74. Holiday in Norfolk-15-21.10.22

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2022 > 74. Holiday in Norfolk-15-21.10.22

A glorious week in Norfolk with the lovely Mrs. On The Up Fast staying as usual at Kelling adjacent to the North Norfolk Railway. Despite the forecast being pretty dire, we had a smashing week of weather with just a little rain that quickly passed. This year, I have grouped all the photographs together into one large file rather than into a series of dated folders.

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Images 1-23 of 23 displayed.

E21103, BR roundel, Sheringham station
I took a while in the warm afternoon sunshine on Sheringham's North Norfolk Railway station whilst I left the car charging (for free of course!) at the nearby Tesco. Whilst waiting for the arrival of the last service train of the day I could not help but admire the fine restoration afforded to the Mk. I coach stabled directly in front of me. This particular example was built by Metro Cammell in 1956 and is a first Class Brake Corridor Composite coach that arrived at the railway in 2011. The work of the wagon and carriage works on the NNR is excellent helped in part by their superb facility near to Holt that is the envy of many other heritage lines.
Keywords: E21103 BR roundel Sheringham station Mk. 1

D5631, 16.31 Holt-Sheringham, Sheringham station
The final service train of the day on the North Norfolk Railway arrives at Sheringham station. D5631 (31207) leads the 16.31 departure from Holt into the station with the secondman nonchalantly hanging out of the cab as it comes to a halt. D5631 has been a resident locomotive on the Poppy Line for many years arriving in 2003 after a lengthy period of storage at Old Oak Common. It has been a stalwart of their operations since then having undergone a number of overhauls and wearing various liveries.
Keywords: D5631 16.31 Holt-Sheringham Sheringham station A1A A1A

755419, GA 16.45 Norwich-Sheringham (2S26, RT), Sheringham station
In the dusk of an autumn evening, the 16.45 Greater Anglia Norwich to Sheringham service arrives at its destination. The service is being worked by one of the new Stadler Rail FLIRT units, 755419. When I first visited Sheringham's mainline station back in 1983 I photographed a Craven Class 105 DMU and the station had a huge British Railways (Eastern) blue enamel running in sign!
Keywords: 755419 16.45 Norwich-Sheringham 2S26 Sheringham station Greater Anglia FLIRT

E56062 & E51228, Weybourne-Sheringham ECS, Weybourne station
In a further version of their running timetable, the North Norfolk Railway now run an empty stock DMU from Weybourne to Sheringham prior to their operations for the rest of the day. Class 101 DMU made up of E56062 and E51228 trundles out of Weybourne on a lovely autumn morning. Notice that the excellent and well-stocked secondhand bookshop already has its stock on display and is open for business.
Keywords: E56062 E51228 Weybourne-Sheringham ECS Weybourne station Class 101 First Generation DMU

76084, 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, Weybourne station
Dating from 1957 and having had a mere ten years in mainline service Standard Class 4MT 76084 arrives at Weybourne station leading the 10.00 Sheringham to Holt train. It is remarkable to think that when 76084 was constructed, at a cost then of £22 000, it had a projected lifespan of forty years. This would have meant that it would have been withdrawn just three years before the Millenium in 1997!
Keywords: 76084 10.00 Sheringham-Holt Weybourne station Standard Class 4MT

76084, 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, Kelling bank
What a difference a day makes! After a couple of days of lovely autumnal whether the cloud has rolled in and it's raining! Steaming well as it ascends Kelling bank Standard 4MT 76084 makes easy work leading the 10.00 Sheringham to Holt on Monday 17th October. Whilst the 1:80 climb is not a problem for the Standard the wet and leaf-covered tracks can cause some wheel slippage as could be heard when the train left Weybourne a short distance away before passing me here.
Keywords: 76084 10.00 Sheringham-Holt Kelling bank Standard 4MT

E56062 & E51228, 10.30 Sheringham-Holt Weybourne station
The signalman and the driver exchange a few words at Weybourne prior to the departure of the 10.30 Sheringham to Holt service on 17th October 2022. The train is operated using one of the Poppy Line's two resident Class 101 DMUs, in this case driving trailer E56062 is leading driving motor brake E51228. Built in 1958 the Class 101s were among the most successful of the many different designs of first-generation DMUs with these two ending their mainline operation with ScotRail in 2000.
Keywords: E56062 E51228 10.30 Sheringham-Holt Weybourne station Class 101 DMU

