Norfolk Railway Society: News archive June 2004

News archive June 2004

National Network
Heritage, Narrow-Gauge and Miniature
Away from the tracks

National Network

Gosh, they run coaches too! says OFT
Could one have to give up some routes just as it gets into its stride? On May 27 the Office of Fair Trading astonished industry watchers by rousing from its slumber and – some five months after National Express was named preferred bidder for the Greater Anglia franchise – referring the matter to the Competition Commission.

The OFT pronounced National Express “the only long-distance public transport provider on a number of routes in the Greater Anglia area” (who’d have thought it?). It cited parallel National Express coach routes as possible causes for concern, as well as London-Southend train services, where sister NatEx companies operate the two routes. NatEx’s chief executive Phil White is reported as being understandably caustic about the speed of the OFT’s move.

The Competition Commission is due to report by November 10.

“Easterling jinx” strikes 61264 again
A loco which had to be taken off its special train at Norwich in 2001 has once more come to grief in Norfolk.

On Saturday April 10, LNER B1 4-6-0 no. 61264 was running round its train at Norwich station when it hit the buffers hard and then went into a violent and noisy reverse wheelslip. The B1, which had brought the Railway Touring Company's Easterling excursion from Liverpool Street, was not allowed to continue until it had received closer inspection. The excursion was due to leave Norwich at 13.03 and return to London via Lowestoft and the East Suffolk line. After hours of uncertainty, disappointed passengers were offered the choice of returning to London on a regular one Anglia service or waiting for no. 37057 to be summoned from Ilford to take their own train back, as 1Z65 20.10 Norwich via Ipswich to London.

The B1 spent nearly a month at Crown Point while damage was assessed, and finally left for Carnforth on May 6 behind no.37057.

In November 2001 no. 61264 developed a hot-box while heading a Past-Time Rail excursion - also called The Easterling. It had to be removed from the train at Norwich and taken by low-loader from Dereham to Carnforth.

Our name can confuse, admits one
To the relief of passengers, one decided in early May to drop its name from train announcements at stations. Since the company began operations on April 1, announcements have been liable to misinterpretation - “Platform 2 for the 18.30 one service” sounds like “Platform 2 for the 18.31 service”. The potential for confusion was obvious to travellers from ‘day one’, but corporate affairs director Jonathan Denby put the blame on the haste in selecting the franchise name. “It may have looked very good on paper, he added,“but it was difficult to tell how it would work out in the field.”

Class 86 departure accelerated
Although some Class 86 locos had been expected to power London - Norwich services until the end of the year, operator one announced that from mid-May it would only schedule Class 90s for these trains. However on May 20 four 86s were seen at Liverpool St and by May 28 one or two were still on duty. The Class 86s have been mainstays of the London - Norwich line since electrification to Ipswich (1985) and Norwich (1987). A few will be retained for ‘Thunderbird’ duty and for use during the summer Ipswich tunnel closure. A farewell to the class may be arranged later in the year.

Extra Fen Line evening train
After requests from the Fen Line Users’ Association, WAGN has partially closed the gap between the 19.45 and 21.15 down trains on weekday evenings. A new train leaves King’s Cross at 20.15, and reaches King’s Lynn at 21.55.

WAGN worker’s sacking judged unfair
After he witnessed the aftermath of a suicide in October 1999, WAGN employee David Talbot of King's Lynn was taken off duties involving trains and contact with the travelling public. Last August WAGN Railways dismissed 44-year-old Mr Talbot on the grounds of long-term ill health. Now an employment tribunal has decided that the sacking was unfair. The amount of compensation will be decided at a further tribunal.

Improvements at Downham Market, Littleport and Brundall
£350,000-worth of improved facilities at Downham Market station were opened on May 21 by the Rt. Hon. Gillian Shephard MP. A 55-space car park has been created on the down side goods yard site, and there is now a bus shelter and turning area by the main entrance. New lighting and CCTV have also been provided. Later this year a subsidised "Fenland Connections" bus service will link rural districts with the station.

A new car park has also been created at Littleport, the next station south.

Brundall is another station to present a more attractive face to rail users. Improvements at the Wherry Lines station, including a refurbished car park with security lighting and new waiting shelters, were declared open on April 28 by Chris Mowle, county councillor for Blofield and Brundall.

