: in homage to this idea of BRs, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway now has active an Ivatt, no. 41298 with another of the same series, in course of restoration. I didnt realise when posting, that it appears to be in fact the BR Standards, which BR had looked at for the IOW.)
At all events the scheme was not followed through. One gathers that if it had gone ahead: BR had notions looking at the tourist-attracting potential -- of possibly keeping (modern) steam on the Islands lines going, for an indefinite period: maybe after the end of steam on the rest of the BR system. I dont know what was looked at re this whole idea, concerning the passenger vehicles which the 84***s might haul. The working museum atmosphere of the Wight lines in their latter BR years, was a function of the island railways restricted clearances resulting in prolonged use of 02s, and of ancient coaching stock from the 1920s or earlier. Would modern steam way into the future, have involved new-building of Island-clearances-suitable passenger stock? I have no idea the thing never came about, so its all moot anyway.
Ive been indulging a best-possible-case fantasy, in recent years, based on this idea of BRs, having taken off. Very loosely based: loving the Islands delightful (even if verging-on-useless re modern reality) rail system as was, Ive let imagination fairly run riot. This involves BRs early-1950s purge of very marginal and questionably-useful branch lines, not having hit the Isle of Wight as hard as it did. (This is fantasy, wherein anything can happen !) Thus: Newport Freshwater line does not close in Sep. 1953. Merstone Ventnor West branch (closed Sep. 1952 in Our time-line [OTL]) gets some kind of a reprieve, because of its superbly scenic section at the Ventnor end reckoned valuable tourist-bait. As in OTL, Ryde Ventnor and Ryde Newport Cowes carry on going strong. The Bembridge branch, and Merstone Sandown, can perish -- at whatever date.
My fantasy has, right at this end of August 2016, rail services still operating per my scenario on the Isle of Wight (passenger only even my fantasy-capacity cannot support in this situation, freight still running in this venue), with under whoevers ownership, however over the decades steam haulage at least in the summer holiday season, by 84*** 2-6-2Ts. (Imagine all such ever withdrawn from service on the mainland, being set aside for the IOW fleet, for cannibalising or what-might-be. Imagine the locos being converted to oil-firing, if that would make things re getting fuel from the mainland and maybe re other stuff easier. Imagine whatever happening, as regards loco-hauled passenger stock.) As at early 1960s and 84***s taking over from 02s: a few 02s retained and kept in working order, for vintage trains and other special workings. In keeping with the past, a couple of Terriers (class used on Wight long ago) retained and transferred to the Island for vintage / historic / nostalgic stuff all these historic locos still in commission for occasional action, today.
Still in action for real, year-round, are Ryde Ventnor; Ryde Newport Cowes; and Newport Freshwater. (I know that in the real world, the Freshwater branch was pretty worthless, and was lucky to last as long as 1953; but I like the line, and this is my fantasy, dammit !) Newport Merstone Godshill Ventnor West is retained (minimum maintenance compatible with passenger safety) for the summer tourist season only, for its scenic value: in the season, a steam push-and-pull train (as in the lines latter years in OTL), four or five times a day each way.
Pushing the fantasy envelope yet further as well as tourist-bait, the Islands railways reckoned worthwhile for genuine passenger service, twelve months of the year supplementing Southern Vectiss bus routes. Diesel railmotors (built specially to handle IOW clearances) used in the winter part of the year (during which, various steam specials also run according to demand) and likely, railmotors for early and late passenger turns in summer (steam doing its stuff in the tourist-friendliest middle parts of the day) all this on, as above, the Ventnor Ryde Newport Cowes / Freshwater spine of the system. All of this happening right now (still at peak summer steam season, as I write), and likely to continue for many years to come. Well fantasies, however crazy, cost nothing.
Involves the Isle of Wight, nowadays one of my favourite places in the world; and a Wight might-have-been to which I gave a short reference in the End of Steam thread. Around the turn of the 1950s / 60s, British Railways briefly entertained a notion of modernising in a steam context, their surviving lines on the IOW: Ryde Ventnor and Ryde Newport Cowes. The idea was, adapting modern 2-6-2Ts for Isle of Wight conditions, and transferring them to the Island, basically to replace the aged ex-LSWR 0-4-4Ts of class 02 then in charge of all Island rail services. Experimentally, BR Standard class 2MT 2-6-2T 84022 was thus modified at Eastleigh works, with cab cut down for IOW clearances, and air-brake pumps fitted.
