Stokes Bay line

Associated with a new pier, it was intended to give direct and easy access from trains to steamers to the Isle of Wight in comparison to the conventional route through Portsmouth, which required a road transport connection though the town.Queen Victoria and Prince Albert acquired Osborne House, near East Cowes, in 1845, and expressed great pleasure in staying there.Stokes Bay was the nearest point on the mainland to Ryde, Isle of Wight, 2+1⁄2 miles away, so a short crossing of the Solent would be possible.The established contractors Thomas Brassey and Alex Ogilvie now appeared on the scene, and agreed to construct the line, taking shares in full payment.[5] At this stage the LSWR insisted on the Stokes Bay station being long enough to accommodate seven-coach trains, and the SBRP Company had to arrange for its contractor to construct the necessary lengthening, which included piling in the sea.[9] This resulted in an awkward misunderstanding: Captain Tyler of the Board of Trade was visiting for an inspection on 5 January 1859, in order to approve the line for passenger operation.[9][2] Tyler completed part of the inspection on foot, and commented that There are several viaducts constructed with cast iron girders upon timber supports - I was unable to test these or the pier in Stokes Bay, because the agent for the contractors declined to allow an engine to come upon the line.The contemporary newspaper report stated that This unexpected contretemps is attributable to the disagreement which still exists between the directors of the company and the contractors, who refuse to permit the line or pier to be used, until certain claims have been satisfied.However for some time London passengers had to change trains at Bishopstoke, and the journey showed little advantage compared with the existing route through Portsmouth.[9] The board of the Stokes Bay Company approached the LSWR, requesting improvements, in particular avoiding protracted delays at Bishopstoke waiting for connecting trains.[11][12] The supposed advantage of the Stokes Bay route to the Isle of Wight, was that direct transfer from train to ship was possible, in comparison to getting through the streets of Portsmouth.The advantage was diminished by the unreliability of the IWFC operation; the Stokes Bay pier was still unfinished and could not handle horses and carriages, nor properly take goods.[7] As the railway staff at Stokes Bay were unable to find suitable housing locally, in May 1899 the LSWR built a row of five cottages for £1,235.An augmented service of thirty-two trains ran between Fareham and Stokes Bay; Gosport station was closed for much of the day and used for stabling empty stock awaiting return.[7] The line continued to decline and was eventually closed to passengers on 1 November 1915, when, with the First World War in progress, the Admiralty requisitioned the pier and station.During the war the line was used to convey military goods, sometimes at the rate of one train daily and primarily of munitions or fuel for the bowsers established on the former promenade.[15] The former triangle at Gosport was retained for engine turning; the points at the south end were hand-operated, Stokes Bay Junction signal-box having closed from 30 November 1924.