Tube train becomes Santa’s grotto as ‘new’ units take over Island Line
THE first of two Class 483 Island Line former tube trains acquired by the London Transport Traction Group arrived at the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway on October 22 – and No. 483006 is being prepared for a starring role as Santa's grotto at the line's upcoming Christmas event.
Eleven days later, on November 1, a third generation of recycled former Underground trains made history by restarting Island Line services.
No. 483006 was delivered to London Transport in 1940 as part of the then ongoing production of the 1938 tube stock. It ran in service on the Northern and Bakerloo lines at various points during its LT career, with the type also seeing use on the Piccadilly line and the Ongar branch of the Central line. Upon withdrawal in the late 1980s, it was sold to BR for further service on the Isle of Wight's electrified line. It was part of a fleet of nine two-car units, the last of which remained in passenger service until withdrawn by South Western Railway in January this year. No. 483006 operated the final Class 483 service on January 3.
The LTTG's plan is to use one of the cars from the second set, No. 483008, to carry batteries in order that the trains may operate on heritage railways; originally they ran using current taken from conductor rails.
This second unit is expected to arrive at Cynheidre later in the winter.
After BR electrified the Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin line during the winter of 1966/67, the trackbed in Ryde Tunnel was raised to prevent flooding and became ten inches too low for standard national network vehicles. Accordingly, BR obtained redundant tube stock which would conform to the lower headroom, the first being sets built between 1923 and 1934, which became classes 485 and 486 prior to their replacement by the 1938 tube stock.
Now running on the Island Line is a fleet of newly designated Class 484 sets built by Vivarail, using the existing bodyshells and bogies of former Underground D78 stock units originally manufactured in the late 1970s and early 1980s by MetroCammell and which have now been modified for use on the national network. The D78 stock is similar in terms of height to other UK national network stock and taller than the
Class 483s, but after undertaking a survey of the route, Vivarail confirmed its proposed units were capable of traversing tunnel.
Based on the class 230 diesel multiple unit, the units have been converted from the London Underground D78 stock at Long Marston. Each unit is formed of two D78 driving motors.
The first Class 484 passenger train left Ryde St John's Road at 5.35am, taking customers to Ryde Pier Head before heading 8½ miles south to Shanklin along the line, which has undergone a £26 million transformation – not only of the trains, but also of the stations and infrastructure as part of South Western Railway's Journey To Better initiative. After several delays, the relaunched service was offering an hourly service for the following six weeks until the long-awaited two trains an hour is finally introduced with the next timetable change on December 12. Regular interval half-hourly services have been made possible by the restoration of a passing loop at Brading.
A PROJECT to restore a rake of London, Chatham & Dover Railway coaches is gathering momentum at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
As detailed in issue 282, the IoWSR plans to restore four LCDR vehicles to recreate an island train of the 1930s/1940s period. The first, 1898-built Brake Third No. 4115 has had its first door refitted and the floor constructed in the guard's compartment, while the SR underframe to which it will be fitted has been shortened by five feet.
A £70,000 appeal for this coach has raised more than £15,000. Donations can be made at www.iwsteamrailway. co.uk