Chris Think too much steam may have affected your memory ;-) The line from Ryde divided at Smallbrook, not Ashey. Ashey was (is) on the line to Newport and Cowes, not the line to Wroxall and Ventnor. Jon Baker -----Original Message----- From: Chris & Caroline [mailto:chris@chayles.freeserve.co.uk] Sent: 21 June 2004 23:05 To: ISLE-OF-WIGHT-L@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: [IoW] Paddle Steamers Hi Val I loved the old steam trains and the uncle I mention above lived at St Johns in Ryde and his back garden backed onto the railway line and I used to love watching them all go along the line. After St Johns was Ashey where the track divided and also I remember well the Wroxall tunnel before entering Ventnor. Chris and Caroline SOUTHERN LIFE(UK) The History of the villages of Hampshire and its surrounding counties http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~villages -----Original Message----- From: VALERIEAVRIL@aol.com [mailto:VALERIEAVRIL@aol.com] Sent: 21 June 2004 22:20 To: ISLE-OF-WIGHT-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [IoW] Paddle Steamers Hello Chris The children of today miss a lot of simple pleasures don't they.I lived at Ventnor so we also used the trains,also named after the Islands towns.Pity the the line was cut off at Shanklin,to go through the tunnel and arrive at Ventnor which was such an unusual scene with the caves which were used by coal lorries,etc. In the booking office was a large glass case with a wonderful ark inside,a collection box attached to the front in the shape of a lifeboat,collecting for the RNLI, where is it now ? Kind regards Valerie --- All of our outgoing mail is checked and certified Virus Free by regularl updates Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.707 / Virus Database: 463 - Release Date: 15/06/2004 ______________________________