News Archive  September - October 2010                      Back to News Archive index

National Network

 

Natex wins 28-week reprieve

National Express is being allowed to operate the East Anglia rail franchise for a further period. On September 14 NatEx, which also holds the c2c franchise, announced that the DfT had agreed a 28-week extension beyond the original expiry date of March 31 2011.

  Lord Adonis, Transport Secretary of the previous Labour government, last year denied National Express an extension of the franchise until 2014 after it walked away from the prestigious East Coast rail service.

  The rehabilitation of Natex in the DfT's eyes has taken industry observers by surprise. One suggestion is that handing the NXEA and c2c franchises to a new operator just before the Olympic Games in 2012 could be seen as foolhardy.

 

Easterling ruined by Black 5 bearing calamity

Railtour participants aboard The Easterling on September 18 only got as far as Norwich before disaster struck.

  The trip from London, promoted by the Railway Touring Company, was headed by LMS Black Five no. 44932, substituting for out-of-traffic no. 70013 Oliver Cromwell. After Norwich the train was due to travel to Lowestoft, and home via the East Suffolk line and Ipswich.

  Shortly after arrival at Norwich the loco was backing out of the station to be turned for the leg to Lowestoft when a loud 'clunk' was heard. Inspection revealed that a big end wheel bearing had blown its cork sealing plug, and the Norwich – Lowestoft – Ipswich leg of the tour was cancelled.

  While some participants vented their annoyance at the unfortunate Railway Touring Company representatives, WCRC no. 37706 was summoned from Ilford depot to rescue the Easterlingstock. Given the choice of returning to London on a service train or sitting around for about five hours, many considered '37 haulage' to be worth the wait, and at 18.32 no.37706 took them back to Stratford.

 

Many injured in Sudbury branch collision

Class 156 NXEA Class 156 2-car dmu no. 156 417 was involved in a serious accident on August 17 when it collided with with a 44-tonne sewage tanker at an unmanned level crossing at Little Cornard, south of Sudbury.

  The 'Bittern Line' branded unit was working the 17.31 Sudbury – Marks Tey service. It remained upright but the front coach was derailed. 21 people including the driver were injured and one was airlifted to hospital.

  The articulated lorry had just deposited its load of sewage at the Anglian Water treatment works and was returning towards the B1508 Bures Road when it was hit by the train. Crossing users are instructed to telephone the signal box for permission to cross, but Network Rail has no record of receiving a call. The lorry driver was arrested and is to appear in court.

  Trains on the Sudbury-Marks Tey branch were replaced by buses for several days during the process to remove the lorry and dmu with a crane. Now one unit short, NXEA was unsuccessful in its attempts to obtain a spare from another TOC. As a result it has restricted many London – Lowestoft/Peterborough through diesel services, and passengers have to change at Ipswich or Colchester to complete their journeys – a foretaste of the recast timetable to come in December.

 

More Norwich – London seats from December

NXEA's new timetable which starts in December will see more seats and more trains, both on the main Norwich – London route, and on some connecting routes and branches. These are the results of the Service Improvement Plan which was agreed between the DfT and NXEA to increase train capacity in and out of Liverpool Street.

  Among the improvements are:

• Additional seats on many peak trains between Norwich and London, and more trains calling at Stratford.  
• A fast morning peak 07.40 Norwich to London service (1 hr 45 mins) and some faster off peak Norwich – London services (1 hr 48 mins).
• Later evening connections from London to Great Yarmouth.
• A new hourly service between Ipswich and Saxmundham (but Lowestoft/Peterborough to London journeys will need a change of trains at Ipswich).  
• Most Norwich – Cambridge services will operate as three-carriage trains (currently two).
• Most Ipswich – Cambridge trains upgraded to more modern two-carriage trains.
• Two extra services each way between Norwich and Great Yarmouth. 

 

Ipswich chord to have two tracks

Network Rail has announced that its proposed Ipswich chord will be planned as a double track line.

