1284

ABOVE: An unusual event, trains crossing at Rufford (although both lines are unidirectional); the 12.35
Preston to Ormskirk is on the right. The crossing gates are down and the signal is cleared for our tour.

ABOVE: Heading north back from Ormskirk, the train slowed to give up the single line token from
Rufford to the signaller with blue hair (green or red is not permitted of course, and it won't be long
before high viz fluorescent orange hair dye will be required for all staff) at Midge Hall box. Beyond to
Farington Curve Jn (East Lancs) is controlled from Preston Power Signal Box. Past the crossing, the
remains of Midge Hall station platforms can be seen; it CP 2 Oct 1961 in double track main line days.

1436] The Anglian Chauffeured Shacker Tracker, Sat 17 Jun Part 1: This fixture was the first of its kind
for us, allowing participants to 'do' as many of the hardest to visit East Anglian stations ('shacks' to
some) as possible in one day. This activity requires either alighting or departing a train at the station in
question - stepping off at a station and reboarding the same train is not allowed (by most!). It is
difficult to use certain stations with very sparse train services, as waiting for the next train might take
all day, and there is often no alternative public transport. With this in mind a plan was devised by Ian
Delgado to kindly chauffeur a group between stations to allow maximum usage of the rare stations.
The day started with an 06.55 pick-up from Ely for a rare journey from Shippea Hill to Spooner Row.

LEFT: Like the station this sign has seen better times,
sadly it does not apply to Mildenhall, a branch
terminus from Cambridge that CP 18 Jun 1962.
Shippea Hill opened as 'Mildenhall Road'. (Pictures
John Cameron 17 Jun 2017 unless specified.)

Shippea Hill is a request stop served by one train
daily (SuX) to Norwich and in the other direction one
(SO) to Cambridge. It OP in 1845 as Mildenhall
Road, the name was changed to Burnt Fen in 1885
(when Mildenhalll station opened) and then Shippea
Hill in 1904 (the hill is 5ft tall).

ABOVE: The station looking towards Ely; the
left platform is the rare one with a single (SO)
train each week, the right platform has six.
In 2014/15 and 2015/16 the station was the
least used in Britain with 22 and 12 recorded
passengers respectively. This may change for
2016/17, as a finalist from 'The Great British
Bake Off' handed out free mince pies,
attracting 16 additional passengers on 24 Dec
2016. On 3 Jun this year 19 people travelled
from Shippea Hill as part of the 'All The Stations' documentary project: ABOVE LEFT. Wonder what the
driver made of this? (Press release). Today it has a bus shelter style waiting shelter on the Down P1.
The signal box next to the level crossing remains, leaning visibly backwards. It closed on 19 Aug 2012,
when the Ely to Thetford line was resignalled and wooden crossing barriers were replaced by
automatic barriers with obstacle detectors (some of the first on NR). Deposited by the chauffeur in
good time, 2K58, the 07.00 Cambridge-Norwich (07.25 from Shippea Hill), formed of 170205, was
flagged down and boarded. BELOW: Excitement mounts at Shippea Hill for the highlight of the day/
week/month as the 07.00 from Cambridge to Norwich, is actually going to stop (at 07.28) on 17 Jun.

The conductor was found and alerted that Spooner Row (another request stop) was the destination.
He was surprised at the journey, as he had had a few passengers getting off at Shippea Hill before, but
never any getting on! The explanation having been duly made he advised that the doors on the front
two coaches only would be opened at Spooner Row, due to a short platform, which would result in a
short delay as he had to go to the back and lock that coach's doors out before releasing the others.



[BLN 1284]
PREVIOUS PAGE TOP: After conveying our member from Shippea Hill the train pulls out of Spooner
Row for Norwich. PREVIOUS PAGE LOWER: Spooner Row, the platforms are staggered either side of
the crossing; looking towards Ely the 'Harrington Hump' is evident on the platform for Norwich trains.
The closed signal box leans towards the railway here rather than away and is due to be moved to
Wymondham Abbey on the Mid-Norfolk Railway. Between the tracks are the level crossing 'obstacle
detectors' incredibly now operational for nearly five years. (Ian Delgado).

