News archive August 2004
National Network
Heritage, Narrow-Gauge and
Miniature
Away from the tracks
National Network
“Tunnel closure”
service working well
Ipswich tunnel has been closed since July 11 while its track is lowered
to allow larger freight containers to be transported to and from Felixstowe.
Until it reopens on September 6, an integrated bus and coach service operates
between Ipswich and Manningtree. Norwich - London journeys are extended by
about 30 minutes.
For the first three weeks of the closure, main line Norwich - London services
either side of the tunnel recorded 96.0% overall punctuality, with reliability
at 99.6%. These figures, says one, show that the revised timetable
is working well. Train/bus connections at Ipswich and Manningtree, it says,
are reliable and operating to time. However the Eastern Daily Press
, ever ready with its “Rail Chaos” headlines, carried a report about the
first day in which disgruntled passengers described their journeys as “beyond
a joke” and “badly worked out”.
Third time lucky for The Easterling
?
Despite smarting from two well-publicised failures of its Easterling
excursions ( NRS Newsletter, June
), the Railway Touring Company is to run yet another steam-hauled excursion
of the same name on September 18. This time motive power from London to
Lowestoft – out via the East Suffolk line, back via Norwich – will be provided
by ex-SR BB 4-6-2 no. 34067 Tangmere.
More trains for air show crowds
Extra trains were again laid on this year for the Lowestoft Air Show. On
both days of the show, July 29 and 30, special trains, most top ‘n’ tailed
by Class 47s, left from Norwich at 09.26, 10.05 and 11.57, and from Lowestoft
at 17.56 and 19.24. The cost was met by one and Norfolk County Council.
Tobacco ban brought in, trolley service axed
A “no smoking” policy is in force across one, apart from main line
Norwich - London trains, where coach B (standard class) and part of coach
K (first class) are designated for smokers. From September 6 the anomaly
will be removed, and a company-wide non-smoking policy will prevail. The
change reflects public opinion, believes one, and will lead to cleaner
trains and more seating on busy trains.
At the same time the loss-making on-train trolley service on Norwich -
Cambridge trains will be withdrawn.
WAGN rolls on
Following the transfer of West Anglia line routes to one, the Great
Northern line will remain a self-contained TOC for the remainder of its franchise.
However the company has confirmed to the NRS Newsletter that it will
continue to operate under the “recognised and identified name” of WAGN.
Awards all round!
July proved to be an excellent month for the public face of Norfolk railways.
Norfolk County Council won the rail category of the National Transport
Awards for its lead role with the Bittern Line Community Rail Partnership.
Meanwhile Wymondham and West Runton stations received accolades. Both
reached the final of the “Anglia in Bloom Best Station” award (the winner
to be announced on September 14); Wymondham received a trophy for reaching
the final of the Rail Passenger Committee's “Small Station of the Year” category;
and the local W.I. which cares for West Runton station was short-listed
in North Norfolk District Council's Environment Awards.
At Diss station, collaboration between one, station adopter Tony
White and garden centre Blooms of Bressingham has resulted in hanging baskets
at the station entrance and a garden area planted with shrubs and flowers.
Sunday blunder switches routes
Rail passengers who live in Acle and Lingwood will be relieved to learn
that on Sundays they can still get home after mid-afternoon. Although the
current one timetable shows the 1740 and 1940 Norwich - Great Yarmouth
and the 1821 Great Yarmouth - Norwich as travelling via Reedham and Cantley,
the three trains in fact travel the “direct” route, serving Acle and Lingwood.
Timetables aren’t being reissued as the error is relatively minor, but departure
posters at Norwich station have been corrected by hand.
Station facilities get the vote
From a survey carried out on one’s launch day, April 1, it appears
that “more facilities at stations” is what most passengers want.
one says it plans to spend £11.3m on station improvements, and
more than 50 of the 170 stations will be upgraded within 18 months. Improvements
will include better booking facilities, new customer information systems
and CCTV at some stations.
Councillors urge car park action at King's
Lynn
The lack of car parking is a frequent complaint of King's Lynn rail travellers.
The new retail park by the station is said to have made things worse, and
rail passengers who arrive after 8 a.m. now have difficulty finding a space.
A 100-space extension is planned on land south-west of the station, but
work has not yet begun. Frustrated at the slow progress, a delegation of
West Norfolk councillors travelled to London on June 15 to discuss the problem
with WAGN.
