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North Norfolk Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by NNR Engineer, Apr 15, 2011.

  1. M59137

    M59137 Well-Known Member

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    Carriage & Wagon Blog update:

    C&W News - July News Part 2
     
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  2. Hicks19862

    Hicks19862 Member

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    Great picture on the M&GN Society page of all 4 society steam locos lined up at Weybourne.

    Shame they couldn't fit in Black Prince and Ring Haw lol
     
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  3. M59137

    M59137 Well-Known Member

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  4. Hicks19862

    Hicks19862 Member

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    Have always wondered why the NNR took so long to reach it's full potential, when other, younger organisations expanded comparatively rapidly.

    Was it hampered by it's remote location (not helped by Norfolk roads in the 70s and 80s)? Were the struggle to purchase Sheringham station and the drawn out B12 restoration also factors?
     
  5. SteveA

    SteveA Member

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    The NNR was slow to get started for so many reasons. It was always recognised as having the potential. Sadly internal fighting in the early years set it back a decade, or more, and saw many classic locos scrapped on our doorstep whilst money was spent on unnecessary items. We have to be thankful that the pioneers managed to get the B12, J15 and Quads before the battles started. As alluded to, north Norfolk wasn't (some say still isn't) the easiest place easy to reach. It's isolation is part of its charm but is also a downside. The catchment area for volunteers is very limited in an agricultural county surrounded on three sides by the sea. The 1990s when north Norfolk coast started to be gentrified and become a popular retirement area was when the railway started to take off. Now it is one of the most popular holiday and retirement areas in the country with a completely different outlook to the insular Norfolk of the 1960s and '70s. These incomers brought fresh ideas and finance. There were a myriad of other reasons though that I'd best not go into on here.
     
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  6. Hicks19862

    Hicks19862 Member

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    Shame an Ivatt 4MT or B1 couldn't have been saved for the railway.

    Maybe if things had been different in the early days the line could have been a haven of rare Eastern region types, the Bluebell Railway of the east.

    That's not to knock the struggles and efforts of the early pioneers who laid the foundations of the current success of the line.
     
  7. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    I have to say I do love a visit over to Sheringham but even living in Cambridge makes it at least 2 hours away, by either road or rail, I can be at my parents in Bewdley a little over that. It is a bit out of the way but I certainly think it adds to it's charm. I also think that the ambitions of the Mid Norfolk and some of the visitors that they've had (6023, 1306, 1744, 9466, 46233 and the many diesels that have visited) have maybe given the NNR a little bump in their thinking! I also think Julian Birley and his realationship with a certain magazine may have helped.
     
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  8. Hicks19862

    Hicks19862 Member

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    I think the dualling of the A11 must have made the Norfolk area a bit more accessible for people travelling from London, the Midlands and elsewhere.

    I think the MNR has an advantage of being able to get in big locomotive via it's main line link, which the weight limit on the Bittern Line sometimes prevents the NNR from doing.

    But the MNR doesn't (yet) have a permanent steam fleet, whilst the NNR has (in my opinion) a cracking fleet.

    Also you get a lovely sea view.
     
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  9. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    I have to say that the North Norfolk is definitely in the top three heritage lines on my "to do" list. It certainly has made some big strides in the last few years and the pictures which have been published in the various railway periodicals depict a line with plenty to offer - a good selection of motive power, well-restored and interesting rolling stock, some decent gradients and some attractive scenery. What more could one ask for? Shame it's such a hike from East Sussex. Last year, Hastings Diesels Ltd ran a special with 1001 right through to Sheringham and back, picking up at Etchingham, which is less than 10 miles from my home. This would have been really handy. Unfortunately, I only found out about this two days before it was due to run and was unable to alter my arrangements in time to book to travel on it - most frustrating. I hope the trip was such a success that they will consider a re-run in the not-too-distant future as I'm really keen to visit.
     
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  10. threelinkdave

    threelinkdave Well-Known Member

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    Is getting round Norwich any better. My elder brother lives in Cromer and I usually take the A1065 past Lakenheath, Swaffam and Fakenham. Its not fast but consistent
     
  11. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Swaffam and Fakenham can be the pinch points on that route, we got caught in traffic at both those place's on my last visit by road there.
     
  12. Pesmo

    Pesmo Member

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    It is getting better to drive to the NNR from the South. The newly dualled section of the A11 means that a long slow stretch has been removed and one can now easily avoid Brandon which has probably reduced my journey by 12-15 minutes from the South. As Matt37401 says, the Mundford to Fakenham stretch on the A1065 is the real dispiriting part of the journey, where you can get stuck behind slow vehicles for 20 minutes at a time as there are few places to sensibly overtake. I can and do visit the NNR for the day from just North of London but it is a bit of a hike and I say that as someone who loves driving. The NNR has come a long way and I would put it in my top 8 heritage railways of the 62 that I have visited. I visit several times a year as it offers something different, the same way that only a limited number of lines do.
     
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  13. Herald

    Herald Member

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    Whilst it must be admitted that the train service to Sheringham is not the fastest an hourly frequency and fares starting at £10 single from and to London when booked ahead does make for a relatively easy journey by comparison with the roads. Such fares are even currently available on the September gala days so no real excuse for those of us in the London area not to make the effort.
     
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  14. Hicks19862

    Hicks19862 Member

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    So the WD is to be named 'The Royal Norfolk Regiment'.

    Personally I like the name, might drum up a bit of extra support and publicity for this locomotive.
     
  15. M59137

    M59137 Well-Known Member

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  16. Rosedale

    Rosedale Member

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    Isn't that also the name of the MNR's Austerity tank?
     
  17. Hicks19862

    Hicks19862 Member

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    Think the name of the MNR Austerity tank will be 'Norfolk Regiment'. (Did I read somewhere that it may not operate at the MNR when complete as originally planned?).

    I guess the NNR has an advantage of being officially endorsed by the regiment itself to use the name for their WD.
     
  18. M59137

    M59137 Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: Aug 4, 2017
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  19. Hicks19862

    Hicks19862 Member

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    I realise I shouldn't believe everything I read, but, a certain railway publication has published a story saying that 44767 is to return to the NNR, to work on the Cromer services as well as regular NNR services.
     
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  20. Johnme101

    Johnme101 New Member

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    Yes I saw that in the recent Steam Railway Magazine and I think it would great to see her back the NNR. Black 5s are great locomotives and that would bring NNR steam fleet up to 9 locomotives.
     
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