Spooner Row station was planned and built by the Norwich and Brandon Railway (N&BR). By the time
it opened in 1845 the N&BR had amalgamated with the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway to form the
Norfolk Railway, which closed the station in 1847. However, the Eastern Counties Railway, which
absorbed the Norfolk Railway in 1848, re-opened it in 1855, only for it to close for a second time in
1860. The Great Eastern Railway (GER) absorbed the Eastern Counties in 1862 and the GER reopened
Spooner Row for the third time in 1882. It has remained open since. In comparison with Shippea Hill,
Spooner Row is a major hub, with passenger numbers of 664 in 2015/16, up from 490 in 2014/15.
It also has more services, two morning to Norwich and one afternoon to Cambridge SSuX, one train in
each direction SO and none Sundays. Down P1 is very low by today's standards and has a short
modern raised 'Harrington Hump' section for easier access. The station is well kept, considering its low
usage, with lots of flowers on and beside the platforms. The signal box remains (control transferred to
Cambridge also on 19 Aug 2012) next to the now automatic crossing barriers. To be continued…

Please mention the BLS when booking or enquiring. .1284 CONNECTIONS… .Details must be checked with the organisers.
1437] South Downs Light Railway: (MR p25) (BLN 1020.MR110) Wye Vale Garden Centre, Stopham
Rd, Pulborough, RH20 1DS, (TQ 033183). This 1,100yd 10¼" gauge line runs Mar to Sep 11.00-12.30
and 13.20-15.30, every 15 mins: Sat, Sun, Bank Hol and school holiday Wednesdays; £2 Adult. The
South Downs Belle (limited availability on line booking advised) Adult £3, an 'extended run' at 12.00 &
15.00, first Sunday of the month additionally includes the original line bypassing the 2006 extension.

1438] Glenfield Tunnel tours: 15, 16, 22, 29, 30 Jul; 7, 8, 9 & 10 Sep at 10.00, 11.30, 14.14 & 15.30.
Leicestershire Industrial Historical Society; Glenfield Co-op overflow car park; lasts about an hour.
Guided tour and talk, follows the Leicester & Swannington Railway to Glenfield station and coal yard
site then the cutting to include 400yd of the 1832 built tunnel to see a 'massive construction shaft' and
more recent strengthening work. Must be pre-booked [email protected] 0116 2415153,
joining advice will be supplied. Free but donations welcome. (Reports for BLN also welcome please!)

1439] The Ashover Light Railway 1925-1950, An Illustrated Presentation:
(BLN 1281.1102) 60 gloss A5 pages with 103 well captioned B&W pictures
(18 tickets are in colour), maps and timetables. Its life and times from
opening to closure and lifting. Includes an associated rare picture of the
Wembley Empire Exhibition (1924) 'Neverstop Railway'. [Following our
recent walk and BLN items (particularly BLN 1274.249) it really brings this
fascinating line to life - Ed] The Ashover Light Railway Society (2016) £8.99,
P&P £1.50 extra; https://goo.gl/1emZnm Bill Hudson Transport Books or
ring 01629 580797

1440] The Ashover Light Railway Society: This was founded in 1996
http://alrs.org.uk/ (an excellent website). It records the railway's existing
features, collects pictures and creates an artefact database. A regular
magazine is produced and they hope to re-open a section as a tourist
railway. See website or send an SAE to The Membership Secretary,
Wheatcroft View, 52 Wessington Lane, South Wingfield, DE55 7NB.

XXXX] The Pickering Paxman, 15 Jul: Details https://goo.gl/DCri9M are now also on the EMT website.

1441] PLEG, East Kent Railway, Fri 4 Aug: (MR p6) 08676 & NS687 are due to run on passenger stock
from 18.00-19.00 and then 08685 & 08799 from 19.00-20.00; £10 cash, pay on the day all going to the
railway, just turn up. This connects with our Victoria Line tour (BLNs 1279.812 & 1280.933): Shepherds
Well 20.14 to Victoria (22.21) or change at Faversham (20.47/20.59) for St Pancras (22.07) both for
Walthamstow Central and also coincides with the Spa Valley Railway diesel gala that weekend.

1442] Spa Valley Railway Diesel Gala 3-6 Aug: Https://goo.gl/AZt1Zj includes south of Eridge and brake
van rides from Groombridge to the 'end' of the Ashurst Spur (CA 6 Jan 1969) station (half a mile return).

