Another Gem for the IWSR

On Thursday 26th October a railway carriage of about 1880 vintage, that had been placed by Wootton Creek, Isle of Wight, back in the 1930s, and since become surrounded by mature oak trees was extracted by a team from the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and transported to their centre at Havenstreet. The carriage was one of seven similar vehicles, which were sent as a batch to the Island to form one of the two trains on the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway (FYNR) in 1913. David Parkinson and Nikki Short, who recently moved to Wootton, had offered the carriage to the IWSR. With expert help from the crane operator, who lifted the carriage and slewed it onto a waiting lorry, the carriage was then transported to Havenstreet by road where it will join the queue of vintage railway vehicles awaiting restoration.
IWR Team Peter Jardine, John James and Roger Silsbury with owners David Parkinson, Nikki Short and son Glynn.

FYNR No.6 was built c.1880 for the Manchester South Junction & Altrincham Railway, later Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway and then part of the Great Central Railway. Dimensions are 26' 9" long, 8' 0" wide, body height 7' 3". Built as a 4-compartment Second Class vehicle, it was one of seven purchased by the FYNR late in 1912 but
not transferred to the Island until 25 June 1913.
The carriage just lifted from the ground.

For the FYNR it was retrimmed to provide two First class and two Third class compartments, the Thirds at each end. Livery remained GCR varnished teak with the company initials altered to FYN. It retained the vacuum brakes and could only work with locomotive FYN No.2 ( 'Terrier', No.8 Freshwater, also preserved on the IWSR). On 30 April 1924 Under the Southern Railway it became No. 6359 and was withdrawn on 31 December 1930. The body was sold off and, with a sister vehicle, was grounded at Wootton in 1931 where it first became a chalet and later a yachtsman's store. Visit the Carriage & Wagon pages for more details of the IWSR's historic fleet.
IWSR Archive Photo - Three of the batch of MSJ&AR coaches arriving at St.Helens, Isle of Wight in June 1913, together with 'Terrier' FYN No.2. She had just been purchased from the LSWR and still carries their livery and an LSWR boiler. She is now preserved on the IWSR as SR No.W8 'Freshwater'. For more details vist the Locomotive Pages.
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Page last modified 11/11/06.
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