Taking the Scenic Isle of Wight Steam Railway to Meet Santa

During our time on the Isle of Wight, the week leading up to Christmas, we were invited to visit Santa at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. I hadn’t really planned for the children to see Santa this year; with them being 10 and 12 now, I wasn’t sure if they’d outgrown the experience. (How did they grow up so fast ☹?) We love steam trains, and we’ve never travelled on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, so it was always going to be a great visit; Santa was a bonus, and I would observe the children with interest!

Upon Arrival

We were booked on the 10:30am train, on Friday 21 December, and the Havenstreet Station opened at 9:45am. We had to collect our tickets from the ticket office on arrival, after which we were free to look around – or even visit Santa – before our scheduled departure. Our tickets included tokens for a free drink and treat (juice and a chocolate bar for the children, wine – or juice – and a mince pie for the grown-ups).

There was a short queue for Santa’s grotto so we decided to take our treats and head for the train, as a band had started playing and we could hear the steam train.

The Train

A little bit nerdy, but for the train enthusiasts, our locomotive for the journey was ‘Royal Engineer’. Built for the Ministry of Defence in 1953, this Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No. WD198 did not enter service until 1956. She was the last operational steam locomotive owned by the Army. Royal Engineer came to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway in 2001, on loan from the National Army Museum. She was joined in 2005 by her sister locomotive, Waggoner (No. WD192), and in 2008 the ownership of both was transferred to the IOW Steam Railway.

Our Journey

A jolly band played as we were taken to our carriage. We shared our compartment with a gentleman and his 6 year old son. It felt quite Polar Express-like!

At exactly 10:30 the station master blew his whistle, the steam engine replied (loudly) and the wheels started to move … we were off!

The scenery was amazing. Fields, meadows, woodlands, horses, sheep … and of course some tunnels to go through! It took approximately 15 minutes to reach Smallbrook Junction, the ‘end of the line’. Here – on a non-Santa day – you can switch to join the Island Line (to Ryde and Shanklin). We stepped onto the platform to watch the engine switch ends.

The second/return leg of our journey was a little longer, as we steamed through Havenstreet Station (to lots of waves from those on the platform!); we travelled to the other ‘end of the line’ at Wootton. Again, we watched as Royal Engineer switched ends.

We then returned to Havenstreet Station. I’d say the train journey duration was a good 45 minutes in total.

Upon alighting, the children were keen to queue for Santa …

The Santa Experience

We walked through an area with small carousel rides (for young children) and a small craft fair area, following signs for Santa.

The area where we waited in line had a lovely miniature railway to amuse the children.

Now we’ve seen the incredible train layouts in both Hamburg and Norfolk but this one also rated highly with the children, because they spotted Dr Who’s Tardis in one of the tunnels!

Visiting Santa

Outside the grotto the children were asked for their names and their ages. We were then taken by an elf to Santa’s cabin. As we entered, we found Santa sitting in the corner surrounded by sacks of toys. At this point, Toby (10) lost his ability to talk! Santa asked him lots of things, but nope, no words came out of his mouth. He couldn’t even remember the two items he so publicly announced had put on his list! (He later told me he was a bit embarrassed to tell him that he wanted not one, but two, Nerf guns.) We talked about whether they’d been good – I agreed that they had, but they really needed to look after their bedrooms better. When Santa suggested getting Toby a vacuum cleaner as a present, Toby nodded in agreement!

Millie (12) was a lot more cautious. I could literally see her brain processing everything she saw. She still wants to believe … She didn’t write a Santa list this year, but she said out loud (a lot) that she’d like a digital drawing screen. I noted that she made sure she explained to Santa what one of these is! Hedging her bets, I think!

They both received a gift, and left looking very happy. I asked afterwards what they thought about Santa. Toby said “Well, I know he wasn’t the real Santa, and it was a bit difficult talking to someone who is pretending to be him. But he was nice in the end.” Millie answered with “He was ok” (typical pre-teen non-committal response!) As for their gifts, Toby got a science experiment kit while Millie got a fleece blanket (which would have been good had it not been baby pink in colour … Millie doesn’t ‘do’ pink!)

Other Things to See

Well, there was a shop selling lots of train-themed pocket money toys as well as model railway track, locomotives and scenery. This was next to their museum of Island Railway History.

A short walk towards the end of the platform is the Carriage and Wagon Workshop (National Lottery funded, and opened by The Queen in 2004), and the Mechanical Engineering Workshop. Across the tracks you’ll find the Railway’s Refreshment Room with a children’s play area beyond.

Next door to the station is the Haven Falconry Bird of Prey Centre; Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit this, but definitely will on our next visit.

Final Thoughts

It was a lovely morning out. The station is impeccably tidy. All the staff were very smart in their uniforms (it felt very ‘Thomas The Tank Engine’ like!) The Santa Special was excellent value for money, and a fun experience for both the adults and the children.

Did Santa deliver on his promises? Well, on Christmas morning a very technical-looking digital drawing screen was inside Millie’s stocking. Two huge Nerf guns were waiting to be unwrapped in Toby’s … along with a dustpan and brush …

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway run lots of themed events throughout the year. However, it’s equally as special during ‘non-themed’ days – we definitely plan on returning. To keep abreast of what’s on, please check out Visit IOW. It’s important to also add that the railway is dog friendly – at their discretion – and your dog needs to be kept on a short lead at all times.

Disclaimer

Visit IOW arranged tickets for us to visit the steam railway while we were visiting the Isle of Wight courtesy of Wightlink Ferries; we also received discounted accommodation at Tom’s Eco Lodge. Our opinions are our own, and haven’t been influenced in any way.