(In my End of Steam post, I referred to the very similar Ivatt 41*** 2-6-2T type, of which the BR 84*** locos were more or less a copy: in homage to this idea of BRs, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway now has active an Ivatt, no. 41298 with another of the same series, in course of restoration. I didnt realise when posting, that it appears to be in fact the BR Standards, which BR had looked at for the IOW.)
At all events the scheme was not followed through. One gathers that if it had gone ahead: BR had notions looking at the tourist-attracting potential -- of possibly keeping (modern) steam on the Islands lines going, for an indefinite period: maybe after the end of steam on the rest of the BR system. I dont know what was looked at re this whole idea, concerning the passenger vehicles which the 84***s might haul. The working museum atmosphere of the Wight lines in their latter BR years, was a function of the island railways restricted clearances resulting in prolonged use of 02s, and of ancient coaching stock from the 1920s or earlier. Would modern steam way into the future, have involved new-building of Island-clearances-suitable passenger stock? I have no idea the thing never came about, so its all moot anyway.
Ive been indulging a best-possible-case fantasy, in recent years, based on this idea of BRs, having taken off. Very loosely based: loving the Islands delightful (even if verging-on-useless re modern reality) rail system as was, Ive let imagination fairly run riot. This involves BRs early-1950s purge of very marginal and questionably-useful branch lines, not having hit the Isle of Wight as hard as it did. (This is fantasy, wherein anything can happen !) Thus: Newport Freshwater line does not close in Sep. 1953. Merstone Ventnor West branch (closed Sep. 1952 in Our time-line [OTL]) gets some kind of a reprieve, because of its superbly scenic section at the Ventnor end reckoned valuable tourist-bait. As in OTL, Ryde Ventnor and Ryde Newport Cowes carry on going strong. The Bembridge branch, and Merstone Sandown, can perish -- at whatever date.
My fantasy has, right at this end of August 2016, rail services still operating per my scenario on the Isle of Wight (passenger only even my fantasy-capacity cannot support in this situation, freight still running in this venue), with under whoevers ownership, however over the decades steam haulage at least in the summer holiday season, by 84*** 2-6-2Ts. (Imagine all such ever withdrawn from service on the mainland, being set aside for the IOW fleet, for cannibalising or what-might-be. Imagine the locos being converted to oil-firing, if that would make things re getting fuel from the mainland and maybe re other stuff easier. Imagine whatever happening, as regards loco-hauled passenger stock.) As at early 1960s and 84***s taking over from 02s: a few 02s retained and kept in working order, for vintage trains and other special workings. In keeping with the past, a couple of Terriers (class used on Wight long ago) retained and transferred to the Island for vintage / historic / nostalgic stuff all these historic locos still in commission for occasional action, today.
Still in action for real, year-round, are Ryde Ventnor; Ryde Newport Cowes; and Newport Freshwater. (I know that in the real world, the Freshwater branch was pretty worthless, and was lucky to last as long as 1953; but I like the line, and this is my fantasy, dammit !) Newport Merstone Godshill Ventnor West is retained (minimum maintenance compatible with passenger safety) for the summer tourist season only, for its scenic value: in the season, a steam push-and-pull train (as in the lines latter years in OTL), four or five times a day each way.
Pushing the fantasy envelope yet further as well as tourist-bait, the Islands railways reckoned worthwhile for genuine passenger service, twelve months of the year supplementing Southern Vectiss bus routes. Diesel railmotors (built specially to handle IOW clearances) used in the winter part of the year (during which, various steam specials also run according to demand) and likely, railmotors for early and late passenger turns in summer (steam doing its stuff in the tourist-friendliest middle parts of the day) all this on, as above, the Ventnor Ryde Newport Cowes / Freshwater spine of the system. All of this happening right now (still at peak summer steam season, as I write), and likely to continue for many years to come. Well fantasies, however crazy, cost nothing.