E56062 & E51228, 10.35 Sheringham-Holt & 76184, 10.40 Holt-Sheringham, Weybourne station
Service operations on the North Norfolk Railway use Weybourne as a passing point as it is roughly equidistant between Sheringham and Holt. When things go to plan this all works well as is the case here on Monday 17th October 2022. To the left, one of the line's Class 101 DMUs (E56062 and E51228) waits to head to Holt with the 10.35 departure from Sheringham whilst 4MT 76184 arrives tender first with the 10.40 from Holt.
Keywords: E56062 E51228 10.35 Sheringham-Holt 76184 10.40 Holt-Sheringham Weybourne station Class 101 first generation DMU Standard 4MT

E51228 & E56062, Weybourne-Sheringham ECS, Weybourne
What a difference twenty-four hours make! After yesterday's cloudy and dreary weather Tuesday 18th October 2022 has started bright and sunny! Class 101 DMU made up of E51228 (leading) and E56062 gets slowly away from Weybourne at a walking pace due to a permanent speed restriction with an ECS working to Sheringham. Notice the erroneous destination blind on the leading car of the DMU. Firstly, the DMU is heading in the wrong direction for Hunstanton as it is west of this location and secondly, the town is no longer railway linked but there are constant discussions about reconnecting it to the railway network at King's Lyn.
Keywords: E51228 E56062 Weybourne-Sheringham ECS Weybourne Class 101 DMU first generation

76084, 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, A149 coast road bridge
Standard 4MT 76084 leads the 10.00 Sheringham to Holt service in fine style as it crosses the A149 coast road near to Weybourne on Tuesday 18th October 2022. Unfortunately, I am not in quite a high enough position to be able to include the sea that would have been in the background behind the train. The combination of a steam locomotive on a crisp autumn day with the sea must be at the pinnacle of railway photography so it's a shame that the latter is missing in this view.
Keywords: 76084 10.00 Sheringham-Holt A149 coast road bridge Standard 4MT

76084, 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, A149 coast road bridge
There is a steady climb from where the North Norfolk Railway (that utilises the former M&GN route) leaves Sheringham as it heads towards Weybourne and then to its current terminus at Holt. The first part of the climb is as the line heads inland after crossing the A149 coast road and this is where 4MT 76084 is seen leading the 10.00 Sheringham to Holt service on 18th October 2022. The two signals seen here are Weybourne's fixed distant and its home with later in front of a white sighting board as drivers will be looking into the bright sky when approaching it on the aforementioned climb.
Keywords: 76084 10.00 Sheringham-Holt A149 coast road bridge Standard 4MT

92203, 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, Priory crossing TG122422
9F 92203 'Black Prince' hauls the first service train of the day, the 10.00 Sheringham to Holt, past Priory crossing on the approach to Weybourne on Wednesday 19th October 2022. It is quite a climb on this section of the route as the line heads inland away from the sea, seen in the background, but this is no challenge for the might of a 9F! However, later in the morning, something went wrong with 92203 and it was taken out of service with D5631 taking over. Notice the milepost to the left of the locomotive showing forty and a half miles from South Lyn Junction (King's Lyn) via Fakenham on the M&GN route.
Keywords: 92203 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, Priory crossing TG122422 Black prince British Railways Standard Class 9F

E51228 & E56062, 15.05 Holt-Sheringham ECS, Weybourne
The 15.05 Holt to Sheringham DMU service waits at Holt station some ten minutes prior to departure on 19th October 2022. It is being worked by a Class 101 DMU composed of E51228 and E56062. First-generation units such are these are fond widely throughout the many heritage lines as they are cheap to operate whilst still giving paying customers a flavour of railways past despite not being the more favoured steam trains!
Keywords: E51228 E56062 15.05 Holt-Sheringham ECS Weybourne Class 101 DMU

E56062 & E51228, 15.50 Sheringham-Holt, Weybourne station
In the late afternoon of 19th October 2022, one of the NNR's resident Cass 101 DMUs waits to depart from Weybourne station. E56062 and E51228 are working the last return service of the day, the 15.50 Sheringham to Holt train. This will collect the last of the stragglers who have visited the fine historic Georgian town in order to get them back to their holiday accommodation nearer the coast. They would be able to alight at Kelling Heath or Weybourne for the Kelling Heath holiday park (where we regularly stay) or at the end of the line at Sheringham.
Keywords: E56062 E51228 15.50 Sheringham-Holt Weybourne station

D5631, 15.55 Holt-Sheringham, Weybourne station
As the sun sets behind Kelling Wood on Wednesday 19th October 2022 D5631 (formally 31207) arrives at Weybourne station leading the 15.55 Holt to Sheringham service. This locomotive is actually owned by the M&GN Joint Railway Society which is based almost entirely on the North Norfolk Railway. This Class 31 operated throughout East Anglia during its early life and being new to service in 1960 it could well have operated on this route before initial closure. Much derided during my early spotting years, the Class 31s were actually an excellent, versatile and long-lived design; that is after the terrible Mirlees engines that were fitted to the first batch were replaced with the familiar English Electric 12SVT that was also fitted with all of the latter ones built.
Keywords: D5631 15.55 Holt-Sheringham, Weybourne station A1A A1A Class 31 31207 Type 2