  The chord, originally dubbed Bacon Factory Curve, will enable freight trains between Felixstowe and the Midlands to avoid having to reverse in Ipswich Yard. The Port of Felixstowe, whose growth would be helped by the double track’s extra capacity, was reported to be delighted with the decision. If the scheme receives approval, work should start in 2012 and be complete by March 2014.

  Over 300 people attended a public exhibition about the scheme at Ipswich Corn Exchange in June. 

 

Brandon group to get access to station building

The Friends of Brandon Station have been campaigning for four years to bring the station building back into use. Having raised money to cover insurance, they chalked up a significant step with the promise of a short-term lease from Network Rail. 

  The Friends' aim, according to chairman Stephen Dean, is to refurbish two large rooms, including the booking office, in order to hold FoBS meetings and possibly an exhibition about the station. Smaller rooms could be converted into offices or small shops and the station master's house could become a home once more.

 

Essex branches for a fiver!

The Association of Community Rail Partnerships held its annual Awards Ceremony in Westcliff-on-Sea on September 24. To celebrate Essex's six community rail lines NXEA offered 'The Essex CRP Day Rover', which cost just £5 and could be used for unlimited travel on the date printed on the ticket across all NXEA services within Essex (except on the West Anglia/ Stansted Express route). Thus, in addition to the main lines between Brentwood and Manningtree and from Shenfield to Southend Victoria, the ticket – only available on line – was valid on the branches to Southminster, Braintree, Sudbury, Clacton, Walton and Harwich.

 

Overnight wire and signal damage bring long delays

The night and morning of August 25/26 saw London – Norwich trains cancelled or delayed, with some passengers taking seven hours to reach home.

  OHL failure at Ingatestone and signalling problems between Shenfield and Chelmsford meant that after the 20.30 from Liverpool Street no more trains were allowed through. As a result, some passengers who should have arrived at Norwich at 23.20 did not do so until around 05.00 the next morning.

 

More parking spaces at Diss

Network Rail and NXEA propose to redesign and extend the Station Road car park at Diss station to give a 50% increase in car spaces. The extension will take over some of the land currently leased to DB Schenker and occupied by sidings. Work is due to start in the autumn and the finished car park should be ready in spring 2011.

 

Thieves jailed for raiding FCC ticket machines

A Bedfordshire family of three has been sentenced to prison for stealing over £16,000 from railway ticket machines as well as causing £188,000 worth of damage.

  The three were found guilty of 57 offences of theft, committed between July 2008 and March 2009 in 21 different locations across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and Essex. Waterbeach was among the FCC stations affected. Tony Holland, FCC’s Crime Prevention Officer thanked British Transport Police for tracking the criminals down. 

 

Bittern train damaged by vandalism

An estimated £15,000-worth of damage was caused to a Bittern Line dmu after it struck a pile of concrete blocks which had been deliberately placed on the track. The incident took place at Salhouse Station on August 18. Fortunately no-one was injured, but subsequent trains had a speed restriction imposed until NR staff had cleared the track.

  Two days later a 20-year-old Romanian man pleaded guilty at Norwich Magistrates' Court to endangering the safety of people on a railway.

 

More problems at Somerleyton as lawyers grapple with swing-bridge conundrum

The swing opening times of the Somerleyton bridge (NRS Newsletter Jul/Aug) have been reduced. Three openings per day were causing too much wear on the main bearing, and to minimise the risk of it failing before it can be replaced, NR has cancelled the evening swing, when on average only one boat was using the bridge. 

  The move comes as the Broads Authority attempts to put swing bridge maintenance on a legal footing. A draft agreement governing the operation and maintenance of all of the swing bridges in the Broads – Somerleyton, Oulton Broad, Reedham and Trowse – is being studied by Network Rail solicitors.

 

Super Off-Peak sold daily for summer family trips

First Capital Connect extended the availability of its Super Off-Peak ticket during the school holidays, allowing families to enjoy cheaper trips to London.

  The ticket, which could be booked on line or by visiting a FCC station on the day of travel, allowed customers to make a return trip to London with at least a 20% discount off the usual off-peak return train fare. The Super Off-Peak ticket is usually limited to the weekend but from from August 14 to September 5 it was available every day. People could visit London from Cambridge for £16 or from King’s Lynn for £23.

