Wells and Walsingham Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Wells and Walsingham Light Railway is a gauge heritage railway
in Norfolk, England
running between the coastal town of Wells
and Walsingham
which is further inland. The railway occupies a part of the trackbed of the Wymondham to Wells branch
also used by the Mid-Norfolk Railway
.
The line, which is 4 miles (6.44 km) long, once formed part of the Great Eastern Railway
and is now the longest gauge railway in the world. It runs from the coastal town of Wells-next-the-Sea
to the pilgrimage centre at Walsingham
. It is the northern section of the former Wymondham
, Dereham
, Fakenham
and Wells-next-the-Sea
line which was closed to passengers in stages from 1964 to 1969 as part of the Beeching
cuts.
The railway operates from a new-build station located on the A149 approximately half a mile south of the original terminus at Wells. The terminus at Walsingham is situated a short distance north of the original GER station.
Trains run daily between March and November. Trains are mostly steam-operated
; however in some cases diesel
is used.
", when railways were being frantically built across the whole country. The Norfolk Railway, building its line from Wymondham, reached Dereham first, and opened its railway to passengers on 15 February 1847; with the line being extended to Fakenham and Wells-next-the-Sea
by 1 December 1857.
Whilst the line between Wymondham and East Dereham was later provided with double track
, the line north of there remained single line
. A branch to Heacham, and a short spur to the harbour, also ran from Wells.
As part of the Great Eastern Railway, the branch became part of the Southern Area of the London and North Eastern Railway
at The Grouping in 1923. At this time the coaches used on the Wells line were still ex-GER 6 wheelers, although these were gradually replaced with bogie
stock. Arguably the most evident change was that the GER Royal blue
locomotives and crimson coaches were replaced by LNER black locomotives and brown carriages.
The line was heavily used during World War I
and World War II
, with extra Air Ministry sidings provided at Dereham in 1943. The line was also defended by an armoured train
, reporting as Train G, based at Heacham and using F4 2-4-2
tank locomotive 7189 as motive power. The armoured train was frequently used on the Wells line, and once collided with some empty coaches at Wells.
nationalised the "Big Four
" railway companies, and the branch line became part of the Eastern Region of British Railways
on 1 January 1948.
The 1955 Modernisation Plan resulted in the line's last steam passenger services. The final regular steam journey ran on 17 September 1955. Diesel units
took over next day, with faster trains and a more frequent service. For the first few weeks, some extra Saturday services continued to be steam-operated. Steam-hauled freight continued into the early 1960s.
By 1960 there was an hourly passenger service to Norwich taking between 32 and 40 minutes. Despite this, increased use of road transport led to a decline in passengers, causing the service to became one of many threatened by the "Beeching Report" in 1963. Beeching intended to retain the Kings Lynn - Dereham - Norwich line for express trains and freight: the local stations (that is all but Dereham and Swaffham) however, were recommended for closure.
Work on rebuilding the line started in 1979. A section of the route, known locally as 'Barnard's Cutting', had been filled with refuse and had to be excavated before the track could be restored. The excavation of 3,000 tons of waste did not return the trackbed to its original level, resulting in a severe 1 in 29 gradient that had not existed when the line was originally in use.
On 6 April 1982, purpose built steam locomotive
Pilgrim, an 0-6-0
T engine built for use on the line by David King Engineering at North Walsham
, launched the public service.
Pilgrim hauled the train until 1987 when the new unique 2-6-0+0-6-2
Garratt
locomotive Norfolk Hero came into service. Two extra coaches were added to the train increasing the seating capacity to 76. A redundant signal box
was moved from Swainsthorpe
to Wells, where the ground floor was converted to provide a shop and tearoom.
On 2 September 2008 vandals blocked the flangeways of Barnard's crossing, near Walsingham and used a level crossing gate to derail Norfolk Hero. The passengers and train crew were not injured in this attack, and a diesel locomotive was sent from Wells to recover the stranded passenger train - although some passengers chose to ignore advice from train crew and walked to Walsingham. Norfolk Hero was restored to service by the end of the month.
Steam locomotives
Diesel locomotives
The current line starts at Wells Station, on the A149 coast road just south of the town. After leaving the station trains begin to climb the 1 in 80 gradient to Warham, passing the remains of the Leicester Lime Works before passing under a road bridge carrying the Wells to Walsingham road.
At Warham the line starts to descend, and passes over a level crossing before reaching the request halt. Leaving the halt the line passes through a cutting, then over an embankment close to the Warham Camp hill fort
, before reaching Wighton Halt.
After three level crossings, 'Barnard's Cutting' is reached. The 1 in 29 gradient created during the restoration of the route has been restored to the original 1 in 60 by engineers from the National Construction Training College
removing 17,000 tons of material in 1999.