D5631, 15.55 Holt-Sheringham, Weybourne station
D5631 (formally 31207) gets slowly away from Weybourne station working the 15.55 Holt to Sheringham service. It is just passing a fine example of a GN somersault signal that is one of a number in use on the heritage line. Notice that some wag has chalked 'Scotland' on the panel of the BR Covered Carriage Truck (CCT) E94464!
Keywords: D5631 15.55 Holt-Sheringham Weybourne station 31207 A1A A1A Class 31 Type 2

53809 & 92203, stabled, Weybourne Yard
Looking at the general condition of 92203 'Black Prince' reminds one of the terrible state that British Railways let their steam fleet get into in their final years of operation up to August 1968. I also wonder what its previous owner, the artist the late David Shepherd would think if he could see it looking like this! Since its last overhaul in 2014 92203 has worked exclusively on the North Norfolk Railway which acquired it from Shepherd in 2015 two years before his death. At the time that this photograph was taken on 19th October 2022, Black Prince had failed earlier in the day and was to undergo repairs the following day.
Keywords: 53809 92203 stabled Weybourne Yard 9F Black Prince

53809, 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, Kelling Heath
Filling the cutting with exhaust and steam former Somerset and Dorset 7F works hard on the slippery rails leading the 10.00 Sheringham to Holt service on 20th October 2022. Approaching its hundredth birthday in 2025 the locomotive is a stalwart on the North Norfolk Railway regularly hauling trains throughout the seasons. Notice the burnt embankment of the cutting that is already beginning to recover following a fire due, in no small part, to the long, hot and dry summer that had just passed.
Keywords: 53809 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, Kelling Heath S&DJR 7F 2-8-0

6, ECS, Aylsham (Bure Valley Railway) station
Following my wife and I visiting Blickling Hall earlier in the day we arrived at the nearby Bure Valley Railway to find number 6 'Blickling Hall' sitting at the buffer stops of the line's Aylsham station. On 20th October 2022 it is seen here reversing the stock out of the station that it would then draw back into the adjacent platform ready for the last working of the day to Wroxham.
Keywords: 6 ECS Aylsham Bure Valley Railway station Blickling Hall

6, ECS, Aylsham (Bure Valley Railway) station
Having revered out of Aylsham's Bure Valley Railway station number 6 'Blickling Hall' draws the stock back into the station ready to work the final train of the day. Unusually for a heritage line, the BVR does not use mechanical signalling to control its trains despite the attractive signal box seen here. It actually uses a radio-controlled token system for the single line and this is operated from here.
Keywords: 6 ECS Aylsham Bure Valley Railway station Blickling Hall

6, being turned, Aylsham (Bure Valley Railway) station
6 'Blickling Hall' is seen on 20th October 2022 being turned on Aylsham's turntable made easier by two staff putting their back into it! Number 6 was built by Winson Engineering at their Penrhyndeudraeth workshop in 1994. Inspired by the Indian Railway 'ZB' class the locomotive has been in regular use on the BVR ever since having undergone two overhauls since its introduction. With various modifications, it is now the line's most efficient tender locomotive.
Keywords: 6 being turned, Aylsham Bure Valley Railway station Blickling Hall

53809, 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, Weybourne station
On the final morning of our Norfolk holiday, 21st October 2022, the day dawned foggy and grey. I walked down to Weybourne station prior to our departure to capture the departure of the 10.00 Sheringham to Holt service seen here arriving at the station emerging from the murk! It is being led by former S & DR 7F 53809 which is drawing into the station 'wrong platform' in order to drop off various perishables for the station and its café.
Keywords: 53809 10.00 Sheringham-Holt Weybourne station Somerset and Dorset 7F S&DR

53809, 10.00 Sheringham-Holt, Weybourne station
On the 21st October, 2022 former Somerset and Dorset 7F 53809 leaves Weybourne station leading the 10.00 Sheringham to Holt service, the first passenger service of the day on the North Norfolk Railway. Despite all the steam and exhaust, the locomotive was being steamed very carefully by the driver in no small part due to the wet and leaf-strewn railhead that could cause a lot of wheel slip.
Keywords: 53809 10.00 Sheringham-Holt Weybourne station S&DR 7F Somerset and Dorset

Images 1-23 of 23 displayed.