By Isle of Wight Observer
Get ready to toot your horn. After a 27-year holiday, one of the Island’s favourite diesel locomotives is chugging its way back home. Class 03 shunter No. 03179, a familiar face on the Island until 1998, is making a triumphant return this autumn.
Built in 1962, the sturdy locomotive was a workhorse for the Island’s engineering trains, sporting the iconic red, white, and blue of Network SouthEast. After leaving our shores, it continued its journey with private operators, earning the title of the very last Class 03 in national service before retiring in 2016.
But you can’t keep a good loco down! A trio of dedicated enthusiasts, Andy West, Dale West, and Andy Ashton rescued it and spent eight years giving it a full overhaul in Northamptonshire. Now, it’s looking smart and it’s ready for action in its classic Island livery.
Thanks to a new agreement with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, 03179, is set for an initial ten-year stay, helping with shunting and she will even pull passenger trains.
The locomotive is set to arrive in October, with help from Wightlink, just in time to be the star of the Island Loco Gala and Festive Ales Festival on November 29–30.
Don’t miss your chance to welcome it home alongside other famous Island engines like ‘Nuclear Fred’ and ‘W8 Freshwater’.