Row over one's price hikes
Just a couple of months after it took over our region, one incurred the wrath of passenger groups and local MPs by raising some ticket prices. It has scrapped the supersaver fare from Norfolk stations to London via Cambridge, so that the cheapest ticket on this route is now an off-peak saver. Standard tickets from Ipswich to London have gone up from £45 to £47.10, although the day saver to the capital now costs 80p less. Some fares between Ipswich, Colchester and Manningtree have also risen.

Cars halted by faulty crossing barriers
Traffic jams built up on the morning of May 7 when Bittern Line level crossing half-barriers at Rackheath, Great Plumstead and Thorpe End refused to lift from the down position. The barriers were stuck for two 30-40 minute periods, and reports of drivers weaving through the barriers brought police to the scene. The fault was caused by an engineer acceidentally cutting a wire during maintenance work.

Wheelchair campaigner loses Thetford court case
A disabled man has lost a claim for damages over the lack of access to Thetford station's down platform ( NRS Newsletter February 2003 ). Claiming that wheelchair users travelling to Norwich could not cross the line, Keith Roads, 31, demanded a taxi for a between-platform transfer. Central Trains, which operated Thetford until earlier this year, declined to supply a taxi but said disabled people could travel to Ely free of charge, change and return through Thetford to Norwich. Mr Roads and the Disability Rights Commission found this unacceptable, but on May 6 at Norwich County Court, Judge Patrick O'Brien found in Central Trains' favour, and awarded some costs against Mr Roads.

“Tunnel closure” alterations published
Network Rail has issued the temporary timetable that will take effect between July 11 and September 5 while Ipswich tunnel is enlarged to accommodate larger containers.

There will still be two trains per hour between Norwich and London, but some will leave earlier than normal, others will arrive later, and the Ipswich - Manningtree part of the journey (Ipswich - Witham on Sundays) will be by bus. At peak hours, buses will also run between Stowmarket and Manningtree, where work began in early April on a temporary car park and bus interchange.

In addition, direct Norwich - London services will run non-stop via Cambridge as follows:

	Norwich dep.	London Liverpool St. dep.
Mon - Fri	06.30, 12.12	11.47, 17.27
Saturday	07.51, 11.14	11.24 (to Yarmouth), 15.24, 18.15
Sunday	08.45, 14.37	18.27

No reprieve for Felixstowe station
Last-minute efforts to save the historic Felixstowe Beach station ( NRS Newsletter April 2004 ) have failed. Demolition of the 1877 wooden building took place on the morning of Sunday April 11, with live coverage on BBC Radio Suffolk. By April 19 the area had been cleared apart from the platform and the bottom of the canopy supports.

New moves on East-west link
Plans for a direct rail link between Norwich and Oxford have been on ice since the Strategic Rail Authority declined to fund further development work. The main problem is seen as the Cambridge - Sandy - Bedford section where a new route needs to be identified and built.

Now, though, the East West Rail Consortium of local authorities and other interested parties believes that the climate may now favour investment in at least part of the route. With Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Bedford targeted as growth areas in the latest national planning guidelines, the Consortium, which includes Norfolk County Council, is seeking a £1.5m grant to proceed with a detailed design assessment of the Bedford - Oxford “western section”, and a branch to Aylesbury.

Youth hostel plan for Brandon station
The run-down Brandon station may become a youth hostel as part of a Brandon Communities Partnership scheme to refurbish the site. The Partnership also plans to improve the area’s lighting and install CCTV so that people are encouraged to leave their cars at the station.

At present Brandon station sees few passengers. It is served about every two hours by Central’s Norwich - Liverpool trains but not by one’s Norwich - Cambridge trains.

Trowse bridge to swing again at last
A row broke out last October when Network Rail welded the rails on Trowse swing bridge and stopped masted boats from reaching Norwich. Now the company, which claimed that the problem was caused by waiting for custom-made ‘scarf’ rail joints, has announced that the bridge will reopen on June 14. The eight-month closure has hit tourism hard, says the Norfolk and Suffolk Boating Association.

