NRS NL 58-2 Mar-Apr 2013

Volume 58 No. 2 Mar/Apr 2013

_________TRACK REPORT

news from railways in and around Norfolk

National Network examination and withdrawn from the remainder of the Gala.
It is believed the locomotives were preparing to double head
Britannia in a spot of bother! a demonstration train when the incident occurred. Andy
Wright saw Britannia in the yard at Weybourne on Sunday
It was possible to follow the progress of 5Z54 Castleton morning (below) but reported little visible damage.
(Bury) – Sheringham on 7th March in readiness for the Gala
which began the following day. The cavalcade consisted of Although it was planned that 45407 would leave the Railway
37518 hauling “Black Five” 45407, 70000 Britannia plus a
couple of support coaches, Richard Adderson capturing the on Monday 11th March, 70000 Britannia joined it and support
scene as it passed Wymondham (below). It was seen at coaches for the journey to Castleton as the 5Z55 0835
Trowse Junc at 1620, and Wroxham at 1712, close to its working hauled by 37518. What a pity that the Fates
booked schedule. conspired against the NNR’s Gala! (EM & AW)

Although 8th March was a dreadful day - Mike Fordham saw
Britannia working its first train on the NNR in gloomy
conditions (right) - the real drama happened on the Saturday
(9th) when Britannia got too up close and personal with 2MT
2-6-0 78019 and both were taken out of service for

IN THIS ISSUE

Track Report

National Network 1

Heritage, Narrow Gauge & Miniature 3

Away from the Tracks 4

Pick-up Goods 5

NRS News 10

Features Problems soon to be eased at Hitchin

Melton Constable on Summer Saturday A long-standing problem at Hitchin has been the conflict
between Hitchin – Cambridge services and Up and Down
(Part 1) - Ken Mills 11 ECML ones, as the former need to cross the ECML. Mike
Handscomb reports that, on 4th March, the embankment at
Sectional Appendices…And a Diversion via the east end of the new flyover and chord looked complete,
Stainmore - Edward Mann and with track laid, which should increase capacity and reliability.

David Pearce 13 1

Working Timetable 15

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Radar at Spooner Row

Barry Stevens took these photographs at Spooner Row
showing the crossing in transition on 28th November 2012
with temporary metal gates (right). The view from the
platform (below) shows, on the right, the “capsule” containing
a radar obstacle detector. Barry says that this is discussed,
more fully, in the June 2012 issue of Today’s Railways.

A Strange Case

Norfolk Railway Society Network Rail and a signalman have both been found guilty of
(Founded 1955) failing to ensure the safety of a woman killed on a level-
crossing at Moreton-on-Lugg, Herefordshire in 2010.
President: Arnold Hoskins, Esq. Moreton-on-Lugg used to have a station on the South Wales
Vice-President: Ken Mills, Esq. – Shrewsbury line, just to set the scene. The safety barriers
had inadvertently been raised before the collision, and both
Committee and Officers 2012-2013 Telephone Network Rail and the signalman were found guilty of
breaching health and safety regulations (which they had
Chairman Peter Adds 01508 492070 denied).

Vice Chairman Gordon Bruce 01603 861389 During the trial it emerged that the signalman had put down
the barriers as normal for a passing train. However, he got
Past Chairman Peter Davies 01603 929283 himself “into a dither” when a farmer rang his signal box for a
second time asking if it was safe to walk his sheep over
Secretary Ian Woodruff 01603 700856 another crossing further up the track. The prosecutor said
that because the signalman did not want the farmer to wait
Treasurer John Laycock 01603 720125 any longer the signalman “panicked” and raised the barriers,
but failed to see the approaching Manchester – Milford
Fixtures Arranged by sub-committee Haven train. The family car was hit; the woman died in
hospital and her husband was seriously injured. Another car
Membership Sec. Mike Handscomb 01953 605068 was also hit by the train although its passengers suffered
only minor injuries. The court was told that although it may
Newsletter Editor Edward Mann 01603 456372 have been “human error” NR was equally culpable because
it had not fitted an automatic locking device at the crossing
Publicity Mike Fordham 01508 493437 when improvement works were carried out in 2009.

Committee Members: When these works were carried out, discussion took place
over whether to fit “approach locking” which would pick up an
Graham Kenworthy 01603 714479 electrical signal to show whether or not a train had gone
through. It was alleged that NR took the decision not to fit the
Chris Mitchell 01603 451692 device because it would cost some £40,000, even though
that device could have saved a life.
Peter Willis 01508 492562
In court, NR disputed the cost of installing the device,
—------------------------------ claiming it could cost 10 times that sum. However, since the
accident further alterations have been made at Moreton, and
Website Editor Andrew Wright 01508 492010 other similar crossings, to prevent such a rare signaller error
having tragic consequences.
Archivists Peter Allison & 01508 499723
The case is both sad and strange. The train must have been
Raymond Meek 01263 860662 fairly close to the car before the car’s occupants saw it,
leaving no time for evasive action, likewise the other car.
=============================================
Norfolk Railway Society Newsletter Sentencing takes place on 10th April. (EM)

Editor Edward Mann Network Rail has introduced safety measures to prevent
manually operated gates being re-opened to road traffic
Distribution Graham Smith before the signalled train has passed over the crossing. The
system features treadle activation and in the case of the level
Please contact Graham if the next edition does not arrive by crossings at Lingwood shown in the accompanying
the end of the month of publication photographs the gatekeeper selects the direction of the train
approaching on the single line – the new system controls are
Opinions expressed in any articles are the author's and mounted on the pedestal.
should not be taken to represent those of the Society.

Next issue published mid-June 2013
Copy date: Thursday 6th June 2013

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In addition most, if not all, wicket gates beside the main road A very serious problem
gates capable of being available for pedestrian use whilst the
main gates are being closed or re-opened are being secured Although the “small print” beneath our Track Report
and locked out of use. Historically these wicket gates were introduction aims to concentrate our attention
useful to pedestrians and normally locked by use of the on local happenings, there was spectacular mining
controlling lever frame as the train approached. subsidence and “heave” in mid-February which has closed
the line between Doncaster and Goole/Scunthorpe for the
Thanks to Peter Adds for the last two paragraphs, and for the foreseeable future. The problem was first noticed on 9th
photographs. February when a driver reported a rough ride near Hatfield
Main Colliery, and over the weekend one line after another
On the Rise (Again!) had to be closed as matters worsened. If you have a Quail
Track Diagram book go to page 33B. About 300 metres of
The start of the New Year brought the inevitable rise in rail track are “all over the place”. Various diversions are taking
fares and equally predictable condemnation from passenger place via Selby and Wrawby Junc (Barnetby), and buses
groups. Across the Greater Anglia network the average rise have replaced trains between Doncaster and
is 4pc. Goole/Scunthorpe adding up to an hour to journeys.
Intervention by government limited the regulated rail fare rise
to inflation plus 1pc, rather than the planned inflation plus Since British Coal closed the colliery in 1993 it has been
3pc. opened and then closed a few times, and it seems that the
In practice this means anyone needing to travel from present owners have to clear and generally make the
Norwich to London at peak time and unable to purchase a affected area safe before Network Rail is able to relay any
cheaper advance ticket will now pay £107.70 instead of track. Whether, in the fullness of time, the line reverts to its
£98.60 (actually a 9.2pc increase). Or to put it another way pre-subsidence route is too early to say. (EM)
more than a single person’s weekly state pension of
£107.45! Community Status for Peterborough-Ely Line
Those requiring a season ticket will now pay £7,184, up from
£6,900 for the Norwich to London run. King’s Lynn to A new community rail partnership, covering the line from
London King’s Cross goes up to £5,180 from £4,980. Peterborough to Ely, has been launched following a public
consultation in the Fenland District Council area last year.
Known as the Hereward CRP, it includes the intermediate
stations of March, Manea and Whittlesea, served by Greater
Anglia, Cross Country and East Midlands Trains services.
The CRP is pledging to improve station facilities and have
better integration with other transport.

