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Latest News
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Latest News
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B17 61641 "Gayton Hall" at Sheffield Victoria in 1958. Photo: colour-rail.com |
A few months ago the MNR's Board of Directors authorised its Vice-Chairman John Hull to open talks with the newly-formed B17 Steam Locomotive Trust. The upshot of this is that the MNR have invited the B17 Group to bring their two tenders to the MNR, and have offered them a section of siding where restoration can commence.
On top of works to the tender chassis, initial new design work involves completing a strengthened locomotive frame, with roller bearings and canon axleboxes on the main driving axles. These will replace the original design of plain bearings, axleboxes and wedges, which needed frequent adjustment to compensate for the wear and tear within the horns, a problem dogging the B17s during their life in service.
B17 Group also have a fund raising project planned and ready to go. With adequate and regular funding, they hope to have the project completed in 10 years. We look forward to working with them.
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47 596 starts up after its overhaul. 24th July 2011. Photo: James Steward |
Back in 2009, 47 596 was found to have two leaking liner seals. This meant that water from the cooling system was finding its way into the engine oil. The decision was taken to carry out a complete top end engine rebuild. This entails removing all twelve cylinder heads, pistons and piston liners. A complete overhaul of all components took place, sourcing and replacing many worn parts. These included 36 new piston rings, 24 oil scraper rings, 12 exhaust valves, 24 big end bearing shells and 36 liner seals. All components were degreased and painted before reassembly. The opportunity was also taken to clean and paint the engine compartment. The engine was restarted for the first time at the end of July two years and four months after being withdrawn from traffic. The hard work carried out by the Stratford 47 Group will ensure this popular locomotive is fit for many years' service and it is intended that it will re-enter traffic for this year's Santa Specials.
Summer 2011 has proven to be a pivotal moment in the development of the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
The inaugural runs of 6023 "King Edward II" really drew the crowds, and with about 75 return journeys between Dereham and Wymondham, the loco has now completed its planned running-in, with 1600 trouble-free miles. It was joined by long-time visitor 9466 for our first-ever two-train steam service on 9th July.
The highlight of the season was our steam gala, with 6023 and 9466 joined by the Jinty 47406. Despite the bad weather on the Saturday, passenger numbers were high both days of the gala and the popularity of the Beavertail™ Observation car was high throughout.
MNR Chairman Barry Woodgett said "On behalf of everyone at the MNR I wish to express our gratitude to the Great Western Society for entrusting the MNR with the important task of running in King Edward II. The memory of its eye-catching BR Experimental Blue livery and the sound of its exhaust beats will remain with us for a long time to come."
King Edward II has helped demonstrate that MNR already had a very credible Steam Operations Department, which is now reinforced by the appointment of Dennis Howells, M.B.E. as Traction Inspector-Steam and Bruce Murray as Chief Mechanical Engineer-Steam.
Everyone at the Mid-Norfolk Railway is rightly proud of the achievements made this summer, and we have had much positive feedback from visitors. Planning for the 2012 steam season is well underway. In the meantime, 9466 will be in service at the Mid-Norfolk Railway for the remainder of August.
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Three steam locos (6023, 47406 and 9466) at Dereham. Top row: Ian Elvar, David Horsley, Rod Eastman and Leslie Dale. Standing: Oliver Hannam, Martin Ashworth, Bernie Bland, John Antell, Roger Paddison, Richard Varley, George Saville, Dennis Howells MBE, Alan Pearce and James Francis. 17th July 2011. Photo: Fred Chapman |
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47406. Photo: Keith Doubleday |
We received word yesterday that LMS 3F number 47406 will be able to visit the Mid-Norfolk Railway to join our first ever Steam Gala on the 16th and 17th July.The loco normally resides at the Great Central Railway, where it was restored from scrap condition only a couple of years ago.
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King Edward II at Wymondham Abbey. 2nd June 2011. Photo: James Steward |
Following its 20-year restoration, locomotive number 6023 "King Edward II" arrived in Dereham today. We have been carying out test runs with the locomotive in steam to ensure that everything goes smoothly for its debut passenger services this weekend.
The Mid-Norfolk Railway is pleased to announce additional visiting locomotives for its two major events in May. Courtesy of Electric Traction Ltd, British Rail Blue 86 101 will be in attendance for for the Drags and Rescues weekend. The AL6 type is synonymous with the Anglia Region, hauling express services between Norwich and London for many years, and during the Ipswich tunnel blockade were dragged past the southern end of our line at Wymondham. This is the first occasion that an 86 has been dragged in preservation.
In addition to this, former South West Trains rescue loco 73 109 will be visiting for both the Drags and Rescues event and the Southern Region weekend on 21st and 22nd May. This will work alongside our resident 'ED' 73 210 and will be doing what it did best, dragging a southern region EMU unit around. It is understood that this is the first passenger working of this loco for many years.
Do not miss these two weekends of events both of which will see ground-breaking services for preservation.