 

 

Heritage, Narrow-gauge and Miniature

 

A dozen 37s launch Mid-Norfolk's hourly service

An estimated 2,000 visitors flocked from all over the UK, as well as from Ireland and Denmark, to witness the Mid Norfolk Railway's three-day 'Class 37 Golden Jubilee' on September 24-26. This major event celebrated the 50th anniversary of the English Electric-built class, some of which still see daily service on the national network.

  

Mid-Norfolk Railway Class 37 Jubilee

Participating locomotives

 

37003 (MNR-based, numbered 37360)

D6729/37029, D6737/37037 (from South Devon Railway)

37109 (from East Lancashire Railway)

37219 (from Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway)

37275 (from Barrow Hill)

37423 and 37601 (Direct Rail Services)

37518 (from Nene Valley Railway)

37706 (West Coast Railways)

37906 (from Severn Valley Railway)

97301 (prev. 37100) (Network Rail)

 

Visiting locos began to arrive at around midnight on September 22/23. Two convoys were hauled by Class 47 no. 47580 County of Essex and Colas Rail no. 47749, which remained at Dereham during the festivities.

  MNR-based no. 37003, freshly painted in engineers' grey-and-yellow and numbered 37360 for its first public appearance in preservation, was joined by eleven more examples (see panel) in liveries from BR green right up to current DRS and West Coast schemes.

  For the first time, the MNR was able to schedule hourly departures from each terminus, thanks to the newly-commissioned Thuxton passing loop, which had been inspected and approved on September 9 by HMRI representatives.

  Two notable events took place on the Saturday. No. 37601 was named Class 37 'Fifty', and nine of the 37s took part in a cavalcade through Dereham station. Most guest locos left the MNR during or shortly after the Gala, but nos. 37029 and 37219 are likely to remain for a few months.

 

...and one stays in Norfolk

After the MNR Gala, the South Devon Railway's Class 37 no. D6737 was moved by road on September 27 to the North Norfolk Railway, where it will remain until next year.

  D6737 (later TOPS no. 37037) emerged from the English Electric works in May 1962, just two months after NNR-based classmate no.D6732/37032 which is undergoing long-term overhaul.

 

Wisbech coach's first public outing

The North Norfolk Railway held a members' day on October 2 when members of the M&GN Society and NNR shareholders could travel free.

  A 'Society Special' was formed of Wisbech & Upwell tram coach Irene and M&GN brake van, both making their first public runs on the NNR, and hauled by Hunslet 0-6-0ST Ring Haw.

 

NNR in the black

At the North Norfolk Railway plc's AGM in July a net pre-tax profit of £187,310 was reported. This marks a significant improvement in the railway's financial position, enabling it to repay its private loans.

  The NNR's new chairman is Steve Ashling, an operations manager with Network Rail as well as a long-standing NNR volunteer signalman. Steve's influence with NR led to the reinstatement of Sheringham level crossing earlier this year.

  Former chairman David Morgan has become the company’s first president, maintaining his long association with the railway. 

 

Norfolk Heroine to wear grey for big day

After a few false starts, construction of the Wells & Walsingham Light Railway's new 2-6-0 + 0-6-2 Garratt Norfolk Heroine has proceeded well this year, and is now in its final stages. The boiler tubes were fitted at Mervyn Mayes' Yaxham workshop, after which the loco's final assembly was due to take place at a Suffolk workshop. Norfolk Heroine was to be named at a ceremony for invited guests on October 16, but because of the tight schedule the loco would still be in grey undercoat. 

 

Boiler milestone for Wissington

The M&GNJRS which owns Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST no. 1700 Wissington reports that in August the loco's boiler was steamed for the first time in 38 years. Re-assembly is now under way before the loco moves to Weybourne for further work to the motion, including fitting many new components for the first time.

  Wissington is the subject of a newly-published photographic album covering the engine's working career on the Wissington Light Railway and subsequently at the British Sugar factory in west Norfolk. 'Whilst you might question whether it is possible to publish a photographic book on just a single industrial loco,' says the M&GNJRS's Ian Lake who compiled the album, 'I think you might be pleasantly surprised, not least because a number of noteworthy photographers such as R.C.Riley visited the railway and took some fantastic shots'. 

