Isle of Wight Steam Railway

2008

May

Hello all, and a very warm welcome to another edition of Trackpack. I say warm, as it is a hot sunny day here at Havenstreet and I have just walked the line doing an inspection getting rather sweaty in the process. It is amazing to think that only a month ago we had snow! The weather is a strange old thing these days. I hope it is not too warm next weekend as I am taking part in the 8-mile Walk the Wight (the smaller version for old codgers like me) from Sandown to Newport (along the old railway line) in aid of the Island Hospice. Thanks to all those who kindly sponsored me, I will be collecting monies next working weekend if I make it to Newport!

The wonderful weather has given all the vegetation around the railway a real boost and we have got our work cut out keeping crossings and stations looking tidy. Hopefully our taking over estates will not be too onerous but we will certainly have a lot more mowing and station work to do so if any volunteers fancy helping with jobs around the station please let me know, I will grab your arm off! So lets move on to see what's in store next month and what we have been up to over the last few weeks.

June Working Weekend Sat 7th / Sun 8th

Next month's bash will be concentrated at Smallbrook Junction. We hope to get cracking on a makeover of the ground frame box. It has been sadly neglected for some years now, rot, flaking paint and dodgy guttering has made it look a mess. We will get materials in and with luck get it looking a little more respectable. The tablet catcher will hopefully, by then, be in place by the platform at Smallbrook and working but if there are outstanding jobs on that project we may combine