Track walker killed at Somerleyton
British Transport Police has renewed its warnings about the dangers of walking on railway lines after a Lowestoft man was killed near Somerleyton station. On April 6 35-year-old Shaun Kaesche was hit by dmu set no. 170205 as it worked empty to Lowestoft to form the 06.56 London service. Trains were suspended while Mr Kaesche’s body was removed, and resumed at 9.15am.

East Anglia infrastructure spending plans announced
Published on March 31, Network Rail’s latest £26bn national business plan forecasts that over £1bn will be spent in East Anglia over the next three years. Much of the money will be go towards improvements to the Norwich-London line, but work will also be carried out at Brundall, Brandon, Foxton (near Cambridge), Saxmundham and Darsham (both on the East Suffolk line).

Transport interchange planned at North Walsham
Norfolk County Council is reported to have allocated funding to create a transport interchange at North Walsham station. Improvements are planned to car and cycle parking, pedestrian signage from the town, and bus turning facilities. The Council also hopes to upgrade the town’s railfreight facilities in conjunction with EWS.

Meanwhile North Walsham town councillors have called on one to repair the station’s vandalised waiting shelter, and on May 17 the town’s Cromer Road bridge received its seventh "bash" in a year. This time the culprit was a 40ft lorry carrying 28 tonnes of ceramics. Bittern Line trains were suspended for around an hour until a Network Rail engineer had declared the structure sound.

Heritage, Narrow-Gauge and Miniature

Oliver Cromwell leaves Norfolk for “Railfest”
Among the exhibits at York “Railfest” which began on May 29 is BR Britannia class 4-6-2 no. 70013 Oliver Cromwell. The long-time Bressingham resident left by low-loader on May 21. To replace it, the NRM has loaned ex-LNER V2 2-6-2 no. 60800 Green Arrow, which is due to arrive shortly. After its appearance at York, 70013 is to be brought back to main-line condition at the GCR’s Loughborough workshops. To the surprise of some, the North Norfolk Railway is to contribute £10,000 towards the restoration. However the railway is at pains to point out that the donation will be made only in 2006-7, and will offset steaming charges for the engine when it appears on the NNR.

It was in 1968 that Oliver Cromwell arrived at Bressingham. Along with LT&SR 4-4-2T no. 80 Thundersley, it was hauled from Norwich to Diss and transferred by road for the last part of the journey. Riding in the brake van to Diss was our President Arnold Hoskins.

Kidbrooke brings steam back to YLR
The 2ft-gauge Yaxham Light Railway is usually a diesel stronghold, but a recent arrival is Kidbrooke, a Bagnall 0-4-0ST. Built in 1917, Kidbrooke worked in south-east London and a north Wales quarry, and has spent the last few years at an engineering yard at Haddenham, Cambridgeshire.

“Paperwork” takes the edge off Kimberley Park’s reopening
The day after his former parliamentary colleague Gillian Shephard officiated at Downham Market (see above), Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market brought the Mid-Norfolk Railway’s number of operational stations to five when he reopened Kimberley Park station on May 22. The platform has been levelled and resurfaced, and a GER-style timber waiting shelter has been built by MNR craftsman Ian Nugent. However, although the work has received HMRI approval, the MNR cannot start regular passenger services until a “paperwork problem” has been resolved.

Steam returns briefly to Clare
On the weekend of May 15/16 NNR-based J15 0-6-0 no. 65462 brought steam back to Clare in Suffolk for the first time in many years. Positioned on a length of track laid in Clare Country Park which occupies the former station site, the loco provided the centrepiece of the Clare Railway Event.

Yarmouth LPG trams move a step closer
Great Yarmouth, where the last tramcars ran in 1933, is considering re-introducing them to link the seafront with the town centre and heritage sites. Consultants have recommended Parry People Mover vehicles, each carrying 50-60 people and powered by liquid petroleum gas rather than electricity.

The consultants' route recommendations have had the blessing of Yarmouth borough council's environmental policy advisory panel and envisage trams starting from the seafront Jetty. They would travel along St Peter's Road and Nottingham Way and serve the railway station via the Market Place and The Conge. It is reckoned that the system would attract 110,000 - 200,000 passengers a year and prove useful to locals and tourists alike.

Improvements on tap at Sheringham
A welcome addition to the North Norfolk Railway’s Sheringham infrastructure is a new M&GN-style water crane on platform 2. Volunteers removed a quantity of hardcore (including a buried junction signal!) in order to connect the crane to Sheringham’s water tower.

