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And the rest of the buses.

There’s nothing like an old open-topper (unless it’s snowing.)  A Southern Vectis Bristol K5G dating from 1940.

Three generations of front-engine single deckers.  I have a soft spot for the older versions, though I’m not convinced by that narrow-gauge one!  A 1934 Dennis Ace, a 1949 Bedford OB, and a 1985 Ford Transit.

A classic AEC Matador service vehicle.  How many OO layouts have had conversions of the British Army version on their roads?

Upstairs, downstairs, on a Bristol ‘Lodekka’.

Some older vehicles…  A 1957 Bedford SB3 with a lovely Duple Vega body, the rear of a 1956 open top Bristol ‘Lodekka’.  A 1956 Bristol MW6G single decker, some front ends, and some rear ends….

And some needing a lot of TLC….  a 1927 Daimler CK rescued from duty as a garden shed.

Still more delights to come, as Allan and Ron wend their way home.

Looks like Day 4 may take two posts…..

Overcast turning sunny with a fresh breeze. Visited IOW bus museum. Afterwards bus via Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor and Godshill to Newport. Onward to Alum Bay via Yarmouth returning to Newport via Freshwater Bay and Brighstone. Then back to Ryde by bus.

A little more tourism from the top deck of the bus….

And waiting outside the museum….  Left to right, a 1993 open-topped Leyland Olympian, a mystery item, a Bristol VRT from 1973 and a 1962 Bristol ‘Lodekka’.

A wet year seems to have germinated all sorts of things in this bus! 

Rest of the buses next time.

Trains today!

Hot and sunny. Spent day on Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Arriving at Haven Street.

On the line.  These Ivatt 2-6-2T locos were considered as replacements for the O2’s, so are quite appropriate for an IOW railway.

In the yard.  Spot the lurking ‘Shark’.

Best of the best.  The remaining member of the O2 class 0-4-4T that ran the railway from the 1930’s.

Second best?  One of the Island Terriers in the museum.

The carriage works.  A real labour of love restoring beach huts and chicken coops into pre-grouping coaches.  The little four-wheelers are some of the original coaches on the island.

Ryde Pier trams.

And other exhibits.

Next time, we are back on the buses!

Pure tourism today.  But worth a post, as Ron’s photos show just how pretty the Isle of Wight can be when the sun comes out.

Sunny. Spent today travelling round island by bus. Treated ourselves to a 3 hour ride on the summer only Island Coastnet bus from Ryde to Yarmouth via Bembridge. Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor. Blackgang Chine. Freshwater Bay and Alum Bay. After a refreshment break took bus to Newport for bus back to Ryde via Godshill, Shanklin, Sandown and Brading.

Ryde

St Helens

Sandown

Shanklin, including the Bus Station where buses stop on two sides of the supermarket!

Ventnor

Blackgang Chine.  No doubt our intrepid travellers were attracted by the barrel…..

On the military road, approaching Freshwater Bay and the Needles.  I think that this is my favourite part of the island – it’s so different from the rest of the area.

Yarmouth

Next time, we’ll visit the IOW Steam Railway.

Allan and Ron seem to like islands – last time it was Man and this time it’s Wight.  We’ll spend a few days wandering around the island, starting with boats and a few trains.

Travelled by train to Lymington for ferry to Yarmouth and then across island by bus to Ryde for our hotel.

Lymington.  The most interesting way to get to the island?

Yarmouth….

Ryde…

Hotel room view at Ryde and the other way to get to the island….

Some trains.  Lucky to see one as the service is so bad at the moment, and the whole line will be shutting down for a while for essential work.  Shame, as these new renovated underground trains look very smart and should have been ideal for the line.

Finally, how the transport network on the island looks now….

And how it was (and I wish it still was.)