Heritage, Narrow-gauge and
Miniature

Swedes help pull off Railbus victory

Who has a long memory and can recall the railbus that was
displayed at Fleggburgh Bygone Village until it closed in
2004? More particularly, the vehicle was Swedish Railways’
Y7 railbus no. 1212 built in 1958. It has since been restored
by members of Northumbria Rail & the Railbus Trust and has
won the first Railcar of the Year award made by the Railcar
Association. Strangely, perhaps, some last-day votes from
Sweden enabled the railcar to scoop top spot! It is likely to
be seen running on the Nene Valley Railway,where Andy
Wright photographed it on 21st February.

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_________TRACK REPORT And from Eaton Park…

Teifi Valley Railway revisited

West Wales isn’t exactly full of preserved lines, but I think
perhaps a little more would be appreciated about the Teifi
Valley Railway, and the note in NRS/NL 57/5 p.3 deserves
clarification. The line runs on part of the old Pencader –
Newcastle Emlyn branch which closed to passengers from
15th September 1952, and entirely from 22nd September
1973. The re-opened, 2’ gauge line runs between Henllan
and Llandyfriog Riverside, and the accompanying
photographs, supplied Malcolm Banyer, may be of interest.

Former Penrhyn Quarry loco Sgt Murphy at Riverside The Test train passes through the new 75ft tunnel at
station. Eaton Park on 24th March. > Mike Fordham

Running through the old station at Henllan. News from the North Norfolk Railway

The Railway did not carry quite as many passengers as it did
in 2011 (a 1.5% drop) but in a dismal year, and with
competition from the Olympic Games and the Queen’s
Jubilee things seem to have held up pretty well. No doubt the
“Titfield Thunderbolt” weekend helped boost the numbers.

B12 8572 is out of action with broken stays and cylinder
problems, which may well mean it is unable to attend the
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s Gala over the Bank
Holiday weekend of 24th-27th May.

The Railway is looking to reinstate the buildings on Platform
2 of Sheringham station, starting with a canopy and
preserved stanchions which will be topped by decorative
M&GN spandrels. If anyone has any more spandrels please
contact Nigel Scarlett at Sheringham . They are also looking
for retired NNR footplate personnel and anyone who may
have worked on the old M&GN to share their experiences.
This time, the contact is John Durrant at Sheringham.

And from the Mid-Norfolk Railway

An HST is due to get to Hoe, some 2 miles north of
Dereham, on 18th May. The UK Railtours charter starts at St
Pancras and runs via Leicester and Peterborough to reach
the MNR. (all: Mike Handscomb)

Away from the Tracks

Arriving at the new station at Henllan (actually the former Wenhaston setback
GW station).
Suffolk Coastal planners refused permission for the
Southwold Railway Trust’s Wenhaston station project on 5th
December. The Trust had wanted to lay ½ mile of 3’ gauge
track between a replica of the old Wenhaston station and a
platform close to the original station site and some related
buildings. (Mike Handscomb)

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A miscellany of news and members’ contributions

Recently at the URC Hall former was a great hit with the “trainee” enthusiasts and the
latter impressed with its ingenuity and attention to detail. Bob
Annual Show Report Palmer from the Norwich MRC had acted as 12th man at
short notice with his Z-gauge trains and the ever dependable
The 19th Show went ahead on Saturday 26th January thanks Mardlers demonstrated their loco building skills. The
mainly to the various volunteers who helped to clear the Southwold Railway Trust completed the displays here with
snowbound car park and approach footpath. news of the latest steps towards the reintroduction of a
railway to the Suffolk town.
Visitors were greeted in the entrance area by a display of With several exceptions, the main church featured a foreign
Mike Young’s photographs showing a wide variety of theme. The Norwich MRC had their impressive Swiss layout
subjects, including views both in Norfolk and nationwide from (below) based on Rhaetian Railway practice. The GN15
BR steam to heritage lines.
group showed 4 separate models featuring a variety of
The Blake Room played host to the usual individuals plus subjects. Terry Durrant’s “Les Trains de Grand-père”
one or two others. Ray Meek had a display of foreign contained, unsurprisingly, vintage French stock, while
railways, Arthur Barrett showed an amazing quantity of Graham Smith ventured further than anyone with his
material illustrating railways past and present in Derbyshire excursion to the Brazilian mountains via the “Campos do
and Staffordshire, while Peter Allison had a smaller than Jordao” with trams actually working via live overhead
usual selection of his “toy trains”, very popular with the young (below). By contrast, Ken Mills showed a display of superbly
children who visited.

The M&GN Circle were present as ever, but there was a
newcomer in the shape of a representative from the
“Bramley Line” group which is hoping to reactivate the long
closed line between March and Wisbech.

Mike Handscomb ran the sales stall of donated second-hand
books, videos etc. and was very pleased with the takings of
£177.80 which produced an income for the Society of just
over £60.

Robert Scarfe’s DVDs on a variety of topics entertained
those who wished to rest their legs in the Side Room.

A few steps further on brought visitors into the North Room
where there were a number of varied layouts on display.
Peter Willis, a member of the Hornby Railway Collectors’
Association, had a large 3-rail Dublo layout, running a wealth
of vintage stock. Chris Mitchell’s offering had a German
theme. David White had examples of his London
Underground models, referred to, rather musically, as
“Tubular Belles”. The Whitwell MRC had their OO-gauge

“Feltwell” on show (above). Brian Cornwell’s Lego trains detailed O-gauge British locos and rolling stock. The
(below) contrasted with Chris Seago’s “Pizza” layout; the preservation movement was represented by stands manned
by members of the Mid-Norfolk and Barton House Railways,
the latter proud to announce their forthcoming 50th
Anniversary celebrations in 2013. Other visual displays
showed high quality photographs from Andrew Wright and
examples of poster reproductions from Belgium, France and
Switzerland from Graham Kenworthy. Last, but certainly not
least, we were treated to a superb show of the work of two
transport artists with original works by David Rowlands and
Alan Stammers.

Towards the end of the proceedings the raffle was held and
the proceeds plus donations made during the preceding year
enabled the Society to present a cheque for £400 to the Mid-
Norfolk Railway’s Engine Shed appeal.