Supersavers superseded by superior saver
Censured for axing supersaver fares to London via Cambridge, one
has responded by cutting the price of savers over the route. A saver to
the capital from Wymondham, Attleborough, Thetford or Brandon now cost £25.20
instead of £31.40.
In May one abolished the £23.40 supersaver ticket on this
route ( NRS Newsletter, June
), prompting protests from the Rail Passengers’ Committee and politicians.
Announcing the new price cut, effective from June 21, one claims
that the price structure offers passengers a simpler choice of fares with
less travel restrictions, as well as consistency with fares on the main Norwich
- London route. Graeme Clark of the Rail Passengers’ Committee welcomed
one’s quick action. “They listened,” he said,“and that's great.”
CT and one promote leisure trips
Central Trains has issued a “Great Days Out” brochure to encourage leisure
travel from Norwich. It gives details of the attractions to be found at
major destinations like Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham and includes
a set of discount vouchers.
Meanwhile one has enlarged its Wherry and Bittern lines brochures.
Produced in conjunction with the lines' supporting partnerships, they contain
train times and fares as well as details of promotions and discounts available
to rail travellers.
The brochures can be obtained from staffed stations and tourist information
centres.
one has also launched Update, an 8-page free customer newsletter.
Produced every two months, Update will contain news and features about
one and its train services, as well as details of things to see and do
around the network.
Heritage, Narrow-Gauge and Miniature
Green Arrow takes first
run on Bressingham’s new line
A new quarter-mile-long standard-gauge line at Bressingham Steam Museum
was formally opened on June 20 by museum founder Alan Bloom. First to steam
along the new line was ex-LNER 2-6-2 no. 60800 Green Arrow, which
arrived soon after the departure of “Britannia” 4-6-2 Oliver Cromwell
( NRS Newsletter, June
). Green Arrow was the first of 184 members of the mixed-traffic
V2 class, and was placed in the national collection after withdrawal in 1962.
Ten years later it was returned to working order under the guidance of Bill
Harvey, the NRS’s late President.
Green Arrow is scheduled to spend the winter at the North Norfolk
Railway. A number of special events are planned during its visit.
Mayoral pair visits miniature line
The Norwich & District Society of Model Engineers’ new clubhouse in
Eaton Park, Norwich was officially opened on June 13 by the Mayor and Lady
Mayoress of Norwich. They enjoyed a ride on the raised-level track, talked
to club members and watched the six locomotives in use. Chairman of the
N&DSME, Neville Gower, explained the club’s plans for the ground-level
extension.
Land for the extension, which will feature both 5” and 71/4”-gauge track,
has been laid out and fenced, and the N&DSME is inviting people to sponsor
a metre of track for £10. Donations should be sent to Mr R Snelling,
35 Colindeep Lane, Sprowston, Norwich NR7 8EG.
Historic W&U coach returns to Norfolk
Back in Norfolk after a £25,000 renovation is ex-Wisbech & Upwell
Railway coach no. 7. The coach, which languished for many years at the
Rutland Railway Museum, dates from 1884 and features longitudinal seating
and a balcony at each end. It arrived at Sheringham on May 24, having been
restored by Appleby Training & Heritage Centre, a “skills base” in Westmorland
sponsored by the Transport Trust. Riding on accommodation bogies, no. 7
has since been moved – very slowly! – to Weybourne.
The railway hopes that the coach will enter service next year, but because
of its new frame and bogies it will require HMRI approval first.
92 Squadron’s visit delayed
Lengthy repair work has put back the planned August 1 arrival on the North
Norfolk Railway of Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 no. 34081 92 Squadron
. Last autumn leaking firebox stays were discovered when 92 Squadron
appeared in the Mid-Hants Railway's autumn gala. It was was moved to Chatham
for major repairs, which have taken longer than planned. John Durrant, the
NNR’s Locomotive and Engineering Director, told the NRS Newsletter
that the loco would move to Weybourne once the stays had been renewed and
the hydraulic test passed. There it would be reassembled by the railway’s
engineering staff and members of the loco’s owning body, the Battle of Britain
Locomotive Society.
Steam infrastructure emerges at Dereham
The Mid-Norfolk Railway hopes to begin steam services in 2005. The two
essential pre-requisites, a water tower and an inspection/maintenance pit,
will be completed later this year if sufficient volunteer labour is available.
