It looks like the old 1938 tube stock in use on the Isle of Wight network is finally being retired after a huge 82 years in service and replaced with more of London’s hand me down tube stock. To be fair though the new class 484 stock is a world away from the original District Line stock that it used to be. The new stock was originally built by Metro Cammell in 1980 and worked the District lines, but a company called Vivarail have completely transformed the stock and included new features like Wifi and at seat charging points.
The new rolling stock will require some changes to the infrastructure of the line especially around the Ryde area as there are restricted clearances in the tunnel hence the use of tube stock. The tunnel height was always restricted and the line required stock with a maximum height of 3.56m but even that was shortened in later days when the line was electrified and the trackbed was raised another 25cm to alleviate flooding.
For much of the recent years the stock has carried a striking red livery reminiscent of the old London Transport colours it would have originally run in, but I have found some pictures from a visit in June 2003 where some of the stock was painted in the dinosaur livery to help publicise the Dinosaur Isle museum.
Unfortunately on that trip I didn’t get to ride the whole network as we had planned to do it on the Sunday but a huge thunderstorm on the Saturday night brought a tree down effectively cutting the network in two.
Last year though we finally went back and I had the chance to ride the whole length of the network from Ventnor all the way to Ryde Pier Head. It is not the most comfortable journey I have ever made but there was something good about the way the carriages shook and banged and crashed along and I am guessing that when the line reopens with the new trains will be a lot smoother and up to modern standards.