Transport

The Island Line – The Isle of Wight’s railway

October 31, 2018 by Penny Leave a Comment

Where can you ride a tube train along a pier? On the Isle of Wight’s Island Line – that’s where!

Not everyone realises that the Isle of Wight has its own railway. Fewer people realise the historical significance of it, especially for lovers of the London Underground.

The Island Line – basic facts

Let’s start with the basic facts. The Island Line runs between Ryde on the north of the Isle of Wight and Shanklin, which is eight and a half miles south along the Eastern coast of the island. It is actually part of the main National Rail infrastructure and is currently under the South Western Railway franchise. You can plan journeys via the main online National Rail planners and can use all regular railcards and through tickets on the service.

The northerly most station is Ryde Pier Head, where the service connects with the passenger ferry to Portsmouth Harbour. It then continues south through Smallbrook Junction, which is an unusual station in that it exists purely to serve the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. There is no separate public access and was actually opened by British Rail in 1991 when the Steam Railway was extended to reach the Island Line. It is therefore only served by Island Line services on the days that the Steam Railway is running.

The southern terminus is Shanklin, yet originally the route extended on to Ventnor but services on this section ceased in 1966.

So, what makes it so special you may be wondering? I fully admit that all the above just makes it sound like a regular train service?

Rolling Stock

The answer lies in the rolling stock.

The Island Line is served by 1938 London Underground tube stock and when you’re travelling on board you can expect to be somewhat confused about where you are and where you’re going, simply because it still just feels like you’re in London as soon as you step aboard.

The reason for this slightly strange old rolling stock is because the ceiling of the Ryde tunnel is 10 inches too low for “standard” National Rail rolling stock. This means that the 1938 tube stock has the honour of being the oldest passenger rolling stock operating timetabled services on the National Rail network.

A trip back in time

As well as feeling like you’re in London, a trip on the Island Line is also a bit like a trip back in time. All the stations have a vintage feel to them, with lots of cream and green paint and old fashioned signs and station canopies.

I also wouldn’t be a proper train geek if I didn’t mention the moquette.

The particular train we travelled on featured what I remember as Metropolitan Line moquette on the main seats, but there was also a treat inshore if you pulled down the guard’s seat (remember these 1938 London Underground trains had guards – something that the Island Line has too!)

There you reveal a different moquette design – one that I think was a Network Southeast National Rail design. Although I’m trying to double check that fact!

Feel the bounce!

What you do notice as you travel on the Island Line is just how the rolling stock wasn’t really designed for this kind of journey. You really feel yourself being bounced along as you travel and as much as I love the Island Line I just couldn’t ever call it a “comfortable” ride in that sense.

If you’ve ever lived or commuted in London though you’ll find it a slightly strange travel experience. It feels, and sounds, just like the London Underground, yet the view out of the window is a million miles away. As you go along Ryde Pier you’ve got the Solent on either side of you and you can watch the Hovercrafts. You don’t get that in Zone 1!

Listen to our trip

Why not join Bonn and I as we travel along the Island Line? We’re delighted to say that episode 2 of our new Hobbies and Interests podcast was recorded as we travelled along the Island Line earlier in the year. Why not plug in your headphones and travel with us?

Leighton Buzzard Railway

October 9, 2018 by Penny Leave a Comment

I have a completely train mad son. And if I’m honest Bonn and I are pretty big train fans too. It therefore goes without saying that we tend to visit quite a lot of train lines around the country. Both in terms of the visitor attraction heritage railways and also just exercising our family railcard. We’re plotting a little train related challenge for when our baby arrives later in the year, but until then I thought it about time to start documenting some of the lines that we visit. Our “local line” is the Leighton Buzzard Railway here in Bedfordshire, so it seems the right place to start documenting things.

This narrow gauge railway describes itself as England’s Friendly Little Line and I think it’s quite a fitting description. At just under 3 miles long, it was originally built to serve the various sand quarries to the north of this market town, but when they switched to using road transport it was handed over to volunteers and opened as a heritage line.

