2024 will mark 35 years since the introduction into service of the ‘new’ Class 483 fleet on the Isle of Wight and the launch of Network Southeast’s ‘Island Line’ route brand.
To mark this event the London Transport Traction Group (LTTG) Project 483 will repaint unit 006 into the iconic Network SouthEast livery.
The London Transport Traction Group are the proud owners of two of these Class 483 trains. Converted from ex-London Underground 1938 Tube Stock between 1989 and 1991, these 2-Car Electric Multiple Units were introduced to replace the ageing ‘Standard’ Tube Stock which had been operating on the Isle of Wight since 1967.
1990 Island Line train
Our ‘Jewel in the Crown’ is 483006. Built for London Transport in 1940, 006 entered Island Line service in 1990 following refurbishment at Eastleigh Works. After a little over 30 years of work on the Island, 006 was the last of its type to run in service on January 3rd 2021, bringing an 80-year career to an end.
Since withdrawal, 006 has been homed at the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway in South Wales, later joined by 483008. Between these long-lived vehicles there is quite a story to tell, and there is no time like the present to begin telling it!
Telling the Class 483 story
Project 483 is all about telling the Class 483 story. Since the last of these trains were withdrawn in 2021, all remaining units have been fortunate enough to survive, and most of these are presented in their final livery of Island Line Red, or else in an interpretation of London Transport red. When introduced in 1989, the Class 483 fleet was not red.
These ‘new’ trains were painted in the striking red, white and blue livery of Network Southeast, affectionately known to enthusiasts as ‘toothpaste’ livery. It was a bold new look for these trains which had only ever been seen in the plainer red liveries favoured by London Transport, and it remains popular to this day.
Red, white and blue
With the 35th anniversary of the Class 483s now upon us, and the 40th anniversary of Network Southeast not far away, now is the ideal time to display 483006 in the eye-catching red, white and blue that marked the birth of Island Line.
The 1938 Tube Stock is an icon of the 1930s design legacy inherited by the London Underground, but for more than 30 years the Class 483s represented all that it was to travel by train on the Isle of Wight.
Used by many
Whether as an Islander commuting to work or school, a family coming off the ferry or hovercraft at Ryde looking forward to their week’s holiday by the sea in Sandown or Shanklin, or any number of grandparents taking children to see the Steam Railway at the new Smallbrook Junction station these are the trains which took them there and brought them home again.
All day, almost every day, for over 30 years. The little tube trains running along the pier became almost one of the Island’s tourist attractions in their own right. The essential service they provided was only substantially interrupted by flooding and for a time the Class 483s held the claim of providing the most punctual and reliable service on any railway in the UK; Not bad for trains which were already more than 50 years old!
Returned to Network SE livery
Project 483 will see 483006 repainted into Network Southeast livery, as shown in the above diagram (altered from the original).
This is an ambitious repaint for the group to undertake, but it will help 006 to stand out from the crowd and will tell a part of the Class 483 story that nobody else is able to tell in the way we can.
Show your support
We will, of course, require your help to achieve this. Nothing in railway preservation comes cheaply, so if you are able to donate anything towards the project then we would greatly appreciate it.
Furthermore, if you wish to make a more comprehensive investment towards the running of the LTTG and our restoration projects then please consider joining our ’38 Club’, more details of which may be found on the website.
Finally, if you would like to find out more about the LTTG, our plans for 483008 and other heritage assets, or the history of the 1938 Tube Stock then please explore our website.
News shared by Daniel on behalf of the London Transport Traction Group. Ed
