[May 3, 2016] Heritage Steam Gala (Norfolk)

Bressingham Steam Museum in Norfolk is this year celebrating 50 years since its founder Alan Bloom laid the 2’ gauge Nursery Railway and re-introduced narrow gauge steam to East Anglia.

The main celebration will be a special Heritage Steam Gala held over the bank holiday weekend of 30th April, 1st and 2nd of May, to which a number of special road and rail steam engines have been invited.

Locomotives DeWinton “Chaloner” and unique Baguley “Rishra” will be visiting from the Leighton Buzzard Railway. They will join the home fleet for an intensive service which will include demonstration freight trains and some double heading on the Nursery Railway. Large Quarry Hunslet “George Sholto” which opened the line in 1966 is also rostered for all three days.

Away from the rails, Bressingham's own resident road engines (Garrett 4cd “Bunty”, Burrell Roller “Buster" and Burrell single crank compound portable) will be joined by many visiting engines as the museum is working closer than ever with other organisations in the area. Several engines from the Burrell museum in Thetford have been invited, including a steamroller and the showman’s engine “Queen Mary” which should be generating for Bressingham's Victorian Gallopers.

All of the narrow gauge and miniature railways will be operating a steam service (2’, 15”, 10.25” and 7.25” gauge). The Victorian beam engine will also be in operation.

There will also be the opportunity to inspect standard gauge locomotive A1X terrier “Martello” of 1875 in the final stages of its overhaul, raising the prospect of a return of standard gauge steam to Bressingham later this year. Early quarry Hunslet “Gwynedd” will also be on show but its overhaul is unlikely to be complete in time for this event.

 

Could you give an update on what I running on the 15''? I assume the Krauss pacifics are not yet under restoration?
What happening with King Haakon?
Also, what is in the museum at present? I think both of the Atlantics are now away from Bressingham?

 

Exmoor Steam tank St Christopher will be doing the honours on the 15". Plans are afoot to get Rosenkavelier back in action - I'll post in the relevant part of the forum as soon as I know anything definite.

On the SG side, attention has been focused on Martello; King Haakon has therefore not been a priority. The museum and society between them only have a fairly small team to do any restoration work so can't do it all at once

My understanding is that the NRM have yet to decide which loco(s) will be sent to Norfolk to bring the SG display fleet back to strength. The upside is that there is more room in the museum shed.