Isle of Wight class 483's

[Chris125]

A private society was set up with the intention to operate a private service between Cowes, Ryde, and Newport, and it even had the support of the county council, but the Railways Board ripped up the track, destroying the scheme.

I think that's perhaps a bit harsh, the Sadler Vectrail scheme were given time but simply didn't have the financial backing necessary, but at least this gave the preservationists up to 1971 to organise themselves and sort out a lease on the line at Havenstreet.

Chris

 

[Drsatan]

With regards to the Ventnor branch, while it would be convenient today for travelers the station (now occupied by an industrial estate) was some way from the town centre itself and up a steep hill.

If more rational voices had prevailed, the station site could have been 'rationalised' to save money; for example, the station could have been reduced to two platforms with the rest of the land sold off. This is now moot, unfortunately...

 

[GatwickDepress]

I think that's perhaps a bit harsh, the Sadler Vectrail scheme were given time but simply didn't have the financial backing necessary, but at least this gave the preservationists up to 1971 to organise themselves and sort out a lease on the line at Havenstreet.

Chris

That's what the book says, I was paraphrasing it!

 

[Chris125]

With regards to the Ventnor branch, while it would be convenient today for travelers the station (now occupied by an industrial estate) was some way from the town centre itself and up a steep hill.

If more rational voices had prevailed, the station site could have been 'rationalised' to save money; for example, the station could have been reduced to two platforms with the rest of the land sold off. This is now moot, unfortunately...

As much as I'd like to think so, selling off land that's essentially in a quarry would never have offset the upfront expense of electrification let alone the higher operating costs - in fact money was saved on the rest of the line by making as few changes as possible. In hindsight the heavy summer tourist traffic that justified anything beyond a Pier Shuttle has been subsequently lost to the roads anyway.

Chris