The route

The thing about the Leighton Buzzard Railway that makes it slightly unusual is what it runs past. For a large proportion of the route you’re going past 1970s style housing stock, and whilst that’s interesting in its own way, I certainly wouldn’t call it a view for typical tourists! The last half a mile or so to the Stonehenge Works, where the line currently ends, you are in the countryside, but this feels quite different to the housing estate before.

The route also features several level crossings where the train has to stop for staff to go and stand on the road and stop traffic with little flags to let the trains pass. It’s very quaint and one of the most exciting things in the world for six year old train addicts like my son!

More to see and do

At both ends of the route there is plenty to see and do. You start your journey at Pages’ Park where there is an impressive modern souvenir shop in the new station building, along with tours of the engine shed itself. In the latter you can find out all about the railway and the engines that they now run on it. Leighton Buzzard Railway actually has one of the largest collections of narrow-gauge locomotives in the UK, and some of them have previously worked all over the world. It’s definitely an eye-opener to find out all about them.

Pages’ Park also features the 1940s themed Buzzrail Cafe, although shockingly I’m yet to actually manage a visit there.

At the far end of the route, Stonehenge Works features a cute craft shop that also serves light refreshments before your return journey. The works also house all the locomotives and rolling stock that aren’t in current passenger service, along with various exhibitions about narrow gauge railways through history. There are also engines for children to clamber all over, which they obviously love.

Extending the line

There are also plans for the line to be extended further. The group running the Leighton Buzzard Railway have now secured the full length of the original line – meaning that they should be able to run an extra half a mile into the countryside beyond Stonehenge Works. The first part of this (to Mundays Hill) is hoped to be open in late 2019. In time for us to make a return trip with baby in tow!

Visiting the Leighton Buzzard Railway

You can find all the latest opening hours and timetables on the Leighton Buzzard Railway’s own website, where you can also book tickets. At various times of the year they run special services whether that be for Christmas, Easter, Fathers Day or some other event.

Pages’ Park station, where you start your journey on the Leighton Buzzard Railway is situated on the south side of Leighton Buzzard. It is well signposted with tourist Brown Signs, many featuring a steam engine logo on them. There is a car park available on site and it is next to a park which features a nice children’s playground. Full directions are available on their website.

Being organised when flying – with a bit of help from Snopake

May 22, 2018 by Penny 2 Comments

Between us, Bonn and I have travelled enough to know what we’re doing when we go through an airport. Every since that first flight together, where we quickly navigated our way around the tourists at Luton and made a beeline for the bar, we’ve known we make good travel companions. It’s all about being organised when flying.

Airports seem to be designed to confuse travellers, especially those that don’t fly often. Most of the ones in the UK seem to have a layout designed around shopping rather than flying. You have to walk through wafts of perfume and aftershave and past duty free alcohol of all sorts before you get anywhere near your flight, or anywhere to sit whilst waiting for it.

Duty free is probably the last obstacle though. The problem is often to the queues and process to get that far. As everyone knows, since 9/11 security at airports is tight. I totally get why that is, but what you need to do can be confusing if you’re not familiar with it.

Travel documents

The key to getting to the air-side bar (or coffee shop) unscathed is being organised. Have all your paperwork in one place. Keep your tickets, passport and anything else you may need together. When I’m flying with an airline that doesn’t have electronic boarding cards I favour a travel wallet to keep everything in. Catching up with Snopake at the recent Blog On X in Manchester I was introduced to their Travel Holder which is a perfect solution.

With separate sections for your passport, tickets and insurance documents it’s sturdy enough to be taken in and out my bag numerous times during a trip. There’s also a handy space inside to keep my EHIC, something that I’m always frightened of mislaying when I actually need it in Europe.

