Let's start at the very beginning. . .
The Class 483 is a class of Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train previously operated on the by South Western Railway. Nothing unusual in that - The company operates a variety of unremarkable EMUs. However, these EMUs are special and, as suggested by their Art-Deco styling, their history stretches all the way back to the late-1930s.
These trains began life as part of London Transport's 'New Works Programme' of the late-1930s, originally being classed as 1938 Tube Stock -a name which many still use to refer to them- with 1,297 cars having been constructed or rebuilt from other stock by the end of 1953. They were built to replace the older 1923-31 'Standard' stock operating across many of London's tube lines, a role they would later continue on the Isle of Wight. The 1938 tube stock derives much of its anatomy from the prototype 1935 stock units which had been in service since 1936. The 1935 stock was a revolutionary development for London's tube stock and provided the model for all future tube stock - For the first time the train's electrical equipment was located beneath the floor, rather than in an above-floor equipment compartment behind the driver's (or Motorman's, in London Transport parlance) cab. The 1935 units featured greatly exaggerated streamlined Art-Deco styling, a feature which was mostly dropped on the 1938 Stock. Building on the developments of the 1935 stock, with mostly minor structural differences, the 1938 stock proved to be reliable, smooth-riding. They were, and continue to be, extremely stylish with just the right amount of Art-Deco glamour.
The 1938 Tube stock units provided service on the Northern, Bakerloo, Piccadilly and Central lines during their time with London Transport before finally being withdrawn from the Northern Line over 30 years ago. Their service was largely without major incident, with the exception of a freak tragedy at Moorgate (Great Northern & City Line, then part of the Northern Line and today operated by Govia Great Northern) in February 1975. The incident killed 42 passengers and the Motorman, the exact circumstances and causes of the event being unknown to this day, although it is commonly speculated that the Motorman suffered a rare form of seizure during the approach to the terminus station.
After approaching nearly 50 years of generally excellent service with London Transport, the majority of the trains were scrapped, with a handful converted for engineer's use. Additionally, a 4-Car set was preserved by the London Transport Museum and a few vehicles went into static preservation.
For twenty of the cars, all dating from 1939-1940, this was not to be the end of their useful lives as a new life awaited them across the Solent.
These trains began life as part of London Transport's 'New Works Programme' of the late-1930s, originally being classed as 1938 Tube Stock -a name which many still use to refer to them- with 1,297 cars having been constructed or rebuilt from other stock by the end of 1953. They were built to replace the older 1923-31 'Standard' stock operating across many of London's tube lines, a role they would later continue on the Isle of Wight. The 1938 tube stock derives much of its anatomy from the prototype 1935 stock units which had been in service since 1936. The 1935 stock was a revolutionary development for London's tube stock and provided the model for all future tube stock - For the first time the train's electrical equipment was located beneath the floor, rather than in an above-floor equipment compartment behind the driver's (or Motorman's, in London Transport parlance) cab. The 1935 units featured greatly exaggerated streamlined Art-Deco styling, a feature which was mostly dropped on the 1938 Stock. Building on the developments of the 1935 stock, with mostly minor structural differences, the 1938 stock proved to be reliable, smooth-riding. They were, and continue to be, extremely stylish with just the right amount of Art-Deco glamour.
The 1938 Tube stock units provided service on the Northern, Bakerloo, Piccadilly and Central lines during their time with London Transport before finally being withdrawn from the Northern Line over 30 years ago. Their service was largely without major incident, with the exception of a freak tragedy at Moorgate (Great Northern & City Line, then part of the Northern Line and today operated by Govia Great Northern) in February 1975. The incident killed 42 passengers and the Motorman, the exact circumstances and causes of the event being unknown to this day, although it is commonly speculated that the Motorman suffered a rare form of seizure during the approach to the terminus station.
After approaching nearly 50 years of generally excellent service with London Transport, the majority of the trains were scrapped, with a handful converted for engineer's use. Additionally, a 4-Car set was preserved by the London Transport Museum and a few vehicles went into static preservation.
For twenty of the cars, all dating from 1939-1940, this was not to be the end of their useful lives as a new life awaited them across the Solent.
Ticket to Ryde
Twenty of the remaining cars were purchased by British Rail in 1988 for use on the Island Line, part of their Network Southeast sector. This was not the first time that British Rail had considered employing the 1938 tube stock on the Island Line, but by the late-1980s point the Class 485 and 486 units (which were composed of old London Transport 'Standard' tube stock built between 1923 and 1931) were beginning to age particularly badly and were suffering from corrosion issues. Eighteen of the Twenty 1938 stock cars purchased from London Transport were refurbished between 1989 and 1992, with the first unit -483001- arriving at Ryde Depot in July 1989. The refurbishment included substantial cosmetic and structural work, along with changes to the cab interiors, refurbishment of the passenger saloons, moving of the compressor to the driving cars (in LT service they were fitted to Non-Driving Motor cars), new lighting, new whistles, and modification from London Transport's Fourth Rail system to the Southern Region's Third Rail System. After initial testing on the mainland system, the first eight two-car units were delivered by the end of 1990. The ninth unit, 483009, entered service in 1992 and the remaining two cars were shipped to the Island to act as spares donors. The units were initially outshopped in the standard Network Southeast livery of White, Blue and Red stripes - colloquially referred to as 'toothpaste'.