After passing over a high embankment and a brick underbridge the line enters the outskirts of Little Walsingham, before arriving at Walsingham station.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Norfolk, England
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
running between the coastal town of Wells
Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea, known locally simply as Wells, is a town, civil parish and seaport situated on the North Norfolk coast in England.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 2,451 in 1,205 households...
and Walsingham
Walsingham
Walsingham is a village in the English county of Norfolk. The village is famed for its religious shrines in honour of the Virgin Mary and as a major pilgrimage centre...
which is further inland. The railway occupies a part of the trackbed of the Wymondham to Wells branch
Wymondham to Wells branch
The Wymondham to Wells branch was a railway built in stages by the Norfolk Railway and Eastern Counties Railway between 1847 and 1857. The railway ran from Wymondham in the south, through Dereham and Fakenham to the coastal town of Wells-next-the-Sea; more specifically, the line ran from Wymondham...
also used by the Mid-Norfolk Railway
Mid-Norfolk Railway
The Mid-Norfolk Railway or MNR is a heritage railway in the English county of Norfolk. Opening as a tourist line in 1997, it is often referred to as a "New Generation" heritage railway....
.
Overview
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
and is now the longest gauge railway in the world. It runs from the coastal town of Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea, known locally simply as Wells, is a town, civil parish and seaport situated on the North Norfolk coast in England.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 2,451 in 1,205 households...
to the pilgrimage centre at Walsingham
Walsingham
Walsingham is a village in the English county of Norfolk. The village is famed for its religious shrines in honour of the Virgin Mary and as a major pilgrimage centre...
. It is the northern section of the former Wymondham
Wymondham
Wymondham is a historic market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 9.5 miles to the south west of the city of Norwich, on the A11 road to Thetford and London.- Before The Great Fire :...
, Dereham
Dereham
Dereham, also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, some 15 miles west of the city of Norwich and 25 miles east of King's Lynn. The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of...
, Fakenham
Fakenham
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north east of King's Lynn, south west of Cromer, and north west of Norwich....
and Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea, known locally simply as Wells, is a town, civil parish and seaport situated on the North Norfolk coast in England.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 2,451 in 1,205 households...
line which was closed to passengers in stages from 1964 to 1969 as part of the Beeching
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
cuts.
The railway operates from a new-build station located on the A149 approximately half a mile south of the original terminus at Wells. The terminus at Walsingham is situated a short distance north of the original GER station.
Trains run daily between March and November. Trains are mostly steam-operated
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
; however in some cases diesel
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
is used.
Construction and development
The Lynn and Dereham Railway and the Norfolk Railway both obtained Parliament's permission to build lines to Dereham in 1845, at the height of the so-called "Railway ManiaRailway Mania
The Railway Mania was an instance of speculative frenzy in Britain in the 1840s. It followed a common pattern: as the price of railway shares increased, more and more money was poured in by speculators, until the inevitable collapse...
", when railways were being frantically built across the whole country. The Norfolk Railway, building its line from Wymondham, reached Dereham first, and opened its railway to passengers on 15 February 1847; with the line being extended to Fakenham and Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea, known locally simply as Wells, is a town, civil parish and seaport situated on the North Norfolk coast in England.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 2,451 in 1,205 households...
by 1 December 1857.
Whilst the line between Wymondham and East Dereham was later provided with double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
, the line north of there remained single line
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
. A branch to Heacham, and a short spur to the harbour, also ran from Wells.
Grouping – the London & North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
at The Grouping in 1923. At this time the coaches used on the Wells line were still ex-GER 6 wheelers, although these were gradually replaced with bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
stock. Arguably the most evident change was that the GER Royal blue
Royal blue
Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....
locomotives and crimson coaches were replaced by LNER black locomotives and brown carriages.
The line was heavily used during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with extra Air Ministry sidings provided at Dereham in 1943. The line was also defended by an armoured train
Armoured train
An armoured train is a train protected with armour. They are usually equipped with railroad cars armed with artillery and machine guns. They were mostly used during the late 19th and early 20th century, when they offered an innovative way to quickly move large amounts of firepower...
, reporting as Train G, based at Heacham and using F4 2-4-2
2-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
tank locomotive 7189 as motive power. The armoured train was frequently used on the Wells line, and once collided with some empty coaches at Wells.
Nationalisation – British Railways
Following the war, the railways were in a very run-down state. The 1947 Transport ActTransport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
nationalised the "Big Four
Big Four British railway companies
The Big Four was a name used to describe the four largest railway companies in the United Kingdom in the period 1923-1947. The name was coined by the Railway Magazine in its issue of February 1923: "The Big Four of the New Railway Era".The Big Four were:...
" railway companies, and the branch line became part of the Eastern Region of British Railways
Eastern Region of British Railways
The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
on 1 January 1948.
The 1955 Modernisation Plan resulted in the line's last steam passenger services. The final regular steam journey ran on 17 September 1955. Diesel units
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
took over next day, with faster trains and a more frequent service. For the first few weeks, some extra Saturday services continued to be steam-operated. Steam-hauled freight continued into the early 1960s.
