Whitwell railway station, Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Whitwell and Reepham railway Station, also known as Whitwell station, is a former station situated in Norfolk
, England
. The station closed in 1959 and is presently a notable stop on the Marriott's Way
long-distance footpath. It is currently in the process of being restored as a railway museum, including the relaying of track.
's (M&GN) branch from the main line at Melton Constable
to Norwich City
. Whilst the route was fairly well-used, it struggled under the competition from the larger Great Eastern Railway
and its more direct lines. Only one year prior to opening, the Great Eastern had inaugurated its own station at Reepham
which, unlike Whitwell, was conveniently sited to the settlement it purported to serve.
The M&GN suffered in the post-war period which saw much freight transfer to road and greater car ownership, leaving the line with its summer and schools traffic. In the face of spiralling losses, British Rail
made the decision to close the majority of the line, leaving Whitwell open for freight until 1964. The track through the station remained, however, down until 1985 for the purposes of concrete product movements to neighbouring Lenwade railway station
. The station site itself was variously used post-closure as a tree surgery
, offices, the parking of coaches and a workshop and garage. Following the lifting of the track through the station, the trackbed was reused as part of the Marriott's Way from 1993. At one point there was even a proposal to dismantle the station building and re-erect it at Holt station
on the North Norfolk Railway
.
colony on the site and applied to Broadland District Council for permission to convert the station into a residence and reuse the goods shed as a workshop and storage area. Councillors approved the application in April 2007 notwithstanding the recommendations of planning officers to refuse it.
to re-create the 7 miles (11.3 km) Themelthorpe curve
to Reepham railway station
. Phase three would entail linking up with either the North Norfolk Railway
or Mid Norfolk Railway.
By September 2008, 440 feet (134.1 m) of track (donated by the Spa Valley Railway
) had been laid in the yard and to the former goods shed
which will serve as the designated engine shed
. A Baguley-Drewry diesel shunter
, two Mk I coaches
, a Bogie 'B' luggage van
and a British Rail four-wheel van have already been delivered to the site. In addition, an original M&GN hand crane (from Holbeach station
) has been loaned by the North Norfolk Railway
. An Andrew Barclay 0-4-0
saddle tank was delivered to the site on 23 March 2009.
By May 2010, most of the station-side platform had been resurfaced and the fencing was going up. After being granted £70,000 the engine shed was being renovated with new doors and windows. An extra line had been completed along the cattle platform and was serving as storage line for stock.
visited as part of the North Norfolk Railway's "That's Yer Lot" steam gala to commemorate the line's closure.
The line also launched its appeal for £20,000 to finance a new steam engine for the railway. It is estimated that 6000 turned up over the two weekends of the gala. A reunion of former users of the line also took place.
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station closed in 1959 and is presently a notable stop on the Marriott's Way
Marriott's Way
The Marriott's Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway which forms part of the National Cycle Network and is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders between Hellesdon and Aylsham, Norfolk, England...
long-distance footpath. It is currently in the process of being restored as a railway museum, including the relaying of track.
History
The station was opened in 1882 as part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint RailwayMidland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
's (M&GN) branch from the main line at Melton Constable
Melton Constable railway station
Melton Constable was a railway station on the Midland and Great Northern Railway which served the North Norfolk village of Melton Constable from 1882 to 1964...
to Norwich City
Norwich City railway station
Norwich City railway station was located in Norwich, England and is now closed.-History:The station was opened in 1882 by the Lynn and Fakenham Railway, and later became the southern terminus of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway line from Melton Constable...
. Whilst the route was fairly well-used, it struggled under the competition from the larger Great Eastern Railway
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 its more direct lines. Only one year prior to opening, the Great Eastern had inaugurated its own station at Reepham
Reepham railway station
Reepham was a railway station in Reepham, Norfolk. It was opened in 1882 and closed to passengers in 1952 and finally shut to goods services in 1981...
which, unlike Whitwell, was conveniently sited to the settlement it purported to serve.