At privatisation in 1996, the Island Line was an individual franchise operated by Stagecoach, who also ran the (separate) South Western franchise on the mainland, to whose services Island Line connected via the Ryde-Portsmouth ferry. Units 483001, 483003 and 483005 were scrapped in the early 2000s, along with the spares donor unit. The remaining units were refreshed and outshopped in a new livery of blue and yellow with pictures of dinosaurs down the sides of each unit to reflect the Island's Jurassic notability. From 2007 this was replaced by a rather more tasteful London Transport-inspired Red, albeit with yellow panels on each end as required for mainline operations. Unit 483002 was withdrawn in 2008 to act as a spares donor and has remained at Ryde Depot ever since.
At privatisation in 1996, the Island Line was an individual franchise operated by Stagecoach, who also ran the (separate) South Western franchise on the mainland, to whose services Island Line connected via the Ryde-Portsmouth ferry. Units 483001, 483003 and 483005 were scrapped in the early 2000s, along with the spares donor unit. The remaining units were refreshed and outshopped in a new livery of blue and yellow with pictures of dinosaurs down the sides of each unit to reflect the Island's Jurassic notability. From 2007 this was replaced by a rather more tasteful London Transport-inspired Red, albeit with yellow panels on each end as required for mainline operations. Unit 483002 was withdrawn in 2008 to act as a spares donor and has remained at Ryde Depot ever since.
The end of the line.
At the time of writing all six units survive. 483002 is fit only for scrap, having had all re-usable components removed. 483009 is also in extremely poor condition, although it remained nominally operational as depot shunter right up until the final day of Class 483 operation on January 3rd 2021. For most of 2020 483006 and 483008 provided the service, though towards the end of the year failures increased alarmingly. 483006 failed at the end of November and was believed to have been withdrawn, 483008 failing a few weeks later. The service returned intermittently from December 10th when 483007 finally re-emerged from overhaul after three years. It managed all of one and a half days in traffic before failing, returning again briefly on the 14th only to be failed again on the 16th. 006 re-entered traffic on December 19th and by the final day both it and 007 were operational. On the final day of 483 operation, 483007 handled the service until 11am with 483006 providing the remainder of the services.
The Class 483 units were now living beyond even their borrowed time. All had seen out their 80th birthdays by the time of withdrawal -the youngest unit having been delivered to London Transport on July 1st 1940. After a remarkable service life, these trains were now long overdue for replacement on front line duties. Whilst they were an amusement for tourists and treasured by railway enthusiasts as part of the last truly unique enclave on the British railway network, they were not fit to provide the Isle of Wight with the public transport service it deserved, though the unacceptably rough riding of Island Line trains during the last few years of Class 483 operation was only partially the fault of the trains.
The replacement of the Class 483 fleet came as part of a multi-million pound upgrade of the Island Line which saw the rebuilding of the railway to become the efficient, modern and comfortable public transport link that the Island needs. The tradition of second-hand motive power for the Island, which dates back to the dawn of railways on the Island in 1861, continues assuredly with the arrival of the Class 484 units which have taken over the service. Not only do these units continue the tradition of second-hand motive power, but the tradition of ex-London Underground rolling stock as the 'new' trains are formed of heavily refurbished and rebuilt 1980s D78 Sub-Surface stock.
The association between the Class 483s and the Island Line ended on January 3rd 2021, with all three of the units that saw operation during December 2020 set for continued preservation in a nominally operational condition. 483006 and 483008 came to us at the London Transport Traction Group, with 483007 going to Havenstreet on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. 004 is being renovated as a café at Holliers Park with one car of 009 being Cosmetically overhauled and sold as an office space with the remaining cars of 009 and 002 awaiting their fate.
Last Updated: Monday 20th november 2023
Some Class 483 Statistics
Withdrawn from Island line service
Entered Island Line Service
Entered London Transport Service
Power Output
Horsepower Per Unit
Traction Current
Volts - DC
Capacity
Seats Per Unit
Weight
Tonnes Per Unit
Maximum Speed
Miles Per Hour
Fleet Size
Extant Units
Currently Operational
Units
Images used on this page:
- 483006 & 483008 In their current location in Cynheidre wales - Courtesy of Oliver Jones
- 10255 at High Barnet - Courtesy of Stephen Barker
- 483006 Freshly repainted into Dinosaur Livery - Archived Island Line webpage, copyright holder unknown. If you have a copyright claim for this image please contact us.
- 483006 at Shanklin, 03/01./2021 - Courtesy of John Mitchell.