Safety case delay stops first Merlin/NENTA visit to Dereham
A NENTA excursion which was due to begin at Dereham has had to forego the Mid-Norfolk Railway portion of its journey. This year NENTA trips are being operated by Merlin Rail, with traction provided by Fragonset Railways, and the Canterbury & Romney Explorer on May 15 was to have been the first Merlin-operated tour over Mid-Norfolk metals. However the safety case application was not completed in time and Dereham passengers had to start their railtour by bus.

Royal Scot's return scheduled for 2005
“Late Summer 2005” is Bressingham Steam Museum’s estimated date for the return to steam of no. 6100 Royal Scot. The ex-LMS 4-6-0, which is being restored with the aid of a Heritage Lottery fund grant, is having a new tender tank constructed by a Derbyshire firm of fabricators, while its tender frames and wheels are overhauled at the Birmingham Railway Museum, Tyesley. The driving wheels are being re-profiled on the Severn Valley Railway's wheel lathe.

Meanwhile, the main frames have been stripped at Bressingham, and are now being degreased and grit blasted to bare metal, after which staff and volunteers will begin to re-erect the locomotive.

Soft bricks, strong mortar cause Thursford re-think
After its success in dismantling and rebuilding Stalham station, the North Norfolk Railway has found Thursford goods shed a tougher proposition.

Dismantling began on January 10, and 3,500 slates and roof timbers were transported to Holt. However the combination of soft red bricks and strong mortar made salvaging the walls all but impossible. Reluctantly the decision was taken to demolish the brickwork with a digger and transport the material to Holt for use as hardcore.

Although the rebuilt Stalham station was ceremonially reopened on February 28 ( NRS Newsletter April 2004 ) much fitting-out work remains to be done and it will not be in use in before the 2005 season.

Brockford’s coaches to roll again
The carriages which currently house the shop and tea room at the Mid-Suffolk Railway Museum’s Brockford site are to be restored to running order under the “Middy Train project”. The displaced facilities will be moved to the Doctor Allen Building, where work on an extension, funded by local authority grants and the Heritage Lottery Fund, began on February 16. The railway hopes to have the extended building open during June.

Away from the tracks

New owners sought for East Suffolk and Wherry line stations
The four-bedroomed Wickham Market station building has been put up for sale. Describing it as a “substantial rural Victorian former station”, Clarke and Simpson (01728 724200) are seeking £325,000.

Also on the market, through the Brundall office of Howards (01603 715000), is the old station house at Lingwood. £349,500 is being asked for the 1882 building, which currently offers bed-and-breakfast accommodation and is said to contain some original features.

Spanish high-speed trains to use Swaffham safety system
Norfolk firm STG Aerospace has won a contract to supply its photoluminescent floorpath marking system to Spanish train-maker Talgo. The company’s award-winning SafTGlo strips are usually found in commercial airliners, but over 6km will be fitted to Talgo 350 high-speed trains operating over the new Madrid – Barcelona – French border route.

STG Aerospace is based on Swaffham’s EcoTech Innovation Business Park. This is the company’s first sale to a rail operator.

Brochure marks end of Anglia’s era
In 1922 the Great Eastern Railway marked its finale with a set of commemorative medallions. Anglia Railways, whose tenure of our region’s railways ended in March, has taken a similar line - but instead of a medal, ARs’ Corporate Affairs Team has produced a celebratory book. Every ex-AR staff member received a copy of the lavishly illustrated 56-page Anglia Railways 1994-2004 , which records key events and achievements in the company’s 10-year life.

Tribute paid to “Thomas” author - as his vicarage goes up for sale
On Sunday May 16, Emneth church held a family service, during which the Bishop of Huntingdon dedicated the recently-commissioned stained-glass window commemorating Rev Wilbert Awdry, author of the Thomas the Tank Engine books.

Emneth vicarage, where Rev Awdry wrote his last few books and built a railway layout for his son Christopher, is for sale. The current owner also has model trains in the house, as well as a live steam layout outside. The Wisbech branch of estate agents Harrison Murray are asking £650,000 for the eight-bedroomed Victorian property.

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