Seeing Red!

Historic Carriage Returns to Traffic on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway in Crimson Livery

In a surprise move, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway has returned a passenger carriage to traffic today (Friday 5th August) in unlined British Railway's crimson livery. This is the first time in its 40 year history the IW Steam Railway has presented a carriage in such a livery.

Originally built in 1924 to London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LBSCR) design, this composite bogie coach No. S6349, went into the IW Steam Railway's workshops in early summer for remedial work to its paneling. While there, the decision was made to undertake a full repaint and to present the carriage in the livery in which many such vehicles operated on the Island's 55 miles of railway line during the 1950s.

"This was an unmissable opportunity for our railway to complete an early 1950's train," said The IW Steam Railway's Carriage & Wagon Supervisor Gary Walker. "Our railway's flagship locomotive No 24 'Calbourne' is currently painted in very early 1950's condition and runs with bogie coaches carrying both full Southern malachite green and the later simplified British Railways version. Adding the crimson vehicle makes up a set which accurately portrays the period around 1950 when trains of mixed livery carriages ran on the Island".

The IW Steam Railway had originally planned to out-shop two carriages in red over the forthcoming autumn and winter period, one in lined and the second in the slightly later unlined condition. However, a need to return the vehicle to traffic for the busy summer season has resulted in the decision to represent the unlined crimson livery on S6349. Former South Eastern & Chatham brake third, No. S4145, is still on schedule for its repaint in the autumn.

Historically, the first vehicle to receive the new red livery on the Island was completed at the former Newport Station paint-shops in July 1950, the colour being slightly lighter than the shade applied on the Mainland. The Island persisted with its unique colour until late 1956, when the Southern Region green became the new order. It was not until 1961, that red carriages finally disappeared from the Island's railways.

An ex-Southern Railway passenger luggage van, is also being restored and repainted red but will represent the Mainland shade in which it was first transferred in October 1950.

"It's very fitting for us to be doing something new and different in this our 40th Anniversary year," said IW Steam Railway Chairman, Steve Oates. "And in recreating another important aspect of Island railway history, this very much fits in with our core educational objectives. With No 24 'Calbourne' in early BR lined black, these new liveries enable the Isle of Wight Steam Railway to depict Island trains matching those of 60 years ago, when mixed rakes of malachite and crimson trains, and rakes of all crimson trains, were in service!"

The newly out-shopped carriage has returned to service today in a train with No. 24 'Calbourne' at the helm. It is expected to feature in normal service trains throughout the summer and will also be 'on duty' during the Steam Railway's 'Celebration of Island Steam' on 24th & 25th September.

All of the repair and repainting work on S6349 has been completed by the IW Steam Railway's Carriage & Wagon department, headed by C&W Supervisor Gary Walker

Isle of Wight Carriage Liveries 1939 to 1966

Malachite Green, Southern Railway Autumn 1939 to late 1947

Malachite Green, simplified British Railways Jan. 1948 to June 1950

Crimson (lined) BR June 1950 to late 1951

Crimson (unlined) BR Late 1951 to late 1956

B.R. Southern Region Green Late 1956 to Dec. 1966

Most vehicles had been repainted crimson by 1953

Last vehicles running in crimson in 1961

.