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_________PICK-UP GOODS terrifying pressure of 50 p.s.i. As the steam age progressed
and the iron and steel industry manufactured stronger and
Thanks go to all visitors and NRS members who made the more durable products p.s.i. pressures rose by the mid-
day so enjoyable, but a special “Thank You” must go to the 1920s to average 200. Subsequently, 225 p.s.i. (LNER V2),
superbly organised catering staff who kept everyone well 250 p.s.i. (LNER A4) and 280 p.s.i. (Bulleid Pacifics) had
supplied with food and drink throughout the whole day. become acceptable.
(Graham Kenworthy and photographs by Andy Wright)
In 1928, Henry Fowler, then Chief Mechanical Engineer
End of an Era (CME) of the LMS Railway, began experimenting with high-
pressure water-tube boilers, which hitherto had been
Mike Fordham is standing down after being the Society’s produced only for the marine trade, never before having
Show Organiser for 19 years. He has organised every Open been secured to a moving base. Fowler took a basic “Royal
Day or Show from their small beginnings in 1995 to the point Scot” chassis (frames and wheels) and topped this with a
where, for the past 7+ years, we have hired the entire United water-tube boiler utilising an incredible 1,800 p.s.i. for the top
Reformed Church Halls for our “big day”. He has arranged chamber and 1,000 p.s.i. for the tubes below. He employed
for visiting model railway societies to display their working 3-cylinder compound propulsion with the high-pressure
layouts, for our members to put on their own displays, cylinder inside the frames and the two low-pressure cylinders
whether model railways of various gauges or relating to just outside. Loco 6399 Fury was ready for trials by 1929, but at
about any facet of railways, past or present, large or small. In a press demonstration one of the 1,000 p.s.i. safety valves
recognition of Mike’s hard work, a presentation was made lifted, the ensuing roar causing mild panic with everyone
immediately before the raffle was drawn, and we must not present diving for cover! Various problems beset the project
overlook the hard work also put in by his wife, Ann, in
ensuring that her team has kept everybody fed and watered. but on 6th February 1930 Fury was at last handed over to the
Peter Willis has the thankless task of following in Mike’s LMSR at Glasgow’s Polmadie depot. Troubles continued
footsteps next year, and we wish him every success! and, in reality, the last straw occurred a few days later on

10th February. A gentle 25-mile test run out to Carstairs was
planned, turning on the triangle there for the return trip.
Nearing Carstairs a check confirmed that the fire was low,
although all the cab gauges appeared to be satisfactory. In
the cab that day were Driver Hall and Fireman Blair together
with Mr Pepper, an engineer from Derby Works, and Mr
Schofield from the Superheater Company. At this point, one
of the 1,000 p.s.i. tubes suffered a blow-out and, within
seconds, propelled the fire, gallons of boiling water and high-
pressure steam at 290° C out through the cab fire-door.

Next year’s show will be held on Saturday 1st March 2014, so
you may wish to reserve the date. (EM)

“Beauty & the Beast”
(7th February 2013)

Ian Woodruff recounted the tale of two locomotives 46170 “British Legion” displays Remembrance Day
experimenting with high-pressure technology – the LMS poppies at Rugby MPD on 8th November 1959.
Fowler “Fury” and the LNER Gresley “Hush Hush”.
Driver Hall stayed in the cab but to one side of the line of fire;
For visual effect, Ian displayed three Bassett-Lowke “O” Fireman Blair jumped from the footplate; Mr Pepper, showing
gauge 4-6-0s (a super-enterprise steamer and 2 Royal great gymnastic ability, managed to grab the top of the cab
Scots) plus a largely scratch-built model of the original water- roof to bring his body above the blast. Unfortunately, Mr
tube boilered LNER class W1 4-6-4 (4-6-2-2?). (Peter Willis Schofield caught the full force of the explosion and the
added his “OO” gauge model of the same loco.) These were ricochet off the back of the tender. He was badly injured and
accompanied by a series of screen images of the two was rushed to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he died
locomotives and significant events during the experiments. the following day. Driver Hall escaped unhurt but shaken;
Ian next produced his hi-tech “lollipop on a stick” cubic inch Fireman Blair was injured in his fall from the cab to the tracks
to illustrate the tiny space in which the super-high-pressures but recovered and Mr Pepper was severely shaken but
needed to be contained. We heard also that several other survived. After this episode Fury was quietly dumped on
countries had experimented with high pressures but with Carstairs loco depot where it remained for over a year by
poor results. The focus of the project was greater efficiency which time Henry Fowler had retired. His ultimate successor,
not higher speed. At the dawn of railways, the earliest William Stanier, viewed the experiment as wasteful as
locomotives used 15lbs pressure per square inch (p.s.i.) records showed that Fury was uneconomic regarding coal
similar to a modern pressure-cooker and to Ian’s Bassett- usage, had been towed more miles than running under its
Lowke super-enterprise steamer. In the early years of the own power and, more to the point, hadn’t earned the LMS
1800s Trevithick’s loco Pen-y-Darren employed the then

