Ventnor

After initial failure to build a railway in 1852 a further attempt was made almost a decade later and this time, during 1860, a Bill promoting The Isle of Wight Railway from Ryde to Ventnor was successful and an Act was passed authorising the building of the line. Shanklin was reached by 1864 but then an impasse occurred with obstinate landowners successfully objecting to the proposed route through Luccombe and Bonchurch. Eventually the decision was made to approach Ventnor from the north, through Wroxall, which required the construction of a tunnel some 1312 yards long under St. Boniface Down and, despite delays, the line was completed through to Ventnor in 1866. The IWR prospered during its early years (unlike the other railways built on the Island) and ruled supreme in Ventnor until the Isle of Wight Central Railway’s Merstone-Ventnor branch arrived on the west side of Ventnor in 1900.

The line from Shanklin to Ventnor closed in 1966 and despite re-opening proposals in recent years seems doomed to remain a distant memory!

W24 Calbourne bursts out of the tunnel under St. Boniface Down to arrive at Ventnor.

photograph from John Bradshaw collection
(Visit www.transport-of-delight.com for other SR images)

The main platform at Ventnor.

photograph by Richard Neal

The same platform from a little further back and with a train standing in the station.

photograph by Keith Harwood

The goods shed at Ventnor.

photograph by Richard Neal

The lack of any footbridge or subway led to novel ways for passenger access to and from the island platform. It was not often that there were two trains at Ventnor at the same time, but when this did happen it was usual (in later years) for the first train to arrive at the outer face of the island platform. The engine would then run round, ready for departure, before the second train arrived in the main platform. Whilst the main platform road was empty, a wooden gangway was placed across to the island platform thus enabling passengers to cross and when the main platform road was occupied, then passengers simply used a convenient coach door to enter the train from the island platform and leave it on the main platform.

Although this was the usual arrangement in the later years (during Monday to Friday afternoons) there was no reason why the first train couldn't arrive in the main platform and, indeed, this did happen.

In this photograph the gangway is just visible to the immediate right of the supporting pillar on the island platform.

photograph by Ray Soper

W28 Ashey ready to depart from Ventnor on 3rd September 1961.

photograph by Chris Knowles-Thomas

Ventnor station looking quite busy with W29 Alverstone ready for departure on the same date.

photograph by Chris Knowles-Thomas

O2 NºW24 takes water during the run-round, having arrived with Set Nº492, one of the seven (490 - 494, 497 & 500) 6-sets allocated to the Ryde to Ventnor service in 1960. They all had an ex SECR brake at the Ryde end with an ex LBSCR one at the Ventnor end, as seen in the photograph. The vehicle is possibly S4165.

In the early years there was a small turntable here but this was replaced by a turnout and headshunt.

photograph from John Bradshaw collection

And makes its way to Nº1 siding.

photograph from John Bradshaw collection

All photographs are copyright

This page was last updated 3 July 2010