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King Edward II in steam. 2nd April 2011. Photo: George Saville |
In front of 3000 enthusiasts at Didcot, Great Western Society chairman, Richard Croucher, spoke of the massive 20-year task thst his team had undertaken in restoring the locomotive 6023 "King Edward II". They had taken a scrap yard hulk and rebuilt it into the impressive 4-6-0 express steam locomotive standing there, in steam, on the turntable.
King Edward II currently sports the BR experimental blue livery dating from the early 1950s and was requested of the Great Western Society by many photographers; the loco will eventually be repainted in Brunswick Green.
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Cut wheels. 2nd April 2011. Photo: Leslie Dale |
King Edward II was sent to the Barry scrap yard in late 1962, being rescued by the firm Harveys of Bristol in 1984. It languished there until being relocated to Didcot in 1990. Restoration had been deemed impossible as the rear driving wheels had been cut through with an oxy-acetylene torch following a shunting accident.
Dennis Howells, a railway signalling designer, has led the twenty-year restoration project from start to finish. The restoration cost £700,000 including a new main driving wheelset and 1100 smaller orders placed with a myriad of suppliers.
King Edward II is booked to run summer services on the Mid-Norfolk Railway, starting on Saturday 4th June and culminating in a Steam Gala on the weekend of 16th and 17th July, running jointly with Great Western design Pannier Tank No. 9466.
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King Edward II at Didcot. July 2006. Photo: Frank Dumbleton |
The Mid-Norfolk Railway wish to confirm recent reports in the railway press that we have been speaking with representatives of the Great Western Society (GWS) about their locomotive 6023 "King Edward II" being used on the MNR's service and special event trains during the summer of 2011. Details of an agreement for KEII to undertake a major part of its 1000 mile running-in programme on the MNR are now at an advanced stage.
The MNR is working jointly with the GWS to create an operating timetable which will enable an escalating programme of running-in journeys to be made during June and July 2011.
MNR Chairman, Barry Woodgett, said: "We are working with the GWS to bring this unique locomotive to the MNR next summer and look forward to the public in East Anglia having the opportunity to ride on trains hauled by King Edward II on the Wymondham - Dereham line."
KEII, at one time regarded as a forlorn hope because of its badly damaged main driving wheels, spent c.1962-1984 in the scrap yard at Barry in South Wales, when it was bought with the sponsorship aid of a Bristol wine importer. Eventually the loco made its way to the Didcot Railway Centre for restoration. Their mission is to preserve Great Western Railway artefacts.
The King class locomotives were one of the most powerful steam locomotives ever designed in Britain and the principal express passenger locomotive used on the Great Western for over 30 years, operating between London and Bristol, Plymouth and Wolverhampton. They feature four cylinders, with no hammer blow during running due to perfect dynamic balancing of their motion mechanism.
The MNR also wish to announce a further visit of Dennis Howells' 0-6-0 Pannier Tank No. 9466 during the summer of 2011. We will stage our first ever two-engine Steam Gala, using 9466 running alongside King Edward II, and employing the new passing loop at Thuxton.
We have recently acquired a CIG unit, 1497 "Freshwater". Originally based on the Southern Region, it will be able to operate in push-pull mode with our Class 73 loco, 73 210 "Selhurst". This unit, and its sister 3 CIG "Farringford" (painted in Southern Region green) were the last two remaining slam-door units which saw their final day in service on 22nd May. It has come straight from mainline service on the Brockenhurst - Lymington Pier branch, and so is in excellent condition and will enter service straight away.
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In mainline service. 18th September 2009. Photo: John Hendy |
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37s approach Thuxton. 25th September 2010. Photo: Geoff Tibble |
Class 37 Golden Jubilee gala weekend was a massive success. Approximately 2000 visitors attended the celebrations with 12 locomotives on site. Representing the 50 years of service, liveries represented including original British Rail green, 1970s BR blue, 1980s railfreight grey, pre-privitisation Mainline blue and civil engineers, up to the latest Direct Rail Services, West Coast Railways and Network Rail locos.
The weekend also saw the opening of the passing loop at Thuxton which enabled an hourly service from Dereham and Wymondham with over 30 departures from the MNR's Dereham headquarters over the 3 days.
Visitiors came from far and wide including Ireland, Denmark and Germany. Many warm comments were received over the weekend. Local publicity included a live broadcast on BBC1 local news which brought in a number of local visitors.
Other highlights of the weekend were double headed BR blue locos, with Fenman headboards on 7 blue/grey Mk2 carriages; the first runs in service of 37 003 ,which is a permanent resident at the MNR; the naming of DRS loco 37 601, which is the oldest currently operation mainline engine, built as D6705, named Class 37 - 'Fifty'; the first run on a preserved line of a Network Rail ERTMS locomotive; and on Saturday a cavalcade of engines through Dereham Station. No other preserved railway has attempted anything on this scale before.
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Crowds at Dereham. 25th September 2010. Photo: Steve Tweed |
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