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one penny! In 1936, Stanier rectified the last fact by Darlington to Doncaster in October 1936 from where it
rebuilding the experimental engine as a normal* “Royal Scot” emerged in November 1937 in its new guise, resembling an
numbered after the last engine of the class already in elongated A4 with no name. Now, virtually an A4 but with 20”
service. Later named British Legion no. 6170 was finally x 26” cylinders (against 18½” x 26” of the A4s), the rebuilt
withdrawn in 1962, thereby completing 26 years of useful engine and tender weighed-in at 167 tons and produced a
revenue-earning. (* Well, not quite – remaining Royal Scots tractive effort of 41,435lbs. In 1948 the locomotive was
had a no. 2A boiler; 6170 had a non-standard no. 2 boiler renumbered 60700. From 1937 up to 1955, the date of a
which increased its time in Works.- Ed.) derailment at Peterborough involving the collapse of the front
bogie, it had run another 600,000 miles. With the rebuilt
Ian turned next to the rival high-pressure locomotive, Nigel bogie fitted, the engine completed a further 185,000 miles
Gresley’s class W1 no. 10000. Because Gresley’s A1 (later before withdrawal in 1959. The saga doesn’t quite end there
A3) Pacifics were rather greedy for coal, he was looking for as the water-tube boiler removed from the experimental
an alternative means of steam production which might bring engine in 1936/37 was installed and used in the workshops
economies of fuel. First conceived in 1924, 5 years passed at Darlington and was in service until 1965.
before his ideas were put into a practical framework. During
1928/29 a Yarrow marine boiler was fitted at the Clyde Ian certainly opened our eyes to two of the major
shipyard onto a chassis built at Darlington to produce a 4-6-4 experiments into high-pressure which were conducted in the
(4-6-2-2) locomotive with 4-cylinder compound propulsion, 2 pre-WW2 period, both of which failed to make any lasting
inside high-pressure cylinders and 2 outside low-pressure impression on locomotive design, or did they? Who knows?
ones. Boiler pressure was set at 450 p.s.i., a reasonable “It is better to have tried and failed that never to have tried”.
figure compared to the norm of the period. Layout of the cab A wonderful story. Well told!
was like no other, but crew protection was improved with P.S. Ian, you have convinced me, I’ll go for the 4-6-2-2!
additional safety flaps for the firehole doors. Valve gear was (Ken Mills)
standard with the Pacifics, but the smokebox at 16’1” was
the longest in the UK. Weighing-in at 166 tons for loco and “Caught on Canvas”
tender made it one of the heaviest in the land and lengthwise
could only be accommodated on a 70’ turntable. Originally (21st February 2013)
fitted with a B17 type front bogie and a 3-axle Group
Standard tender, the latter was quickly exchanged for a The presence in the audience of no fewer than four ladies
brand-new 4-axle corridor type providing capacity for 5,000 was a clue that this meeting would contain more ‘of general
gallons of water and 9 tons of coal. By pure chance this interest' than do many; and so it proved. Our speaker was
tender still exists, paired with the preserved A4 Pacific Union Wrenford Thatcher, an artist whose main subject happens to
of South Africa. While on names, there was evidence that no. be railways, and in particular railway scenes which he recalls
10000 was to be named British Enterprise although no plates from his boyhood in the 1950s.
were ever fitted. Was this because there was already in
service one of Gresley’s A3 Pacifics (LNER 4480, BR 60111) Why did railways exert such a pull on his imagination and
built in 1923 called Enterprise? Many classes of steam artistic talent? Both grandfathers were engine drivers (one
locomotive were given nicknames and, apart from “Hush- began on the GER in 1899), which certainly drove his
Hush”, no. 10000 acquired “Galloping Sausage” and also passion for steam as he grew up. Although showing artistic
“Grey Elephant”, but it will always be remembered as the ability from an early age, he laid aside his brush to work in
“Hush-Hush”. Ian mentioned that this name had two origins, the electronics industry, as well as teaching physics. Now in
first that the engine was constructed under strict security semi-retirement, he enjoys re-creating steam scenes in his
and, secondly, because of the compound propulsion steam Sheringham studio.
finally discharged into the air from the low-pressure cylinders
which created a soft exhaust. But it was with photography rather than paintings that the
evening began. Like many of us, Wrenford began taking
Because of its fame and unusual, but good, looks no. 10000 pictures with his Box Brownie, snapping everyday local
was on call for many shows and exhibitions, one of which scenes such as N7 0-6-2T 69654 shunting at Hatfield.
Already in these early pictures he was aware of the patterns
was at Norwich on 2nd/3rd May 1931. Gresley was constantly of light and shade which were to become significant
“tweaking” his engine to effect improvements, consulting and elements of his paintings.
exchanging information with André Chapelon regarding
exhaust systems and valve gear, fitting a double chimney in We moved from boyhood snaps to the digital era of
1934, and to provide hot air into the firebox by taking in the photography; Wrenford's more recent photographs included
outside air through apertures in the front end and passing main-line steam specials – a lovely shot showed 4-6-0 5029
that air through the sides of the boiler. Early injector troubles Nunney Castle inside Bristol Temple Meads – and scenes
were cured by designing a brand-new injector built to work taken on the North Yorkshire Moors and West Somerset
with a high-pressure boiler. Tests for coal consumption lines. Closer to home, we saw the B12 and 0-6-0PT L99
suggested that the usual 66lbs per mile was down to 44lbs each in charge of the quad-art coaching set on the NNR.
per mile so enjoying a considerable saving. While working
with its water-tube boiler, the locomotive was liveried in light In the second half we turned from photographs to the 'real
battleship grey with shiny steel bands around the boiler, thing' – the paintings themselves, all executed in oil on
although slightly darker “shades of grey” were used later on. canvas. Wrenford had brought several canvases for us to
examine, and the rest we were able to see in photographs.
Unlike Henry Fowler of the LMS with Fury, Nigel Gresley of
the LNER with no. 10000 actually got payload mileage from The effects of light and shade often played a large part in his
his engine. Before entering Darlington Works for its first compositions: a shiny station pilot lights up the gloom of
major overhaul in May 1933 it had run 70,000 miles. Liverpool Street, prominent diagonal shafts of light create a
Returning to traffic in June 1934 it chalked up another 20.000 pattern around A1 60120 Kittiwake at Newcastle.
revenue-earning miles before again being sent to Darlington
in August 1935. Its final journey in original form was from One canvas which captured the audience's attention was a
striking panorama of the scene north of King's Cross and St

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Pancras in 1952. Full of railway activity, it shows a long train On a sadder note, we were told about two recent deaths:
of coal empties in the foreground making for Willesden Jct Cedric Dann who was a NRS member until five or so years
along the North London Line. In the background the dome of ago until illness overcame him; and Colin Hall, a signalman
St Paul's stands out from the mass of surrounding buildings. at Yarmouth, who suffered a heart attack while on duty at the
To create this painstakingly accurate scene Wrenford worked early age of 51. (Mike Handscomb)
from Ordnance Survey maps, plotting details of the buildings
which would have been there in 1952 and how they related “The Lone Star State Railways”
to one another.
(7th March 2013)

Chris Mitchell, wearing appropriate headgear, opened his
presentation by drawing a parallel with Kevin Whately’s
comment on “Keeping Britain on Track” that “railways are all
about people”. It’s the same with the USA. He put down
some recent historical markers – President Kennedy’s

assassination on 22nd November 1963 and the 9/11 plane
hijacks and the destruction of New York’s “Twin Towers”,
which he happened to see “live” on TV when visiting. We
learned that the USA has a population of some 330,000,000
people, about 1% of whom are native Indians living a
traditional way of life.

This London panorama, with the tangle of tracks north of The American Civil War of 1861 was something of a disaster
King's Cross and St Pancras, took months of research. for the pro-slavery Southern States (including Texas) as they
had wrongly gambled that Europe (who took their cotton
Moving closer to home, a recent painting shows the exports) would come to their aid. And what of Texas, known
attractive signal box at Roughton Road Junction where the to one and all as “The Lone Star State”? It is fiercely
N&S Joint line to Mundesley and North Walsham once independent, and was once a separate republic. However, it
diverged from the main Cromer Beach - Norwich route. In the could not defend itself against Mexican attacks and
early 1950s Wrenford's grandfather owned a piece of land eventually became part of the Union in 1845. It is the largest
next to the box. In another panoramic view trains of blood- of the “connected” United States, and the second most-
and-custard stock waited to leave the long-gone Cromer populated. About 10% is desert, but there are also significant
High Station, with the town's church prominent in the forests, prairies and swamplands. Ranching is still important,
background. The area around King's Lynn station has along with oil production & modern technologies (e.g.
undergone a lot of change in recent years. Wrenford's Houston Space Center). Railway-wise its total track mileage
painting of it 'as it used to be' shows it in 1959 under a is approx. 249,000, the largest in the world. Freight is the big
blanket of snow (a lot more difficult to paint than it might money-earner with 82% of interstate traffic going by rail.
appear).
A family wedding took Chris and Sue to Ennis, a city that is a
Cromer High station, opened by the GER, is seen shortly south-eastern suburb of Dallas, and at the last census its
before its 1954 closure. population was just under 20,000. It’s at the junction of the
rail routes from the ports up to Dallas/Fort Worth, and the old
Many paintings have typical railway backdrops: grimy yards Wells Fargo offices still preside over Main St. Chris
or townscapes. Wrenford's wife once commented that they explained that the town owed its existence to the railroad –
never benefited from a scenic background – so to rectify the Houston & Texas Central Railroad – which purchased a
matters he painted a Gresley K2 Mogul on a freight in the large tract of land in Ellis County for $5 per acre, to establish
Highlands, with a mountainous backdrop. the line’s northern terminus in 1872, and the town took its
name from an early official of the railroad – Cornelius Ennis –
Wrenford brought several smaller reproductions of his work who later became a H&TC director. The railroad had chosen
for us to browse and maybe buy, as well as copies of his Ennis for its northern H.Q. as part of an agreement that the
book Lines into London: London Railways in the Post-War town provided water for the machine shops and roundhouse,
Years, described as "a nostalgic journey through the last and these facilities would stay in the town so long as the
years of steam and the early diesels around London". For water was provided! The courts upheld this agreement
anyone wanting to see more of his work, he will be exhibiting despite later challenges. Half a dozen churches were built
at Picturecraft Gallery, Holt from July 11 to August 7, 2013. with railroad money! Ennis is the state polka centre, and
prides itself on its Czech heritage! That’s as may be but the
8 real eye-opener from the railway viewpoint was the re-
creation of Ennis station, built in 1895, and the museum
presided over by a very elderly gentleman who had been
stationed at Attlebridge with the USAAF in WW2. Chris
reckoned that he was 91 in 2011, and he was an absolute
fount of knowledge. People again! We saw photographs of
the station in the good times, with steam and early diesel
locomotives, and an excellent model of the half round-house
with 14 roads. The last passenger train ran in 1959, co-
incident with the complete dieselisation of the area’s
railroads. That said, a daily service of three passenger trains
each way to Dallas/Houston was not particularly generous.
Also in the museum was a caboose, a superior brake van in
which the crew spent a week. Chris learned that the turntable
from Ennis had been moved to the Fort Worth Stockyards,

