Hi Gareth, I only recently discovered your videos regarding the old IoW railway network. I’ve just finished the Newport to Cowes video which took me back to 1967 when as a 13 year old, I had cycled with a mate from Ealing West London, first to Portsmouth, then via the ferry to Ryde before reaching the first of a number of pre-booked Youth Hostels at Sandown. My mate was a keen railway enthusiast (still is!) & wanted to visit Newport Station even though the network had closed the previous year. The station was open & carriages were parked up all along each platform. My mate was so excited & suggested we walk down the tracks (with our bikes) to Cowes. I personally had no idea how far it was but we met a number of people on the way who clearly had the same idea as us. From the best of my recall we walked through the tunnel at Cowes & up the platform before exiting the station. A great shame that in the intervening years most of the of the previous network’s existence has been built over or removed. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover Yarmouth Station converted to a café a few years back, so apart from the preserved line, there clearly are other gems out there to discover. Keep up the good work!😊
What a great story mate. I would loved to have seen Newport station. It was originally the headquarters of the steam railway but I guess the council had their eyes on the land for the duel carriageway.
Great walk. Great link for me about Nine Elms as my Grandad worked there (lost his arm in a shunting accident) and my Mum and Dad’s first maisonette in Cowthorpe Road backed onto one of the shunting yards. Love all these walks. So interesting x
I really enjoyed this video. Very informative. I only recently found your channel, as we both do similar things. That bit with the old steam boat was great, oh and the old cement mills. And don’t it do ya bloody sweed in when there are doors on tunnels, cheers.
What an amazing little walk, enjoyed that one mate, the gravity shunt move is an eye opener for me, I was a shunter for a while on the big railway which meant uncoupling/coupling locos and rolling stock (basically the dirty/heavy work) watching that gravity shunt at Cowes was amazing to watch...ive seen gravity shunting using wagons, never seen gravity shunting using passenger stock, normally a train arrives at a station, the passenger stock is 'screwed' down by the gaurd in his Brake coach a run round crossover was normally near the buffer stops at a station so an uncoupled loco can be uncoupled, pull forward and run round its stock and be re-attached...nowadays this practice is not used, if indeed it is, locomotives run 'top and tail' (loco each end) so no shunter is required...amazing what practices were in place in the good old days...all the best mate, John
As I was watching this it brought back a dream when you mentioned the train numbers. In it I came across a no 8 train. I discovered it to be a shunting diesel/electric locomotive. Strange for sure.
Those born and raised on the Isle of Wight apparently refer to England as either "The North Island" or as "Our lost colony". England didn't become independent of the Isle of Wight until the year 1890. If, as you say, the site of Newport railway station has been "decimated" by the construction of a dual carriageway road, where can I find the surviving 90% of what was still there in January, 1971?
let's plant a thought applicable to many places, rebuilding heavy rail is pricey so as a cheap option why not use narrow gauge, or even into the miniature to hold or reestablish a route for later up-sizing...... long distance 7.25 could be entertainingly fun...... ;)
Hi Gareth, I only recently discovered your videos regarding the old IoW railway network. I’ve just finished the Newport to Cowes video which took me back to 1967 when as a 13 year old, I had cycled with a mate from Ealing West London, first to Portsmouth, then via the ferry to Ryde before reaching the first of a number of pre-booked Youth Hostels at Sandown. My mate was a keen railway enthusiast (still is!) & wanted to visit Newport Station even though the network had closed the previous year. The station was open & carriages were parked up all along each platform. My mate was so excited & suggested we walk down the tracks (with our bikes) to Cowes. I personally had no idea how far it was but we met a number of people on the way who clearly had the same idea as us. From the best of my recall we walked through the tunnel at Cowes & up the platform before exiting the station. A great shame that in the intervening years most of the of the previous network’s existence has been built over or removed. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover Yarmouth Station converted to a café a few years back, so apart from the preserved line, there clearly are other gems out there to discover. Keep up the good work!😊
What a great story mate. I would loved to have seen Newport station. It was originally the headquarters of the steam railway but I guess the council had their eyes on the land for the duel carriageway.
Great walk. Great link for me about Nine Elms as my Grandad worked there (lost his arm in a shunting accident) and my Mum and Dad’s first maisonette in Cowthorpe Road backed onto one of the shunting yards.
Love all these walks. So interesting x
Oh wow. What a great piece of history. Horrible about your grandad though. They were made of tougher stuff.
Fantastic walk 👍
Happy Holidays from California!
Merry Christmas!
I really enjoyed this video. Very informative. I only recently found your channel, as we both do similar things. That bit with the old steam boat was great, oh and the old cement mills. And don’t it do ya bloody sweed in when there are doors on tunnels, cheers.
What an amazing little walk, enjoyed that one mate, the gravity shunt move is an eye opener for me, I was a shunter for a while on the big railway which meant uncoupling/coupling locos and rolling stock (basically the dirty/heavy work) watching that gravity shunt at Cowes was amazing to watch...ive seen gravity shunting using wagons, never seen gravity shunting using passenger stock, normally a train arrives at a station, the passenger stock is 'screwed' down by the gaurd in his Brake coach a run round crossover was normally near the buffer stops at a station so an uncoupled loco can be uncoupled, pull forward and run round its stock and be re-attached...nowadays this practice is not used, if indeed it is, locomotives run 'top and tail' (loco each end) so no shunter is required...amazing what practices were in place in the good old days...all the best mate, John
Aye I remember the story from when I was a kid. Remember thinking the guard best be on it!
The great outdoors ! Keep em coming !
Will do!
Another good IOW walk. Thank you x
Thank you.
Intresting video Gareth as always.
Cheers mate
Nice and interesting story !!
Thank you
Dead interesting Gareth thank you! hope your christmas is being kind to you .. Carol!
Thank you
As I was watching this it brought back a dream when you mentioned the train numbers. In it I came across a no 8 train. I discovered it to be a shunting diesel/electric locomotive. Strange for sure.
Those born and raised on the Isle of Wight apparently refer to England as either "The North Island" or as "Our lost colony". England didn't become independent of the Isle of Wight until the year 1890. If, as you say, the site of Newport railway station has been "decimated" by the construction of a dual carriageway road, where can I find the surviving 90% of what was still there in January, 1971?
It's always been called "the mainland" to me. Even though I've lived off the island for 11 years.
Enjoyed that one mate , keep meaning to have a look around Rufford myself . Good guide to go by now . Hopefully stay on my feet though 😂
Haha. I'm always on my backside!
@@IckeWalks 😂😂
let's plant a thought
applicable to many places,
rebuilding heavy rail is pricey so as a cheap option why not use narrow gauge, or even into the miniature to hold or reestablish a route for later up-sizing......
long distance 7.25 could be entertainingly fun...... ;)
Like James May did to recreate the route of the Atlantic Coast Express between Barnstaple and Bideford?
needs to be passenger capable to be viable....... @@KempSimon
Got to see myself on the Drone Footage....
Really!?!
@@IckeWalks Yes, as you flew over Curries