  The book costs £5.50 and is available through the Society's bookshop on Weybourne station or on line. Proceeds will go to the locomotive's maintenance fund.

 

ALR keeps track of its trains

After 18 months' development, the Ashmanhaugh Light Railway's ever-growing system now includes track circuits. Trains' whereabouts are indicated by LEDs on a track diagram in the signal box.

  The ALR's Open Day on September 5 saw four trains running simultaneously for the first time, with the track circuiting enabling the signalman to keep them evenly spaced.

 

N2 returns to maintain seven-loco gala

LMS 'Jinty' 3F 0-6-0T no.47406 from the Great Central Railway was to have been an additional visitor to the North Norfolk Railway's Steam Gala on September 3 – 5. However the Jinty's injector problems put paid to the plan, and it was replaced by N2 0-6-2T no.1744 – its third visit in a year – meaning that the NNR could still operate a seven-engine event. The other visitors were Black 5 4-6-0 no.44767 George Stephenson, GWR Collett 0-6-2T no. 5619, SR N15 4-6-0 no. 777 Sir Lamiel and BR 9F 2-10-0 no. 92212, while the home fleet was represented by J15 0-6-0 no.65462 and Hunslet 0-6-0ST Ring Haw. 

 

Pannier pushes further north

It's becoming a tradition for visiting pannier tank no. 9466 to end its spell of duty on the MNR with an exploratory trip along the railway's northern extension. Last year (NRS NL 54/5) it went as far as Hoe level crossing. On August 29 this year, its penultimate day on the MNR, it propelled a packed brake van almost as far as bridge no.1701, about a ¼-mile further north, running over rails that had not seen a train for more than 20 years.

 

Dereham welcomes a 3-CIG

'When's the third rail being laid from Wymondham to Dereham?' Such cracks are coming thick and fast with the news that an ex-Southern Region slam-door emu has joined the Mid-Norfolk Railway fleet.

  3-CIG Unit 1497 Freshwater arrived at the MNR on the evening of September 28. Hauled by DRS no. 66705 Golden Jubilee, it formed the 5L05 10:19 Bournemouth EMUD - Dereham. The Class 66 brought it as far as the MNR's Wymondham loop, from where electro-diesel no.73210 Selhurst propelled it slowly to Dereham.

  The unit has been purchased from South West Trains by the Freshwater Preservation Group. It is one of two class 421 units (originally 4-CIG) which were refurbished and converted to 3-car units for heritage-style use on the Brockenhurst – Lymington Pier branch until withdrawal in May this year. No.1497 will be used primarily with no.73210, but when wired for ETS will be capable of haulage by no.50019 Ramillies, thus acting as either standard hauled stock or a dmu substitute.

 

Freight set display leaves Wymondham

Since 2002 a short goods train has been on display alongside Wymondham station, formed of an engine-less Vulcan Foundry/Drewry diesel shunter (VF D297 DC 2583 of 1956), a BR pipe wagon and a SECR goods brake van. On August 27/8 they were removed by low-loader. The shunter has gone to Bressingham Steam Museum where it will be put on static display and become Mavis on 'Thomas' days. The two wagons have joined the expanding rolling stock collection at Whitwell & Reepham Station.

 

 

Away from the Tracks

 

 

Blue plaque for Yarmouth South Town

Great Yarmouth Local History & Archaeological Society has unveiled a plaque on the Nelson Medical Practice in Pasteur Road to commemorate the site of Yarmouth South Town station. On October 5 Andrew Fakes, chairman of GYLH&AS gave a brief history of the station and its history, after which the Mayor of Great Yarmouth, Mr. Michael Jeal, unveiled the plaque and declared the medical practice open.

  When it opened in 1859 South Town station was the town's gateway to London, via Beccles and Ipswich. By the time of its 1970 closure, only the occasional dmu shuttled along the coast between Yarmouth and Lowestoft.