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Latest News
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Latest News
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This evening saw a successful film shoot at Dereham Station by local film production company, Independent Studios UK. The film - a ghostly tale - is expected to be released by the end of the month as filming was already quite advanced. Scenes were taken in the ticket office, station masters office and on the platform in the guise of Tulse Hill Station, London (c. 1950s).
The film - Haunted London - has now been released in time for Halloween.
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9466 at Hoe. 30th August 2009. Photo: Matt Goodrum |
Sunday 30 August saw the first steam train reach Hoe Level Crossing since the early 1960s. At the request of the owners of loco 9466, arrangements were made at short notice by Gary Hall and the pannier pushed up a train of goods wagons immediately after the final passenger run of the day. We arrived at Hoe to find a small welcoming committee waiting at the gates to greet the loco on this historic occasion. This was just a one off for now but can you help us make this a regular occurrence? Please consider sponsoring a sleeper or even volunteering some time to help the MNR reopen this section of line to passengers.
About 50 people took advantage of the fine weather to participate in the annual Good Friday Sponsored Walk along the railway track from County School to Dereham Station. All proceeds from the walk will be used to fund the remaining work to restore the signal box at County School. This box originally came from Halesworth, and work has been ongoing for several years. In keeping with the rest of County School Station, it is being restored in the style of the Second World War, with the lower half completely bricked up to prevent damage to the mechanism if a bomb had been dropped nearby.
On their return to Dereham, the walkers were welcomed with a hot drink and hot cross bun.
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Walkers approaching Hoe Level Crossing. 10th April 2009. Photo: Gary Hall |
Bricking up the signal box. 10th April 2009. Photo: Bill Collins |
Railways are normally very dangerous places to be unless you have received appropriate training. There may be machinery in use and trains moving. The sponsored walk is therefore the only opportunity to walk along the line. For your own safety, please stay off the track at all other times.
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Prototype Mk2. 25th March 2009. Photo: James Steward |
A new arrival at the Mid-Norfolk Railway is Mk2 prototype coach, number 13252. It is a first class corridor vehicle and has been obtained from the National Railway Museum collection. It is a historically valuable vehicle due to a number of pioneering techniques used in its construction. It was built in 1963 at Swindon and retired from service in the 1980s. It is intended that the vehicle will undergo some minor refurbishment work to enable it to return to service.
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Construction of the new passing loop. 17th January 2009. Photo: Barney Stratford |
After many months of planning, preparation and fundraising, the Permanent Way team began the construction work for the new passing loop at Thuxton. The old track has been lifted out, and we are now in the process of installing the new layout. It is intended to lay the southern end of the loop this winter, with the remainder to follow in 2010.
Our line is currently running at its maximum capacity, and this major project will allow us to double the number of trains that can be run. When the loop is operational, it will be possible to run an hourly service with greatly improved operational flexibility, instead of a train every two hours as at present.
Today saw one of the busiest days' mainline freight operations the Mid-Norfolk Railway has seen recently. The morning train, operated by DB Schenker (formerly EWS), carried tanks from the local army base. These were loaded up at Dereham, helping to get traffic off Norfolk's busy roads. We were also visited by DRS, who came to collect one of the stoneblowers that we have been storing in recent months. This was taken to Eastleigh, where it will be overhauled before returning to service maintaining the nation's railways.
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47 580 with a train-load of tanks. 8th January 2009. Photo: James Steward |
37 087 with a stoneblower. 8th January 2009. Photo: James Steward |
For the latest information about our volunteers' recent activities, see the volunteer news.