Thanks to a £40,000 grant from South Western Railway’s Customer and Communities Improvement Fund, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway is now planning a series of improvements at Smallbrook Junction.
Smallbrook Junction was originally an isolated signal box controlling the junction of the lines to Ventnor and Cowes. However, Smallbrook Junction station in its current form was built in 1991 by Network South East to serve as an interchange between the Isle of Wight Steam Railway (IWSR) and the electric Island Line. It is unusual in having no road or path access – the only way to get there is by train.
The station’s facilities were very basic until the current station building was opened in 2012 housing the booking office, waiting room and eco-loo and now it is set to get a further upgrade with the Smallbrook Connections Project.
The project involves creating a ‘green energy’ station with a solar panel attached to the roof of the existing station building which will provide the majority of the station’s needs, connected to a battery to ensure a continuous supply. The existing generator will be converted to run on bio-diesel, to provide extra resilience and LED lighting along both platforms will enable safe operation after dark.
The existing Network South East era waiting shelter will be replaced and the aim is to build a structure more in keeping with the British Railways era portrayed on the rest of the station.
Customer information screens will provide real-time information on Island Line and IWSR trains, assisting passengers making a connection between the 2.
A replica of the original signal box will also be built on the concrete base upon which the original wooden structure stood before the line was electrified. When complete it will house interpretation, telling the story of this once-busy junction.
Hippies! Diesel generators are cheaper.