Tackling security

Travel paperwork isn’t the only thing that you need to be organised about at an airport. Understanding the security rules is key to a smooth journey from check in to bar. Different airlines allow you different amounts of hand luggage, but the European Airline Security Rules are the same. When you go through security you need to put all bags through the X-ray machine. Along with coats, bulky jumpers etc, large shoes and belts, belts, some watches. Depending on what I’m wearing it can sometimes feel like I’m stripping in the security queue, but remember that everyone else has to do the same.

When you put your bags into the tray they will ask you not to overfill it, and also to separate out your laptop or iPad, and also any liquids. Since November 2006 there is a restriction on the quantity of liquids that can be taken on board aircraft in hand luggage.

Rules about liquids on flights

Each passenger is allowed one single, transparent, re-sealable plastic bag, which must not exceed 1 litre in capacity. That’s about 20cm x 20cm. Everything in that bag much be in separate containers and none of them must exceed 100ml in capacity. The bag must also be sealed.

(Yep – spot my Gin & tonic lip balm there!)

If you get as far as security with anything bigger than 100ml or anything that won’t fit in a bag of the specified size it will be binned. End of story.

Most airports do have plastic bags available whilst you queue, but they’re usually flimsy ones that don’t last long. And you also end up delaying that trip to the bar whilst faffing around filling it!

I always get my liquids ready in a plastic bag before heading to the airport. But, it was usually a small plastic supermarket food bag that ended up screwed up in a right mess in my handbag. Again, Snopake have come to the rescue with their Air Bag. This durable bag meets all the EU airport security rules and is perfect for when you fly. As I went through Stansted this morning I literally flew through compared to various women (and yes they were all women…) who had to pack and re-pack their plastic bags of toiletries!

Just remember: Pack it right. Don’t miss your flight!

Disclaimer: Snopake gave me the Air Bag and Travel Holder featured in this post when I met them at Blog On X. There was no obligation to blog about them. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Hovercraft – the geekiest way to travel?

May 17, 2018 by Penny Leave a Comment

When I heard that Bonn had another job over on the Isle of Wight I knew I had to go with him. Heck, one of the first conversations the pair of us ever had was about the island’s train service (a post on that soon). The place is a transport geek’s paradise. Now only do you have vintage tube trains providing a mainline service. But there is also the geekiest method of sea travel known to man. The hovercraft.

Hovercraft to the Isle of Wight

Hovertravel have been providing passenger hovercraft services between Portsmouth and Ryde since 1965. In fact, it’s the only commercial hovercraft service in Europe. Can you get any geekier than that?

The fact we had to take a car with us meant that we travelled over to the Isle of Wight by more traditional car ferry this time. We’re determined however to take the hovercraft next time. Even if it does mean going backwards and forwards across the Solent a couple of times to make the logistics work! With it only being a ten minute journey that shouldn’t be too problematic.

If you’re on the island there’s a fantastically positioned footbridge over the train line that provide a brilliant vantage point. You can stand there and watch the hovercraft arrive and depart for as long as you want. I can promise that you’ll be astounded at their turnaround time.

That’s one of the big advantages of a hovercraft for foot passengers. The fact that they can just pull up onto a beach or other landing area means that there isn’t time spent docking. You also therefore don’t need so much infrastructure to support them.

And not forgetting. It just looks damn cool!

Understanding how it works

I’m pretty sure that any true transport geek wants to get their head around how the hovercraft actually works. That’s where the wonderful Ladybird books has all the answers for you.

Collecting vintage Ladybird books is one of my hobbies and I was therefore thrilled to see a copy of their “How It Works – The Hovercraft” book when I was in the Hovertravel terminal in Ryde. You can read all about it here and pop over to their website to buy a copy online too.

Hovertravel provide a passenger hovercraft service between Southsea, Portsmouth and Ryde, Isle of Wight. In Portsmouth there is a Hovertravel run Hoverbus that connects Southsea to Portsmouth Harbour. In Ryde it is only a short walk to Ryde Esplanade station on the Island Line and Ryde bus station. You can find out more about Hovertravel, including their timetable and fares, over on their website.