1443] East Coaster Diesel Rail Cruise, Sat 9 Sep: Whitehead RPSI platform (07.30) - Belfast Central -
(08.22/22.15) to Rosslare Strand. The Dublin to Rosslare coastal line is considered to be Ireland's most
scenic. £59 (£54 Drogheda Connolly). RPSI Mk 2 stock, Class 111 NIR loco & IÉ Class 071 028 9024 6609.

1444] Vinter's Railway Gazetteer (2017): (BLN 1283.1342) For anyone who missed the special offer, this
book is now available for £14.08 including P&P from 'speedyhen' www.speedyhen.com Unit 1 Falcon
Park, Neasden Lane, London, NW10 1RZ. The company has a good range of discounted railway books
(Ian Allan now Crecy, Middleton Press and History Press for example), all orders are post free. Due in Oct:
The Complete Atlas of the Railways of South West & Central Southern England (RRP £30), £17.95 post free.

X.104] Top Links:
 A varied selection of mystery pictures https://goo.gl/KmoZ6i from Kestrel books.
 Ten of the world's most unusual train rides https://goo.gl/yGiDhv (should be in BLNI?).
 Https://youtu.be/Te9-Y0M9D_Y?t=8a 20 minute video of 'Plimsoll' a 1957 Land Rover fitted
with standard gauge flanged wheels running on the North Yorkshire Moors railway - with a
name like that it really ought to be a pump trolley! Perhaps the Society should buy one next…
 Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PNLxlM9ZZ4&sns=em Merseyrail track replacement.
 Https://goo.gl/P865TQ progress on the Crossrail tunnels.
 Https://goo.gl/LPWtGd London connections (can be enlarged when downloaded).
 Https://goo.gl/8uWAbh the multitude of private sidings once in the Cambridge area.
 Https://goo.gl/K32F5i the Necropolis railway.

X.105] Virgin Trains Advance Ticket Sale: Thu 6 Jul to Tue 11 Jul; available for travel between Fri 21
Jul 21 and Fri 8 Dec only be booked at virgintrains.com from £5 (e.g. Manchester - London £11 single).

X.106] Hidden London Revealed: (BLN 1283.1268) The next series of visits is released to the public at

10.00 Wed 12 Jul. London Transport Newsletters Subscribers (sign up at https://goo.gl/j9oHuU ) will

be sent a priority booking link at 10.00 Tue 11 Jul, they are very popular and fill quickly. NEW:

'Clapham South Subterranean' - a special film of the bunker including the Blitz and the 1951 Festival of

Britain, plus the tour 9or the tour alone). Down Street: (Churchill's secret station) optional afternoon

tea is now available after the tour at the adjacent Athenaeum Hotel; tea and biscuits beforehand are

included anyway. Tour available to book this time:

Clapham South Euston -The photography tour

Clapham South with film Charing Cross - Access all areas

Down Street 55 Broadway, London's first skyscraper

Down Street with afternoon tea Highgate Wilderness walkabout

SALES: Mark Gomm: 84 Mornington Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST1 6EL. [email protected] 01782 769960 (daytime).
Fixtures Secretary: Kev Adlam, 53 Kemble Close, Wistaston, CREWE CW2 6XN. [email protected] Twitter: @BLSGeneralSec
Fixture Bookings Assistant: Jill Everitt, 4 Barnside Way, Moulton, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 8PT. [email protected]
Paper BLN Problems: Dave Monger, 6 Underhill Close, GODALMING, GU7 1NU. [email protected] or text/ring Editor.
Editor/Head Lines: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX [email protected] 01684562862 07790652351.
MAPS: Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland http://maps.nls.uk/index.html

Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Road, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8NP. ISSN 1354-0947.

POSTSCRIPT:

X.107] ABOVE: Some members have
asked what our Society Photographer,
Geoff Plumb, actually looks like as he
doesn't appear in his excellent pictures
(obviously as he is taking them!) and
sometimes goes 'missing' for long
periods on tours in one of the cabs (with
permission of course). Those who know
Geoff will instantly recognise him in the
centre of the trio above with his brother
and sister posing for their father, Derek
Plumb, in front of ex-LB&SCR E1 Class
0-6-0T No W2 'Yarmouth'. It had just
arrived at Ryde St Johns Road with the
evening goods, probably from Medina
Wharf. A family holiday on the Isle of
Wight, in summer 1956. (Derek Plumb).

LEFT: Fast forward a few years to a more
recent picture of Geoff (the one the
right) during a 'Rylstone Cowboy' trip on
Sun 11 Dec 2016. (Kev Adlam).