_________PICK-UP GOODS

which sound redolent of railroading, but are really a large notes from his son Richard, told me something about the
district originally built close to the railroads as a livestock photographer.
trading centre. Buildings are in the Mexican/Spanish style.
Chris found the turntable, but its area was (unusually) off- He spent his working life with the Prudential Assurance Co.
limits that day. The Grapevine Vintage Railway operates Ltd. in London, and his military service was mainly spent in
heritage services between the Stockyards and Grapevine the stores at Bicester. He was not one of the avant-garde
brigade of photographers, and seemed to concentrate more
City, using a late 19th century 4-6-0 and a GP7 diesel to haul on record shots of locomotives and stations. A trademark of
its 1920s coaches. [Looking at the Grapevine website, I see so many of his photographs was the inclusion of his current
that Thomas has crossed the Atlantic - Ed.] car – he was driving a 1934 Hillman Minx from 1957 until the
M.O.T. test led to its retirement! Unfortunately none of his
Other transport of note is the McKinney Avenue Transit subsequent cars has graced the book. HCC married in 1931
Authority, which operates vintage trolleys in Dallas. Modern and he and his wife, Kathleen, lived in Bromley until early
transport is provided by the DART light rail system which 1939 (Southern electrification may have prompted their
looks like a larger version of its European counterparts. move) and thereafter they lived at Berkhamsted, the house
Trinity Railway Express connects Dallas Union Station with perhaps not being best-placed for photography but at least
the T & P Station in Fort Worth. We also saw something of his last two commuting journeys were steam-hauled. The
the construction of the new DART line to Dallas/Fort Worth cameras he used began with a Kodak Folding no. 2 Pocket
Airport. Brownie which used 120 film and then a Butchers “Popular
Pressman” Reflex from 1921 which took quarter-plate (4¼” x
Chris then moved into rural America, particularly the town of 3¼”) glass plates! This made way for an early 35mm Leica in
Playford which is no longer rail-served but which originally 1937 though his preference for “fast” films may not always
had a line to serve local oil-wells. There was a plaque have produced the best results.
marking the old station site, whilst the dusty main street was
truly Wild West, with only cars replacing horses in front of the The picture of M&GN 4-4-0 no. 80 (below) at Norwich City
hitching-rails. He concluded with a modern publicity film
showing the modern passenger and freight trains, the latter on 26th June 1929 with the 1720 to Melton Constable is the
with 4/5 locos at the front. All in all, a very different look at only local one in the book, and of additional interest are the
the railways of Texas which took a lot of time and effort to properties on the left – in Oak St – destroyed during World
put together. (EM) War 2.

Dancing on the Edge of Reality

Any members who sat through all 5 episodes of the Stephen
Poliakoff BBC-2 drama Dancing on the Edge in February
were rewarded in the final episode with an interesting railway
sequence.
The series was set in the 1930s, and for the finale the
leading characters were forced to make a hasty night-time
escape from London. They decided to travel from “South
Bromley” to Folkestone but the railway journey owed a lot
more to the LMS than to the Southern. The scenes were shot
a full year previously, in February 2012, with Bewdley station
taking the role of South Bromley and Kidderminster Town
becoming Folkestone.

Even if you were unfamiliar with the locations, the sight of the Under the Hammer
loco’s BR-era number soon gave things away. It was 42968,
the SVR’s Stanier Mogul, hauling the railway’s rake of LNER Mike Handscomb reports that the Great Central Railwayana
teak-bodied stock!
auction on 15th March (originally planned for 19th January but
An earlier episode did feature genuine ex-SR metals, when postponed because of the bad weather) produced the
the story’s powerful business tycoon played by John following choice local items:
Goodman hired a “picnic train”. This took the cast to an
unknown destination, and they paused on the running line The fully-flanged BR (E) totem from
while they enjoyed their picnic! (As an aside can the NRS Melton Constable – junction for
Fixtures Team arrange something similar for us on Greater South Lynn, Sheringham, Norwich
Anglia this summer? What do you think – Ed?) City & Yarmouth Beach – sold for an astonishing £4,500. It
This sequence was filmed on the Bluebell Railway in January was in excellent condition, and
2012, using another Mogul, U Class 1638. Stock for the although the Sheringham branch did
picnic train was the fanciful combination of Pullman Car not close until 1964 the rest had closed
Doris, LNWR Semi-Royal Saloon 806, Birdcage Brake 3363 in 1959. Bargain Hunt would be proud!
and a goods brake! (Mike Handscomb)
The LNER double-royal (24” x 40”)
Great Railway Photographers poster of Norwich by Rowland Hilder,
with a little creasing at the top right-
One of the books in this series was in a secondhand sale at hand corner, sold for £270 which
the City Bookshop (Davey Place) and, for £1, there was little seems cheap by comparison.
to lose.
The signalbox
The volume I acquired related to the late Henry Cyril nameboard from
Casserley (1903 – 1991) which, with some biographical Watton on the Thetford-Swaffham
branch, closed in 1964, cast letters in wood 44” long and
repainted, sold for £280.

9

_________PICK-UP GOODS Brain Teaser

Postcards Again! Usually stations are named after the nearest or largest
centre of population. But what if the station is simply named
When an appealing railway poster is reduced to the size of a after a local beauty spot?
mere postcard a lot can go wrong. This postcard from an
M.B. Black 50” x 40” poster of the 1930s has really suffered That’s the puzzle. None of the locations on the map extract
badly, and it is a pity that a reduction to about 8” x 6” was not was the name bestowed on the station. Does anyone know
made instead as a lot of important information is either the name of the station (now closed) arrowed on the map?
unclear or missing. The legend (sadly missing from the light

sky) would show the M&GN by a thick black line, the LNER Corrections Corner
by a grey line, and would go on to show major roads, golf
courses and holiday camps. The right-hand side has suffered Before I am hung, drawn and quartered, let me apologise to
badly – where, for example are Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft the purists for the loose language in NRS/NL 58/1 p.3
and the holiday camps? The NRM should have known and (Leaving the Tracks). Sidney Bellchamber should have
done better. been reported as driving steam engines & not steam trains.
Mea culpa for the classicists among you!
It is pleasing to report Frank
Mason’s “East Coast Craft” _________NRS NEWS
from a 24” x 40” poster has
reproduced much better. The Membership Boost
LNER commissioned Frank
Mason (1875-1965) to paint a Membership Secretary Mike Handscomb reports that 4 new
set of six posters depicting members have joined at or following our Show, namely:
East Coast Craft in the 1930s.
Frank Mason was held in high John Abson, ,Sheringham,Norfolk.
regard by the LNER, and he
had an interesting Malcolm Banyer, Bacton, Norfolk.
background. After time as a
marine engineer he later spent Jacob Furniss, Swaffham, Norfolk.
time in the engineering and
shipbuilding industries, and Christopher Pearson, Dereham, Norfolk,
perhaps some members will be familiar with his work.
We welcome them to the Society and look forward to seeing
The origin of the British Railways poster of “Norfolk for them at meetings.
Happy Holidays” almost defeated me. However, it turned out
to be the work of Wolverhampton-born John Bee (1895 – Sad News
1959) who did
work for both the We have been advised that one of our members, Cecil
GWR & LNER as Beckett, passed away on 26th February. He was the father of
well as for BR. It Michael Beckett, who some members may recall was half of
dates from the Becknell Books which published some railway books in the
early 1950s, a 1970s/80s. Cecil had not been to a meeting for some time
period which but we extend our condolences to his family. His funeral has
might have taken place.
represented the
high-water mark
of the BR poster.