The water tower will be sited where the original once stood, at the north
end of the down platform.
Quad-art set’s future uncertain as shed gets
thumbs-down
Part-way through its restoration and rebuilding at Carnforth is the North
Norfolk Railway-based Gresley 'quad-art' coach set. The set is due to return
for the 2005 summer season, but a condition of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s
£341,000 grant is that it should be kept under cover, and so the NNR
has been planning to build sheds at Bridge Road, High Kelling, near its Holt
terminus.
However the plans have been dealt a blow by North Norfolk District Council,
which says that the steel-clad buildings would have a “significant detrimental
effect” on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Norfolk County Council
is also unhappy.
The NNR was reported as saying that the quads would need to be repainted
every three years if left outside, but only once a decade if kept under cover.
Southwold fans have a new plan
Despite vociferous local opposition last time out (
NRS Newsletter, October 2003
), a modified plan to revive the Southwold Railway may be unveiled later
this year. The Southwold Railway Society’s latest scheme could see the park-and-ride
site moved to the A12 at Henham, and the route altered to reduce its impact
on the Hen Reedbeds at Reydon. The Society says it will only progress the
scheme once it has public support.
“31 Club” launched
Currently out of use in Sheringham sidings is the M&GNRS’s no. 31207
(D5621) which arrived in February ( NRS Newsletter,
April
). Now the M&GNRS has launched the “31 Club” to raise funds to maintain
the engine. The scheme aims to recruit at least 31 members who will be required
to pay £600 over five years in return for special members’ days and
newsletters. Prospective members should contact the North Norfolk Railway,
Sheringham Station, NR26 8RA, or telephone 01263 820800.
Tuck in on the North Norfolk
Since its Pullman coach left for Scotland, the North Norfolk Railway has
operated no on-train dining services. However on Thursdays this year from
July 8 to August 26 the railway is running an evening “Supper Train”, offering
either fish and chips or chicken and chips. Fares are: adults £12.00,
children under 12 £5.00 and booking (tel. 01263-820800) is essential.
one joins forces with heritage
lines for summer promotion
Until the end of October 2004 you can enjoy a discount on your return trip
on the North Norfolk or Bure Valley railways – as long as you travel to Sheringham
or Hoveton & Wroxham by train. oneAnglia has teamed up with the
BVR and NNR to offer bargain inclusive fares.
Away from the tracks
Moving experience at Halesworth
Halesworth station’s moveable platforms are back in use – in 0 gauge! At
Halesworth & District Museum (“the museum at the station”), a working
model of the platforms was unveiled in the foyer on July 23. Station adopter
Janet Huckle commissioned the model after winning “Awards For All” funding.
The moveable platforms were attached to the Bungay Road crossing gates.
When the gates were closed to road traffic, they connected the two “normal”
platform halves to make a continuous whole; when open to road traffic, they
could be used to lug heavy goods across the tracks. Though out of use today,
they are claimed to be the only surviving examples still in situ.
Halesworth museum’s opening times are:
May to September
Tues, Weds: 1000 - 1230, 1400 - 1600
Thurs, Sats: 1000 - 1230
Bank Hols: 1400 - 1600
October to April
Tues, Thurs: 1000 - 1230
M&GN buildings seek new owners
The Norfolk-based website railproperties.co.uk
has details of two ex-M&GN railway buildings for sale. Grounds &
Co (01945 585041) is askking £185,000 for the boarded-up and derelict
Gedney station, 41/2m. north-west of Sutton
Bridge. Its concrete running-in board is, amazingly, intact 45 years after
closure. At Themelthorpe, where as late as 1960 a chord was built to connect
the M&GN with the ex-GER Wroxham – Reepham line, the former crossing-keeper’s
cottage has been converted to residential use and is for sale at £225,000
(tel. 01362 683278).
IRMA reschedules model show
Many NRS members make a point of visiting the Ipswich Railway Modellers
Association’s annual show at the Northgate Sports Centre in Ipswich, but
this year a hitch has occurred. Ipswich Borough Council has, according to
IRMA, increased its hiring fees by nearly 50%, and so this year’s exhibition,
originally planned for the weekend of September 4/5, has been re-arranged.
It will now be held on November 20, and the new venue will be Copleston
School in Ipswich. The school has plenty of free parking and is accessible
by public transport. At least 20 layouts will be on display, along with
the usual trade exhibitors.
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