Nene Valley Railway

YESSS!

 

A rather poor webcam screenshot into the sun at Wansford

 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...JtqQAP1YYAyzbppw7JaZy4fxjl&id=100066514598118

Video by Lewis Morrissey posted by Wansford MPD Facebook page of 656 working away from Lynch Bridge.

 

Excellent - that's Wednesday 21st put in the diary for a visit.

 

I don't know if the resolution is lowered because I'm not signed into Faceache, but even Mr. Baird and his spinning discs would have found that difficult to watch.

 

Great news. I'm hoping to visit the NVR to see 34081 in it's Royal Auxiliary Air Force guise.

Last time I visited the NVR was a brief visit to Wansford on the way to Yorkshire on holiday and 34081 pulled in with a train (it wasn't that long after it's first overhaul was completed in 1998), so it'll be nice to properly experience the Railway.

 

It's not great even when signed in, so might be down Facebook compressing when it was sent and then again when published.

 

I'm coming down for a weekend (24th/25th of feb) & just curious is railworld at peterborough back open then?

I know it's a thomas weekend but going to have a few trips on their pacer & thought I'd swing by railworld between trips.

Thanks.

 

Their facebook says they are now open every weekend

 

Apologies if it has been asked before, but how did it come about that the Nene Valley loading gauge is big enough for continental locos and coaches?

 

It was modified to be so. Originally it was the Nene Valley International Railway and had a lot of continental locomotives, some of which I understand were purchased in working order and imported. Tracks were relaid to give increased clearance - I think even a bridge was demolished? I'm sure someone will be along to give a fuller picture before long.

You certainly have to be careful getting in and out of the Swedish Railcar at Wansford

 

One overbridge was demolished, at others the track was rerouted to run through the centre of the arch and new platforms at Wansford, Overton/Ferry Meadows, Orton Mere and Peterborough NVR were constructed to a bigger loading gauge.

 

I think he meant why was it done?

 

To enable the continental locos and stock to fit?

 

Correct.

 

Makes sense in a way. Although plenty of other preserved lines starting up in the 1970s managed to do so without the need for continental locos and stock.

 

Read again.

 

What also helped at the NVR (or PRS as it was then) was that they were basically starting with a blank slate.

There was no remaining infrastructure at Yarwell.
Being a very early (1840's) railway, the tunnel was build high and straight to allow smoke to clear with no ventilation shafts.
At Wansford there was only the stub of one platform left.
There were only 3 over bridges on the mainline, a metal footbridge was removed and track was later slewed on another to allow the Kreigslok to fit.
There was no surviving infrastructure at any other stations, and cuttings are generally pretty wide where they exist.

 

Shame most of those continental locomotives have since left. It certainly made the NVR unique amongst UK lines.

 

I went there several times in the late 1970's/early 1980's as the Continental stock was the attraction and made it different to the other preserved lines. After the Continental equipment started to depart elsewhere, my visits tailed off considerably and as a contrast, I have been to the NVR once in the past 25 years, and that was a Class 31 Anniversary event in 2017.....