Anyone with an interest in railway posters is referred to
Poster to Poster – Railway Journeys in Art by Richard
Furness. Volume 4 covers the Eastern Counties but, be
warned, even a single volume will set you back around £30,
and I think there are 7 volumes! Christmas and birthday
presents for a year or two! (EM)

10

_________FEATURES

Melton Constable on a Summer Saturday – Part 1
Ken Mills

I have to confess that although the “Summer Saturday holiday trains” to East Coast resorts had been in existence since before
the Second World War, and recommenced afterwards, my only personal recollection of this annual three-month “show” was a

train ride to Melton from Norwich City in late June 1951 (either 23rd or 30th – Ed.), accompanied by my school-mate, the late
Bernard Harrison (Roger’s younger brother). At Melton, we “camped” on the railway bank opposite the West signal box from
where the higher angle commanded an excellent view of the proceedings. My records of that day consisted of just a list of
locomotive numbers, but with a little imagination it is easy to conjure up a mental picture of the motive power and the stock behind
the tender plus the general ambience of that railway day over 60 years ago. I do remember that it was a warm and sunny day and
being mildly seduced by the sunshine as well as the steam cavalcade passing to and fro my line of vision. Bernard, of course,
was logging the loco number, train reporting number, timings, lateness (if any), number of coaches, and how well patronised they
were etc, all very professional, while I was there just for the locomotives. Being new to the hobby of railway enthusiasm, it didn’t
occur to me to copy Bernard, otherwise this article would have been decidedly more detailed. 1951 saw the M&GN traction
monopolised by its old enemy, the Great Eastern, and a glance at the allocations of the three M&GN locomotive depots in Norfolk
will confirm this fact (See Appendix). But change was in the air once again, as the South Lynn loco allocation shows, with the first
batches of 4MT Moguls having arrived from the west. Over the following year or so, the 4MTs monopolised to such an extent that
on Saturdays on my way from Dereham Road, where I lived, to Carrow Road railway bridge, it was worth diverting round to Oak
Street to check City station for the latest 4MT newly delivered to Melton Constable shed direct from the workshops. These rather
ugly but efficient machines were nicknamed “Mangles” in 1951; the current tag – “Flying Pigs” – was well into the future.

So I thought that by using my copy of the Eastern Region passenger timetable for summer 1951 (18th June to 23rd September) I
could prepare a schedule of trains passing through or originating at Melton Constable at the peak weekends. This would illustrate
what an enthusiast would have seen on that day had he stayed in the village overnight, arose at dawn to see the initial service of
the day at 0500, and then stayed awake till midnight! Bearing in mind that Melton had only one island platform (reached from the
road overbridge by a flight of covered steps) with two platform faces you will be amazed and interested at the manner in which
the trains were managed that day. Unfortunately, an enthusiast at Melton rarely saw the motive power which left the various
Midland cities as these engines were usually swapped at South Lynn for local types, but there was always a chance that perhaps
a Leicester 4F 0-6-0 would somehow “get away”. Leicester depot (15C) maintained a “clutch” of 4F 0-6-0s which were fitted with
the automatic tablet-changing device for working the single-track sections of the M&GN. I see that on three occasions I saw a 4F
on shed at Yarmouth Beach:

22nd April 1957 – 43937; 25th May 1958 – 44231; 13th July 1958 – 44034
It is interesting to note that the first two sightings are “out of season”, suggesting that Leicester 4Fs traversed the whole of the
M&GN at other times of the year, possibly Easter or Whitsun.

Editor’s Note: 22nd April 1957 was Easter Monday; 26th May 1958 would have been Whit-Monday. With no M&GN traffic on a
Sunday did Ken have Yarmouth Beach shed to himself or was the date wrong? It hardly matters!

PASSENGER TRAFFIC AT MELTON CONSTABLE (MC) SUMMER SATURDAYS – 1951
(By reading Columns 3 & 5 you will have all of Melton Constable’s arrival & departure times)

Time From Arrive Depart To Arrive

2355 (F) Mansfield (LMS) 0502 T 0512 Yarmouth Beach 0630
MC 0636 Norwich City 0725
MC 0706 0642 Holt 0651
MC 0705 Liverpool St 1118
0719
0632 Cromer Beach T# Yarmouth Beach 0846
MC 0744 T# 0717 MC
0827 Peterborough North 1026
0628 Norwich City 0830 0730 Norwich City 0839
MC 0830 T 0749 Peterborough North 1111
T 0836 MC
0735 Holt 0909 MC 0915
0651 Yarmouth Beach 0918 0840 Cromer Beach
0755 Cromer Beach 0924 MC 1105
0740 Norwich City 0930 T 0934 MC 1442
T 0936 Yarmouth Beach 1005
MC 0939 Birmingham New St 1027
0818 Norwich City 0950 0930 Cromer Beach 1314
0840 Cromer Beach 1014 0937 Norwich City 1530
0645 Peterborough North 1020 T 0945 Nottingham Midland
0855 Cromer Beach T 0958 King’s Norton (Birmingham) 1600
T MC 1106
MC T 1028 King’s Norton 1131
MC 1025 Cromer Beach
0825 Yarmouth Beach 1041 Norwich City
0910 Cromer Beach
0930 Norwich City*
0815 Lowestoft Central*
MC
MC

11

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Time From Arrive Depart To Arrive