By 1960 there was an hourly passenger service to Norwich taking between 32 and 40 minutes. Despite this, increased use of road transport led to a decline in passengers, causing the service to became one of many threatened by the "Beeching Report" in 1963. Beeching intended to retain the Kings Lynn - Dereham - Norwich line for express trains and freight: the local stations (that is all but Dereham and Swaffham) however, were recommended for closure.
Passenger closure
The passenger service between Dereham and Wells ended on 5 October 1964, with the branch to Heacham having closed on 5 October 1954.Preservation
On 6 April 1982, purpose built steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
Pilgrim, an 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T engine built for use on the line by David King Engineering at North Walsham
North Walsham
North Walsham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England in the North Norfolk district.-Demographics:The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 11,998. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North...
, launched the public service.
2-6-0+0-6-2
In the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 2-6-0+0-6-2 is a Garratt articulated locomotive using a pair of 2-6-0 power units back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between them...
Garratt
Garratt
A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might...
locomotive Norfolk Hero came into service. Two extra coaches were added to the train increasing the seating capacity to 76. A redundant signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was moved from Swainsthorpe
Swainsthorpe
Swainsthorpe is a village in Norfolk, England. It lies about 5 miles south of Norwich. It covers an area of and had a population of 374 in 159 households as of the 2001 census.Its church, St Peter, is one of 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk....
to Wells, where the ground floor was converted to provide a shop and tearoom.
On 2 September 2008 vandals blocked the flangeways of Barnard's crossing, near Walsingham and used a level crossing gate to derail Norfolk Hero. The passengers and train crew were not injured in this attack, and a diesel locomotive was sent from Wells to recover the stranded passenger train - although some passengers chose to ignore advice from train crew and walked to Walsingham. Norfolk Hero was restored to service by the end of the month.
Locomotives
| Date | Number & Name | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1, 'Pilgrim' | David King 0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... T Tank locomotive A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon... |
Hauled first passenger services, sold 1986. No longer on line. |
| 1986 | 3, 'Norfolk Hero' | Neil Simkins 2-6-0 + 0-6-2 Garratt Garratt A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might... |
Named after Admiral Lord Nelson. Superheated. |
| 2010 | 6, 'Norfolk Heroine' | 2-6-0 + 0-6-2 Garratt Garratt A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might... |
Named after Edith Cavell Edith Cavell Edith Louisa Cavell was a British nurse and spy. She is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from all sides without distinction and in helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during World War I, for which she was arrested... . Superheated. |
Diesel locomotives
| Date | Number & Name | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 2, 'Weasel' | Alan Keef Alan Keef Alan Keef Ltd is a British narrow gauge railway engineer which manufactures, overhauls and deals in narrow gauge locomotives, rolling stock and associated equipment.... 0-6-0 diesel hydraulic |
Perkins 2000cc engine. |
| 1986 | 4, 'Norfolk Harvester' | Bo-Bo diesel | Rebuilt Wells 2005. |
Route description
At Warham the line starts to descend, and passes over a level crossing before reaching the request halt. Leaving the halt the line passes through a cutting, then over an embankment close to the Warham Camp hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
, before reaching Wighton Halt.
After three level crossings, 'Barnard's Cutting' is reached. The 1 in 29 gradient created during the restoration of the route has been restored to the original 1 in 60 by engineers from the National Construction Training College
RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom, eight miles west of Fakenham.-History:...
removing 17,000 tons of material in 1999.
After passing over a high embankment and a brick underbridge the line enters the outskirts of Little Walsingham, before arriving at Walsingham station.
See also
- Bressingham Steam and Gardens
- Bure Valley RailwayBure Valley RailwayThe Bure Valley Railway is a minimum gauge heritage railway in Norfolk, within The Broads National Park.The railway runs from Wroxham to Aylsham and is Norfolk's longest railway of less than standard gauge. It uses both steam and diesel locomotives. There are intermediate halts at Brampton,...
- Mid-Norfolk RailwayMid-Norfolk RailwayThe Mid-Norfolk Railway or MNR is a heritage railway in the English county of Norfolk. Opening as a tourist line in 1997, it is often referred to as a "New Generation" heritage railway....
- North Norfolk RailwayNorth Norfolk RailwayThe North Norfolk Railway – also known as the "Poppy Line" – is a heritage steam railway in Norfolk, England, running between the coastal town of Sheringham and Holt, It cuts through the countryside to the east of Weybourne with views of its windmill and passes through the well preserved country...
- Whitwell & Reepham railway station
- Yaxham Light RailwayYaxham Light RailwayYaxham Light Railway is a narrow gauge light railway situated adjacent to Yaxham railway station on the Mid-Norfolk Railway. It is located in the village of Yaxham in the English county of Norfolk.- History :...
- List of closed railway stations in Norfolk