…although one ‘483’ will remain on the Isle of Wight

This won’t be the last the Isle of Wight sees of the 83-year-old trains - 483007 is being donated to the Isle of Wight Steam

Railway.

But General Manager Steve Backhouse acknowledges a fundamental problem: his heritage line was not electrified along with the national rail route in 1967. And without a third rail, the train cannot run.

“Initially, it will go into our ‘train story discovery centre’. People will be able to get on board and see the history of the island’s railways,” he said.

“But eventually the aim is to have it run on the line, perhaps powered with batteries or diesel. We are trying to work out what will be the best way of doing that.”

One option being considered is the type of battery pack being fitted by Vivarail to other D-stock trains, similar to the ones now being delivered to the Ryde St Johns Road depot. But why would a steam railway with a lot of rolling stock want the electric underground trains at all?

“It’s older than many of our steam locomotives,” said Backhouse.

“It tells an important part of our history. Railways have been on the island for 150 years. Steam was here for 100 years of that, and electric units for the last 50. Many visitors will have happy memories of bouncing down Ryde Pier on these trains.

“Unit 483007 has been in the works for the last three years and has had only a few weeks of use in that time, so cosmetically it is in pretty good condition. We understand it is in good running condition as well.”

Another Class 483 will go to the London Transport Traction Group for use on the Epping Ongar Railway in Essex, with delivery expected in March or April. The intention is to convert it to battery power.