0915 Yarmouth Beach 1044 T 1054 Leicester London Road 1505
0700 T 1052 Yarmouth Beach 1223
0918 Leicester London Rd 1045 MC
0840 T 1117 Derby Midland 1555
0750 Norwich Thorpe 1105 T 1122 Cromer Beach 1151
1030 MC
1046 Lowestoft Central 1108 1125 MC 1202
T 1134 Norwich City 1528
0910 Leicester London Rd 1110 T 1139 Leicester London Road 1313
0920 T 1147 Yarmouth Beach 1508
1005 Norwich City 1119 Peterborough North 1634
1150 Liverpool St 1319
1211 Cromer Beach 1124 T 1232 Norwich City 1628
1110 T 1240 Leicester London Road 1402
0900 MC T 1242 Yarmouth Beach 1656
Liverpool St 1742
1130 Lowestoft Central 1127 1245 Mansfield LMS 1443
T 1303 Yarmouth Beach
1033 Peterborough North 1129 MC 1421
1300 Norwich City 1410
1303 Yarmouth Beach 1140 Cromer Beach
0935 1332 MC 1453
1020 MC 1335 Yarmouth Beach 1540
1321 Yarmouth Beach
Weybourne 1229 T 1349 MC 1640
1000 T 1409 Peterborough North 1646
Yarmouth Beach 1232 Lowestoft Central 1459
1315 1415 Cromer Beach 1733
0905 Leicester London Road 1234 T 1430 Peterborough North 1730
Lowestoft Central 1602
1245 MC 1425 Cromer Beach 1720
T 1500 Yarmouth Beach 1637
1540 Yarmouth Beach 1254 T 1500 Norwich City
1540 MC 1710
MC 1525 MC 2010
1500 T 1540 Cromer Beach 2109
Peterborough North 1322 Leicester London Road 1752
1551 1550 Liverpool St
1645 MC Norwich City 1944
1650 1635 MC 2012
MC T 1639 MC 1900
1345 MC 1902
Cromer Beach 1338 1645 Norwich Thorpe 1842
1730 1705 Lowestoft Central
1810 Nottingham Midland 1341 Norwich City 2047
1750 1746 Cromer Beach 2013
Nottingham Midland 1402 T 1818 Fakenham West 2000
1815 T 1822 MC 2042
1925 Norwich City 1409 T 1825 Yarmouth Beach
1915 T 1824 Norwich City 2130
1730 MC Cromer Beach
2110 T 1915 Cromer Beach 2353
2100 Derby Midland 1415 1925 MC
2007 1925 King’s Lynn
2245 MC MC
2245 T 2007 MC
Yarmouth Beach 1450 MC
T 2010 MC
King’s Norton 1452 Weybourne
T 2336 MC
MC
____
Peterborough North 1528 60

MC

Cromer Beach 1618

Norwich City 1625

MC

Yarmouth Beach 1630

MC

MC

Yarmouth Beach 1723

Cromer Beach 1724

Norwich City 1743

MC

Birmingham New Street†1812

MC†

MC†

Norwich City 1821

Cromer Beach 1845

King’s Lynn 1905

MC

MC

Yarmouth Beach 2000

Cromer Beach 2002

Norwich City 2004

Liverpool St 2132

Cromer Beach 2146

Yarmouth Beach 2230

Peterborough North 2245

Norwich City 2332

King’s Lynn 0000

____

Totals 57

Notes to the above table:
a) T = through train.
b) * = “Up Leicester”, through coaches attached. † = “Down Leicester”, through coaches detached.
c) No allowance has been made for freight traffic.

12

_________FEATURES

d) On occasions a “relief” service was operated if the bookings for the timetabled train were oversubscribed.
e) At Melton Constable the two platform faces were described as follows:
“UP” platform was nearest to the locomotive depot, direction South Lynn.
“DOWN” platform faced the village, direction Yarmouth Beach.
f) Peterborough North is the station that is still open today.
g) # = Actually a through service; explanation in the next issue.

[To Be Continued in the next issue with Points Emerging From the 1951 Summer Timetable]

Sectional Appendices …and a Diversion via Stainmore

Among the plethora of railway operating manuals which are I had to admit defeat when I encountered a reference to the
solely for staff use are the General Appendices, Sectional despatch of Barrows, Rulleys and Rulley Shafts for Repairs.
Appendices, Operating Notices, and so forth, and especially There were wagon repair shops at Walker Gate (Newcastle),
the books of Rules & Regulations. It isn’t clear how many of West Hartlepool and Shildon in those days, but what on
these exist today, but in the 1960s the Sectional Appendices earth was a Rulley? Modern dictionaries didn’t recognise it,
were weighty tomes and had the usual stricture on the cover: but at last an old one gave me the answer – they were flat
“PRIVATE AND NOT FOR PUBLICATION”, which made four-wheeled wagons for carrying goods. Was the word used
them all the more desirable! outside the north-east?

To take the North Eastern Region (Northern Section) as an I’ve barely scratched the surface of the Sectional Appendix,
but its 292 pages remind us how much physical railway there
example, I have a book issued on 1st October 1960 which was in those days, and just how much manpower and
opens with a sequence of lines used throughout the book. infrastructure supported it. And if anyone is able to say more
This includes such long-lost lines as the Amble branch, about Rulleys then please do.
Scotsgap to Rothbury, and the various routes radiating from
Consett. It goes on to cover maximum light engine speeds In matters north-eastern it is wise to seek help from David
(chimney first and tender first in those days), standard Pearce, who has been able to let me have some
locomotive whistles (plus the local codes, and you will be photographs (some his own and some acquired) of the Belah
intrigued to know that in the Percy Main area the Down Main & Deepdale viaducts in the 1950s, and what remains of the
to California was 1 short and 4 long whilst the Cramlington Belah site today. They were on a line that ran from
line to Siberia was 2 short and 1 long, for example). These Darlington to Penrith via Barnard Castle & Kirkby Stephen,
would have to be known by the local enginemen, inspectors
and signalmen for example. Indeed, across the whole which closed to passengers from 22nd January 1962 over the
Northern Section, local whistle codes ran to 19 pages! part which ran west from Barnard Castle. [Barnard Castle
Another table sets out the locations where the risk of lineside formed a junction with the branch to Middleton-in-Teesdale
fires appeared to be greatest.
which did not close to passengers until 30th November 1964].
One of the most important parts of the Sectional Appendix There had also been a south-west line from Kirkby Stephen
was a table giving the distances between signalboxes. Thus,
from Northallerton station to Cowton/Eryholme the distance to Tebay which lost its passenger service from 1st December
was 8 miles 794 chains, and onwards to Darlington South 1952. But, to return to the Darlington-Penrith line, I suspect
another 4 miles 1672 yards. In the days when we had many of you have travelled over the A66. The old line over
National Service our Army was much larger than today’s and Stainmore followed the present A66 for part of its length and,
some depots/barracks were directly served by rail, Catterick as it will be known that parts of the A66 are among the first to
Camp being one such. It was off the Darlington – Richmond be affected by bad weather, the railway, naturally, wasn’t
much different. Although the line must have been both
branch which itself lost its passenger service from 3rd March difficult to work and expensive to operate its pre-Beeching
1969. The explanatory paragraph said that British Railways closure may have been a blessing from the railways’ point of
work the Catterick Camp Railway on behalf of the War view even if the case for closure was poorly-made and
Department (a belligerent title if ever there was one). There riddled with inaccuracies. Train services were few and far
were a number of important level crossings over the railway, between. Table 50 of my Summer 1957 N.E.R. timetable
the majority of which were worked (hand-signalled) by shows just three trains each way between Darlington and
military personnel. Penrith, taking about 2½ hours for the journey. High summer
brought three additional Saturday trains to/from Blackpool –
The line between Barnard Castle & Kirkby Stephen may be one from South Shields, one from Newcastle and one from
familiar to readers through the BR film “Snowdrift at Bleath Darlington/South Shields. To avoid reversal at Penrith and
Gill”. As well as running through some desolate moorland, it save paths on the WCML they must have given passengers
crossed some spindly viaducts at Deepdale and Belah, and a rare treat by taking the closed Kirkby Stephen-Tebay route.
there were stringent restrictions regarding the use of large Freight traffic included coal & coke from the N.E. to the
locomotives and steam cranes, such as “When two steelworks around Workington which was later diverted via
locomotives are employed with one set of snow ploughs Newcastle and Carlisle, some of which reached Barnard
between Barnard Castle and Kirkby Stephen, and either of Castle from Bishop Auckland. David’s photographs have
the locomotives are in Class WD 2-8-0, Q6 or J39, the snow captured all of this traffic – wallow in nostalgia for a few
plough train must be divided to pass over Deepdale and minutes! If these old lines that struggled against the odds
Belah viaducts, that is, not more than not more than one interest you David has recommended “The Stainmore &
locomotive of these classes with one plough must pass over Eden Valley Railways” by Peter Walton, recently reprinted by
the viaducts at one time”. [The line closed in 1962.] Ian Allan/OPC @ £25 (ISBN 978 0 86093 655 8), if you want
to know more.