The M&GN suffered in the post-war period which saw much freight transfer to road and greater car ownership, leaving the line with its summer and schools traffic. In the face of spiralling losses, British Rail
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...
made the decision to close the majority of the line, leaving Whitwell open for freight until 1964. The track through the station remained, however, down until 1985 for the purposes of concrete product movements to neighbouring Lenwade railway station
Lenwade railway station
Lenwade railway station was a railway station in North Norfolk, England. It was built by the Lynn and Fakenham Railway Company in 1882 and taken over by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in 1893, to serve the small hamlet of Lenwade. Despite the settlement's size, the railway provided...
. The station site itself was variously used post-closure as a tree surgery
Arborist
An arborist, or arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants...
, offices, the parking of coaches and a workshop and garage. Following the lifting of the track through the station, the trackbed was reused as part of the Marriott's Way from 1993. At one point there was even a proposal to dismantle the station building and re-erect it at Holt station
Holt railway station (North Norfolk Railway)
Holt railway station is the current terminus of the North Norfolk Railway, and is a new-build station built on the site on the proposed, but never built, Blakeney branch junction....
on the North Norfolk Railway
North Norfolk Railway
The 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...
.
Sale of the land by Norfolk County Council
After years of lying derelict, the intact station buildings were offered for sale in 2006 for £250,000 by its owners Norfolk County Council. In the event of it failing to sell, the County Council had earmarked it as the possible location of a travellers' site. It was, however, acquired by the Wyatts who planned to establish an alpacaAlpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
colony on the site and applied to Broadland District Council for permission to convert the station into a residence and reuse the goods shed as a workshop and storage area. Councillors approved the application in April 2007 notwithstanding the recommendations of planning officers to refuse it.
Acquisition by Mike Urry
The station was put back on the market in Summer 2007 at a guide price of £300,000 - £350,000 but initially failed to attract a buyer. It was eventually purchased in September 2007 by rail enthusiast Mike Urry who plans to restore the station and relay track. The new owner announced his plans on the project's web site, indicating that he intended to establish a small museum on the site.Whitwell & Reepham Railway Preservation Society Limited
Having formed the Whitwell & Reepham Railway Preservation Society Limited (with 100 members as of November 2008), Mike Urry has planned the project's future in three phases. Phase one involves returning the station to its original layout by relaying track and restoring the station buildings. Phase two is to extend the line along Marriott's WayMarriott's Way
The Marriott's Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway which forms part of the National Cycle Network and is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders between Hellesdon and Aylsham, Norfolk, England...
to re-create the 7 miles (11.3 km) Themelthorpe curve
Themelthorpe
Themelthorpe is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, north west of Reepham.It covers an area of and had a population of 65 in 27 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Broadland....
to Reepham railway station
Reepham railway station
Reepham was a railway station in Reepham, Norfolk. It was opened in 1882 and closed to passengers in 1952 and finally shut to goods services in 1981...
. Phase three would entail linking up with either the North Norfolk Railway
North Norfolk Railway
The 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...
or Mid Norfolk Railway.
By September 2008, 440 feet (134.1 m) of track (donated by the Spa Valley Railway
Spa Valley Railway
The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs between Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks, Groombridge, and Eridge railway station, where it links with the Oxted Line. En route it crosses the Kent and East Sussex border, a distance of 5 miles , along the former Three Bridges to...
) had been laid in the yard and to the former goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
which will serve as the designated engine shed
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
. A Baguley-Drewry diesel shunter
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...
, two Mk I coaches
British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1 was the family designation for the first standardised designs of railway carriages built by British Railways. Following nationalisation in 1948, BR had continued to build carriages to the designs of the "Big Four" companies , and the Mark 1 was intended to be the...
, a Bogie 'B' luggage van
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...
and a British Rail four-wheel van have already been delivered to the site. In addition, an original M&GN hand crane (from Holbeach station
Holbeach railway station
Holbeach railway station was a station in Holbeach, Lincolnshire. It closed in 1959.The station buildings survive including station, up and down platform and the large goods shed...
