Island Line Class 483 Farewell

From left to right 006, 004 and 002 all wearing the rather garish 'Dinosaur' livery stand outside Ryde St Johns depot on 1 August 2007.

009 is seen south of Brading on 1 August 2007.

I have had a connection with the Isle of Wight all of my life, my mum's side of the family having originated there and with my grandparents living in Ryde throughout my childhood and teenage years. This meant wonderful summer holidays on the Island exploring its myriad of tourist attractions, beaches and, of course its railways. 

The house on the Island was a stone's throw from the sandy beach of Ryde, and that also meant it was just a few minutes walk from the railway. Some of the first trains I would have come across in my childhood would have been the ex-1938 tube stock which worked the Island Line, designated class 483. 

002 trails a 4 car formation lead by 006 which is about to plunge into Ryde Tunnel. The train is just at the point where a younger me would be standing on top of the tunnel waving to the driver and hoping for a toot on the whistle in return. The line to the left has been out of use for a number of years leaving just a single track serviceable up the pier. 2nd August 2003. 

In the final months on 18th October 2020, 006 is about to
depart from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin. 

I distinctly remember standing on the top of the tunnel at Ryde waving to the drivers of Network South East liveried tubes as they plunged into the tunnel- more often than not receiving a toot on the whistle from the driver as they did. 

More than any other town on the Island, the railway is an intrinsic part of Ryde. You can see and hear the train rumbling up the 681m pier from the Esplanade to meet the boats and watch the trains from the beach and as you are going about your shopping in Union Street.

008 is Ryde bound as it passes the popular photo spot in Los Altos park, Lake on 1st August 2007.

A smart looking 009 approaches Sandown on
1st August 2007.

Class 483 operation on the Isle of Wight commenced in October 1989, shortly before my 1st birthday. It goes without saying that I do not remember the 1923 'Standard' VEC/TIS stock which preceded it. The trains were formed of driving motor coaches of former London Underground 1938 stock, already 50 years old when it arrived on the Island. It had been refurbished for Network South East and delivered to the Island to run on the 8 1/2 mile line between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin, the last remaining part of what had once been a sprawling network covering some 55 1/2 route miles serving all four corners of the island. 

006 arrives at Lake station from Shanklin on 3rd November 2020.

006 still wears NSE moquette when it was
photographed internally on 19th Sept 2004.

Despite regularly seeing the trains it was some years before I actually remember being able to ride one, our family holidays always involved driving and taking the car ferry, and thus the train did not feature in our travel plans. It was when I was a little older and allowed out myself that I first remember using the Island Line, by which time all of the trains had been repainted into the, shall we say 'questionable' Dinosaur livery to celebrate the Islands claim as the Jurassic Island after a number of dinosaur fossil finds. It is a regret to this day that I was never able to photograph the trains in their NSE that I remember them wearing so well. 

006 heads towards Brading on 3rd November 2020. I had unusually chosen to drive to the Island on this occasion, in a large part due to expecting just a one train, hourly service due to the other unit 008 being unavailable until the afternoon. Having the car did allow me to take a pole to give just a little extra height.

008 emerges from Ryde Tunnel and approaches the
Esplanade on 1st August 2007. The bridge remains a popular 
spot to watch both trains and the Islands unique hovercraft.

By my mid teens I was no longer relying on persuading Grandma that we should visit somewhere by train as I was allowed out on my own- and by now I had a camera. Much use was made of an Island Day Ranger ticket offering outstanding value (especially on a child fare) for a day out on both the electric trains on the Island Line and the steam trains on the beautifully restored Isle of Wight Steam Railway. 
It was 2003 when a little more interest was sparked- somehow escaping the 'Dinosaur' scheme which had bestowed the rest of the fleet, 007 was outshopped from the works at Ryde St John's Road in a version of its original London Transport red livery, complete with lettering. It looked great and it was probably this unit that persuaded me to get out and record the line with my camera. 

The original London Transport liveried unit, 007 is pictured entering Ryde St Johns Road station looking ex-works during its first summer in traffic in the heritage colours, complete with lettering which was never replicated on further units. 2nd August 2003.

008 is viewed near Brading on 1st August 2007.

Soon after a second unit, 009, was outshopped in red, though it never gained the lettering of 007. This enabled a 4 car formation to be run combining the two units- the regular service pattern at the time requiring three units for traffic providing a two car and four car unit for the 20/40 minute interval service. 

By this time the original fleet of 9 trains (a tenth was provided as a source of spares) had been reduced to 6 working examples; 003 and 005 had been withdrawn and quickly scrapped while 001 spent several more years in the headshunt at Ryde St Johns as a source of spares. 

