Isle of Wight Nostalgia - Isle of Wight Bus Museum
After much hard work the Island's bus museum is open for business. The museum depends on the work of volunteers who restore the exhibits and run the museum. Make sure you visit next time you are on the Island. The museum can be found in Newport on the east bank of the River Medina. I do not have information on opening times. There is a members organisation - if you wish to join, you can contact the membership secretary at 9 St. John's Wood Road, Ryde, IW, PO33 1HP.
This building on the river bank at Newport is the somewhat unlikely setting for the new Bus museum.
An interior view on Bus Running day, Autumn 2001.
There were 65 of these ECW bodies on Bristol LD6G (Lodekka) chassis built in the late 1950's - they remained in service until the end of the 1970's. Seen here is SDL 268 with its blind set to route 8 to Bembridge.
This ECW body is on a Bristol FLF6G chassis - CDL 479 C built in 1965 was one of 22 similar vehicles which were in use for the next fifteen years. The blind is for route 16X and the bus sports a 'limited stop' board, used to speed up the popular holiday route. Low deck buses were required on this route due to the limited bridge clearance at Sandown - Route 1 being the other route worked by these buses.
CDL 479 C seen again at Havenstreet in June 2002
FDL 927 D is an ECW body on a Bristol MW6G chassis built in 1966. It was one of eight similar buses which were in use until 1977. The blind is for route number 5 to Trinity Wharf, East Cowes.
Bus running day 2002
A trip on this magnificent bus to Carisbrooke - part of running day from Newport Quay 2002
The museum is restoring one of the trams that was used on Ryde Pier. The tramway was supplied by electricity from a third rail between 1886 & 1927 when this tram would have been in service. The line later used two sets of Drury built powered cars until closure.
This superb painting of the tramway can be seen at the museum. The painting accurately shows the lack of 'decking' under the train - a conductor could easily go for an unexpected swim if he carelessly negotiated between the two tram cars! The tramway complimented the railway (to the right of the picture) in getting passengers to and from the Pier Head which was one of the major access points to the Island.
