After four years of storage at the closed Newport Station, the I.W.Steam Railway was founded on 24th January 1971. Preserved stock was hauled by rail with our own locomotive driven by volunteers, from Newport to Havenstreet Station, and within a few weeks were operating a limited service on the 1½ mile section between Wootton and Havenstreet.
It took many years of voluntary effort to consolidate its position and provide the proper infrastructure to run and maintain both track and trains.