13

_________FEATURES

All steam age photographs from the J.W. Armstrong Collection supplied by David Pearce. The modern photograph of the remains
of Belah Viaduct was taken by David Pearce on 29 May 2011, and the rest show the line in its heyday in the 1950’s and on the
day of closure.

A J21 banked by a 2MT 2-6-0 on Belah Viaduct 76045 leads an Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 over Belah Viaduct on a
Blackpool – Newcastle service.

82027 westbound on Deepdale Viaduct 43073 at Bleathgill on a Blackpool – South Shields service
on 19th July 1958.

: 77003 leads 76049 on the Stainmore Limited on Belah Viaduct and Signalbox on 29th May 2011.
Deepdale Viaduct on 20th January 1962.

14

_________WORKING TIMETABLE
a selective look ahead at local railway events

NORFOLK RAILWAY SOCIETY, GER Society (Norwich Branch) and Norfolk Transport Group meetings take place (unless
otherwise stated) at: United Reformed Church Hall, Ipswich Road, Norwich, NR4 6QR

Events are listed in good faith, but visitors should check with the organisation concerned before travelling.

Services on our Local Railways

The Bure Valley Railway has a daily service operating until 3rd November. For more details of individual events please visit their
website or telephone 01263-733858.

The Mid-Norfolk Railway operates regularly until 3rd November (but not daily). For more details please visit their website or
telephone 01362-690633.

The North Norfolk Railway has a daily service operating until 3rd November. For more details of individual events please visit their
website or telephone 01263-820800.

Ashmanhaugh Light Railway – East View Farm, Stone Lane, Ashmanhaugh, Norwich, NR12 8YW
Sunday 5th May & Sunday 2nd June - Open Days 1400-1700

The Barton House Railway has operating days on the 3rd Sunday in the month from 1430 – 1730. Please telephone 01603-
782008 for information.

The Mid-Suffolk Light Railway – The museum is open 1100-1700 every Sunday & Bank Holiday from the beginning of May until
the end of September. For more details of individual events please visit their website or telephone 01449-766899.

The Wells & Walsingham Light Railway has a daily service operating until 3rd November. Please visit their website or telephone
01328 – 711630 for information.

The Whitwell & Reepham Railway operates an “on demand” diesel service at weekends plus various special events. Please visit
their website or telephone 01603-871694.

APRIL Fri - Sun MID NORFOLK RAILWAY - Spring Diesel Gala
5th - 7th For further details see the MNR website: www.mnr.org.uk/calendar/events/gala/

11th Thur 19.30 NORFOLK TRANSPORT GROUP - "Oil and Grease - Get it on the Ramp” - Peter Knights and Mike
Fordham

18th Thur 19.30 NORFOLK RAILWAY SOCIETY - Annual General Meeting. Please bring the paperwork that
was issued with the last Newsletter.

20th - 21st Sat - Sun WHITWELL & REEPHAM RAILWAY - 1940s Weekend (Steam – 1st train 1230).
21st Sun
BARTON HOUSE RAILWAY Running Day 14.30 - 17.30
This month we commemorate 50 years of the Barton House Railway.

25th Thur 19.30 GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY SOCIETY (Norwich Branch) - An Evening With Andy Wright

MAY Thur 19.30 NORFOLK RAILWAY SOCIETY – “The Pigtailbahn” – John Hanchet & “45 Years of Railways
2nd around Interlaken” – Graham Kenworthy

4th - 6th Sat - Mon MID-NORFOLK RAILWAY - 1980s Weekend.
4th - 6th
Sat - Mon NORTH NORFOLK RAILWAY - “Day Out with Thomas”.

15

_________WORKING TIMETABLE

4th Sat NENTA TRAINTOURS – From Norwich (dep 0430 approx), Diss, Ipswich, Stowmarket, Bury St
Edmunds & Ely etc to York, Newcastle, Berwick–upon-Tweed & Edinburgh. Norwich return 0030
approx (Sun). Various options & Premier Class/Dining available. Fares from £69.75. Details:
www.nentatraintours.co.uk or telephone 01692 – 406152.

16th Thur 19.30 NORFOLK RAILWAY SOCIETY – Presentations from various members of the Ipswich &
District Historical Transport Society.

18th Sat 07.00 NORFOLK RAILWAY SOCIETY – Day out at the Bluebell Railway. By Coach to East Grinstead;
return from Sheffield Park. Please see full details on separate booking form.

23rd Thur GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY SOCIETY (Norwich Branch) – Visit to the Hemsby Miniature Railway.
Arrive after 1430. Weather permitting, the Railway will run until 1930. Please make your own way
there. A free BBQ will be provided, but we will collect donations for the Railway.
The visit is open to anyone attending any of the Thursday evening meetings (GERS, NRS or NTG) &
their family & friends. Please contact Mike Fordham on 01508-493437 so that he is aware of
numbers. Location is Blue Riband Holidays, Parklands, North Rd, Hemsby, NR29 4HA.

25th - 26th Sat - Sun WHITWELL & REEPHAM RAILWAY – Cheese & Wine Weekend & Craft Fayre (Diesel 1000 – 1700
on demand).

25th - 27th Sat - Mon BURE VALLEY RAILWAY – “Everything Goes” – all available BVR engines and coaches in action.

26th - 27th Sun - Mon MID-SUFFOLK LIGHT RAILWAY - “Steam Models & Miniatures”.

JUNE Sat NENTA TRAINTOURS – From North Walsham (0530 approx), Norwich (0610 approx), Diss, Ipswich,
1st Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds & Ely etc to The Black Country Museum, the Severn Valley Railway
or Worcester. Norwich return 2355 approx. Premier Class/Dining available.
1st - 2nd Fares from £62.75. Details: www.nentatraintours.co.uk or telephone 01692-406152.

Sat - Sun MID-NORFOLK RAILWAY - Class 50 Withdrawal Weekend

2nd Sun WHITWELL & REEPHAM RAILWAY – Members’ Day & Passenger Reunion (Steam – 1st train
1230).

6th Thur 19.00 NORFOLK RAILWAY SOCIETY – Evening Visit to the Whitwell & Reepham Railway. Please
see full details on separate booking form.

14th - 16th Fri - Sun NORTH NORFOLK RAILWAY - Summer Diesel Gala. Let’s hope they have more luck with the
diesels!

16th Sun WHITWELL & REEPHAM RAILWAY – Father’s Day (Steam – 1st train 1230).

16th Sun BURE VALLEY RAILWAY – “Father’s Day V.I.P. Package”.

22nd Sat Epping & Ongar “Awayday” – a chance to visit the Heritage Railway of the Year. Fare £20. The visit
coincides with their LU150 Event.
Please make enquiries & bookings direct with Spratts – telephone 01508-498262 - or go to their
website.

JULY Sun Waddington Air Show. Fare £40. Please make enquiries & bookings direct with Spratts – telephone
7th 01508-498262 - or go to their website.

Printed by Express Impressions. Tel. 01603 301127
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