) has been loaned by the North Norfolk Railway
North Norfolk Railway
The 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...
. An Andrew Barclay 0-4-0
0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
saddle tank was delivered to the site on 23 March 2009.
By May 2010, most of the station-side platform had been resurfaced and the fencing was going up. After being granted £70,000 the engine shed was being renovated with new doors and windows. An extra line had been completed along the cattle platform and was serving as storage line for stock.
Public Opening
Although restoration efforts were still ongoing, the station saw steam return on 28 February 2009, the 50th anniversary of the closure of the M&GN, when Peckett 0-6-OST No. 2000Peckett and Sons
Peckett and Sons was a locomotive manufacturer at the Atlas Works in St. George, Bristol, England.-Fox, Walker and Company:The company began trading in 1864 at the Atlas Engine Works, St. George, Bristol, as Fox, Walker and Company, building four and six-coupled saddle tank engines for industrial use...
visited as part of the North Norfolk Railway's "That's Yer Lot" steam gala to commemorate the line's closure.
The line also launched its appeal for £20,000 to finance a new steam engine for the railway. It is estimated that 6000 turned up over the two weekends of the gala. A reunion of former users of the line also took place.
Steam locomotives and shunters
| Number & Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 945, "Annie" | Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST | Operational |
Diesel locomotives and shunters
| Number & Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 7, "Georgie" | Baguley-Drewry 4wd DM | Operational |
| 518494, "Swanworth" | Ruston & Hornsby | In restoration |
Passenger coaching stock
| Number | Built for | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1833 | Midland Railway Midland Railway The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.... |
Third | Body only, ex-M&GNJR Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to... |
| 272 | Southern Railway Southern Railway (Great Britain) The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent... |
Full Brake | Southern livery, Vacuum brake Vacuum brake The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in... |
| 34712 | British Railways | Mk1 BSK | "Blood And Custard" livery, Vacuum brake Vacuum brake The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in... |
| 70527 | British Railways | Mk1 TSO | "Blood And Custard" livery, Air brake Air brake (rail) An air brake is a conveyance braking system actuated by compressed air. Modern trains rely upon a fail-safe air brake system that is based upon a design patented by George Westinghouse on March 5, 1872. The Westinghouse Air Brake Company was subsequently organized to manufacture and sell... , vacuum piped. Was part of British Rail Class 411 British Rail Class 411 The British Rail Class 411 electrical multiple units were built at Eastleigh works from 1956-63 for the newly electrified main lines in Kent. These units were based on the earlier Southern Railway 4Cor design, built in 1937. They were replaced by Juniper units.-Description:A total of 133 units... Unit 7178, later Unit 1589. Preserved in late 2004 at the Great Central Railway Great Central Railway (preserved) The Great Central Railway is a heritage railway split into two adjacent sections, one in Leicestershire and the other Nottinghamshire.The Leicestershire section is currently Britain's only double track mainline heritage railway, with of working double track, period signalling, locomotives and... until 2008 when it was delivered to Norfolk. |
| 46116 | British Railways | Mk1 S | Maroon, Vacuum brake, stored |
| 14256 | London Transport London Transport London Transport could refer to:*London Transport Transport authorities that operated services under the brand:*London Passenger Transport Board *London Transport Executive *London Transport Board... |
P Stock Driving Motor | LT red, unrestored |
Goods stock
| Number | Built for | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| B772630 | LBSCR | 25ton brake van Brake van Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard... |
LBSCR, Vacuum brake, ex-Stratford crane mess van |
| DS55466 | British Railways | Ventilated van | Bauxite, Vacuum brake |
| DB 989344 | ZJV 'Mermaid' | 14t 4w Side Tipper, built by Metro Cammell | |
| 954420 | 20t 4w Brake Van | Bauxite, Vacuum piped | |
| - | 20t 4w TUBE wagon | Bauxite, Vacuum piped | |
| 3929 | Esso Esso Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by... |
Petrol tank wagon | Esso, unbraked |