The remaining fleet of 002, 004, 006, 007, 008 and 009 would become the trains I would get to know over the next 17 years as I spent time photographing the line and enjoying my days out on the old electrics. In time the 'Dinosaur' units also lost their livery to give a uniform fleet of LT red trains, though no others ever did receive the 'London Transport' decals originally applied to 007. 

006 is about to head up the pier from Ryde Esplanade on 28th May 2006.

Ex-works 006 arrives into Ryde Esplanade on
28th November 2017 bound for Ryde Pier Head.

As time went on my links to the Island reduced as family moved, or passed away and my summer sojourns became far less frequent, not least as I now had my own agenda to follow. I still liked to visit though to travel on the unique railways of the Isle of Wight and relive my wonderful childhood summers. Those visits, along with a few specifically to photograph the 38' stock in its final year have produced many of the pictures I have displayed here spanning 18 years of the class 483's. 

007 + 009 work together on 21st September 2013.

Originally a stand alone franchise upon privatisation in 1996, 'Island Line Trains' was operated by Stagecoach, which was then incorporated into their much larger 'South West Trains' network upon the renewal of the franchise in 2007. The trains and stations were spruced up to reflect their heritages status, but other than that very little changed on the Island Line despite the advancing age of the stock. 

By 2017 when South Western Railway took the reigns of the franchise it was clear that the future of the islands railway had to be discussed- the trains were now 79 years old, the oldest fleet in mainline service in the UK and the infrastructure was in need of repair. 

Seventeen years since the previous picture, 006 passes through Los Altos park bound for Lake on 3rd November 2020. The train has changed colour and the vegetation on the fence has grown up now making the shot difficult without the aid of a pole (which was used here). 

006 emerges from the trees south of Brading on 3rd November 2020.

The consultation into the future of the railway considered several options, some rather unfavorable to continued operations of the line in its present state, including options to convert the route into a tramway, however ultimately the winning one retained a heavy rail service over the Island Line which would be upgraded and receive replacement stock as part of a £26 million investment. Continuing the tradition of recycling ex-London Underground units the line would receive stock from the 'D-Train' family, former sub-surface stock from the District line which would be re-built by VivaRail. Finally the writing was on the wall for the venerable class 483. 

007, under overhaul and 008 in for general maintenance at Ryde St Johns Road depot on 29th May 2019.

A four car formation formed of 006 + 002 is seen departing 
 Smallbrook Junction on 2nd August 2003. Unit 007 can be 
seen in the distance waiting to enter the single line towards 
Brading.

The upgrade couldn't come soon enough- the 38' stock was by now really showing its age and availability was at an all time low with repairs being ever more difficult to execute, in large due to the inability to obtain spare parts. By the beginning of 2020 the fleet was down to just two serviceable examples, 006 and 008 providing all services with 007 on a prolonged overhaul; the three year timescale again due to issues obtaining parts. The days of four car trains had finished several years before and now it was becoming common for services to be reduced to just an hourly service with a single unit if one of the trains required repairs or an exam. By the end of the year the growing struggle of keeping the 483's going was really showing and on more than a few occasions the line was reduced to no service at all with rail replacement buses being provided - fortunately the Coronavirus meant that this did not affect as many passengers as normal. 

Autumn colours are in evidence on 3rd November 2020 as 006 is seen between Lake and Shanklin.

009 leads a 4 car formation into Smallbrook Junction on
28 April 2014 on the occasion of a UK Railtours 'Ticket to 
Ryde' excursion which brought many enthusiasts to the Island. 

The final day of class 483 operation was set for the 3rd January 2021 after which the line would close for 3 months to allow for upgrade works, including the long term goal of reinstating the loop at Brading to allow a regular 30 minute service. 

The service over Christmas had been sporadic, though did feature the highlight of 007 returning freshly overhauled for the final weeks of 38' stock operations. Unfortunately Covid-19 restrictions have made it impossible for the units to receive the send-off that they really deserve and ultimately the service on the final weekend was much reduced.

Having entered traffic just for the afternoon following an exam, 008 is pictured at Ryde St Johns at twilight headed for Sandown on 18th October 2020.

006 approaches Lake on 3rd November 2020.

When the line re-opens in April the class 483's will be no more, replaced by the Vivarail Class 484, derived from ex-District Line D78 stock - itself already more than 40 years of age. Five two car units have been ordered to provide the 30 minute service and will bring a step change in terms of passenger comfort, access and information. 

It is understood that several of the remaining class 483's will be preserved; 007 is thought to be heading the short distance to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway while a second unit, expected to be 006 or 008 is expected to head to the Epping Ongar railway in Essex, itself a former London Underground branchline.

006 heads down Ryde Pier on 16th September 2020. The unique spectacle of the railway running along the pier is paramount to its existence, providing the connection to the passenger ferry to Portsmouth.