IWSR Announces 40th Anniversary Year of Celebration

Year of Celebrations to Mark 40 Years of Island Railway Preservation

Over 40 Events to Complement the 2011 Season Including Programme of Special 40^th Anniversary Events

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is announcing plans to make 2011 a year of celebration to mark the 40^th anniversary of the opening of the Railway in 1971. This will include an exciting and ambitious programme of 40^th Anniversary activities spread throughout the year, which will run alongside the Railway’s already busy schedule of steam train services and other regular special events.

There will be two unique events on key anniversary dates in January and April, one marking the date 40 years ago when the IW Steam Railway was first established at Havenstreet Station, and the other to commemorate the date 40 years ago when trains operated for the first time! Other highlights of the 40^th Anniversary year will include two special Railway Gala weekends, a series of walks along some of the Island’s former railway lines, specially commissioned film shows, and an auction of railwayana. It is also hoped to host a 40^th Anniversary Year lecture with a renowned guest speaker from the world of railways and/or preservation.

“2011 is going to be a very special year for the Isle of Wight Steam Railway”, said Railway Chairman, Steve Oates. “It’s terrific to be celebrating and paying tribute to the vision, commitment and enthusiasm of a small group of individuals who, 40 years ago, worked so hard to save a little of the Island’s once extensive railway network. So during 2011 we want to celebrate all that has been achieved to make the Isle of Wight Steam Railway one of the leading heritage railways in the UK and an important and major visitor attraction for the Island. There will be a great deal going on and our aim is ensure there will be something for everyone to enjoy during the year”.

The current list of 40th Anniversary events can be found HERE

40 Years Ago

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway grew from the early commitment and enthusiasm of a small group of individuals determined to save a few relics from the Island’s once extensive railway network following the end of steam in 1966, after which just the Ryde to Shanklin line was electrified and remained open. At the end of steam in 1966 all the old steam engines, carriages and wagons were broken up, except for the few precious items saved for preservation by the Wight Locomotive Society, the forerunner of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. After four years of storage at the closed Newport Station, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway was founded on 24th January 1971 when the one saved steam locomotive hauled an assortment of rolling stock and equipment to the then semi-derelict station at Havenstreet to begin their new life!

The Last & First Trains!

40 years on, on Sunday 23^rd January 2011, the 40^th Anniversary activities will commence with ‘The Last Train’ – a guided walk from the site of the former Newport Station following, where possible, the former trackbed to Wootton. Walkers will then board a steam train for the remainder of the journey to Havenstreet Station. This will be virtually 40 years to the day since that very last steam train left Newport hauling the fledgling IW Steam Railway’s rolling stock to Havenstreet, to begin a new chapter in Island railway history. The walk will begin outside the Hamilton & Marshall building - the approximate location of the former Newport Railway Station building – where a blue plaque commemorating the former station site will be unveiled by Major General Martin White, Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight.

A second important anniversary date next year is 12^th April. In 1971, the fledgling steam railway was sufficiently organized by April that year to try running a passenger service. Exactly 40 years later, on 12^th April 2011, ‘The First Train’ will be recreated with a series of special train workings between Havenstreet Station and Woodhouse, using the same locomotive and carriages!

Gala Weekends

The first of the Gala Weekends will be held over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May, when it is planned to have all of the of the IW Steam Railway’s available locomotives in steam, together with guest locos from other railways (although these are still to be confirmed) possibly making the Gala the largest gathering of locomotives in steam on the Island since 1966. In September, the second Gala will feature locomotives with an Island pedigree in steam together and may include the return to steam of the Railway’s historic 1878-built ‘Terrier’ class locomotive No. 11 ‘Newport’. One further event, still in the planning stages, may see a continuous timetabled service of steam trains spanning 40 hours, with trains operating from 6am on Saturday 25^th June until 10pm on Sunday 26^th June.

An Island Success Story

The announcement of the IW Steam Railway’s 40^thAnniversary Year events comes on the back of a hugely successful 2010 season for the Railway, with visitor numbers over 20% up year-on-year and a national award in the bag. “Those individuals from the late 1960s and early 70s who kicked-off our Railway have certainly seen many, many changes over the years”, said IW Steam Railway General Manager Peter Vail. “We are a registered educational charity and now have a collection of historic locomotives and rolling stack deemed to be of national importance. Over the years we have acquired land and constructed workshops, sidings and commercial facilities. We are a significant local employer and we attract over 100,000 visitors each year. And we’ve won a clutch of local, regional and national awards, with the most recent being Best Heritage Project in The 2010 National Lottery Awards!” 

40th Anniversary Appeal

Alongside the 40^th Anniversary celebrations, the Steam Railway will also be running a special appeal throughout the year to raise funds for an ambitious project to transform and restore Wootton Station in the style of the old Isle of Wight Central Railway. Initial plans have been drawn-up and, as part of the anniversary celebrations, the Railway is appealing for £40,000 to make this project a reality and create a country terminus station of 100 years ago!

Other Activities

The anniversary celebrations will be integral to the regular steam train service - During 2011 the Steam Railway will run trains on some 200 days across the year from March to December, with trains running along its five-mile line which links Wootton, Havenstreet, Ashey and Smallbrook Junction. There will also be some 25 ‘regular’ Special Events, large and small, spread across the year. From fine wines and real ales to world class jazz musicians, and from Land Army girls to Thomas the Tank Engine, the aim is to present a wide range of activities and events to entertain and interest Islanders and holiday-makers of all ages. Among the key events Thomas the Tank Engine will roll into Havenstreet Station for four fun-filled days in July, there will be a selection of ales from around the UK at the May Bank Holiday weekend Real Ale Festival, 40 steam vehicles – traction engines and steam rollers as well as railway steam locomotives - will feature at the Island Steam Show, and in June the terrific BBC Big Band and the fabulous Jive Aces will top the bill at the Railway’s hugely popular Midsummer Jazz. 

Outlining some of the regular events and attractions planned for 2011, the IW Steam Railway’s events officer, Liz Tagart said, “Over the Easter weekend there will be a number of new children’s activities with our ‘Easter Fun’ theme, while in May we’re again asking anyone with a classic or vintage car, or maybe just an old banger, to bring it along to the ‘Pride and Joy’ Show on May 22^nd. In early July we head back to the exciting, but most dangerous 1940s for our annual ‘1940s Weekend’, and later in the year, there’s a Victorian Weekend in August, our Wine Festival in September, and much-loved Santa Specials in December!”

A summary of all 2011 events can be downloaded HERE