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Latest News: Archive
May 2004
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Latest News: Archive
May 2004
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Photo: Alan Cooper |
Although from the front of the building it would appear little progress has been made over the last few months, a closer inspection reveals activity to make the station a building to be proud of.
We are currently awaiting the manufacture of the metal window frames to fit to the front of the building. As soon as these are delivered, they will be installed and the boards will come down. On the platform side, the craftsman-made sash windows can be seen in situ after years of the apertures being bricked up.
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Photo: Alan Cooper |
The area outside the main buildings has been transformed. Resurfacing of most of the car park is complete, and volunteers have started to re-instate the post and rail fence. We have also uncovered the foundations of the water tower, which will be rebuilt in preparation for steam next year. Before work on this can commence, the platform garden will have to be moved closer to Norwich Road.
Drawings and schedules for the internal works have finally been received from the architect, Mike Senatore, and it is hoped tenders will go out in the next few days. As those who have visited the station will know, the public area used to be one large room. The plans are to rebuild the ticket office with internal partitions for the shop, buffet and waiting areas. A false ceiling will also be installed to reduce loss of heat.
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Photo: John Harwood |
Kimberley Park Station was formally re-opened on the 22nd May after nearly 35 years of closure to passengers. This project was funded by the Countryside Agency with a "Vital Villages" grant to the Kimberley and Carlton Forehoe Parish Council. A small band of volunteers have worked hard to bring the station up to standard.
The re-opening ceremony was performed by the Trust's President, The Rt. Hon. Lord Macgregor of Pulham Market, watched by villagers, local politicians and volunteers. The invited guests were served refreshments, which included Kimberley biscuits, kindly donated by Jacob's Biscuits in Dublin.
Following the ceremony, those present had a ride on the line.
Further paperwork issues have to be addressed before trains can call on a regular basis. When this has been completed, a further announcement will be made. The next opportunity to travel to Kimberley Park will be on Sunday 6th June for the village fete.
By Paul Mobbs and Owen Stratford.
We changed 33 sleepers in the Swanton Road area today. At lunchtime we loaded the flatrol up with general waste that had been collected up through this section, and after the final service had arrived back in Dereham we took the train over Swanton Road for the first time since since 1989. We went over only as far as the sleepers were changed at the 12 mile post.
Having achieved a good level of clearance last week at Crownthorpe, we went back to the same spot again this week to complete the trimming of the encroaching scrub. Brush cutters were the order of the day once more, and we cleared another sizeable swathe of the bank. The saplings that were sprouting were at the size where we were only just able to cut them with the strimmers: another year's growth and we'd have had to use saws. Thanks for the help of a couple of CAST.IRON members who popped over for the day.
After undertaking sleeper replacement on the northern section for the first time last weekend, it was off to the most southern section of the line on Saturday to do the same. Although the section south of Wymondham Abbey does not see regular MNR trains, it does carry visiting railtours and freight so it is important that the track is maintained. Therefore as a result of another successful P-way work party, 42 sleepers were replaced between between Cemetery Lane crossing and the boundary with Network Rail.
Volunteer numbers were depleted as members took the opportunity to travel to Dover on the Nenta railtour, so the reduced gang decided to attend to the maintenance of the lineside drainage at Wymondham. The cess drains in this area have to deal a constant level of water coming from small springs in the cutting so it is important that they are kept clear. So a full day was spent rodding between cess manholes to keep the water flowing.
It was back to Toller's Lane to tidy up and burn previously cut vegetation.
Roland spent the best part of a day backfilling ballast around some of the replaced sleepers at Wymondham.
With the P-way gang back to strength, we decided to set off to Wymondham to change the remaining 28 sleepers left over to change from the previous Saturday. It was ideal weather with a cooling breeze, and the task was completed in good time. It is a tricky site to do as the stacked up adjacent panels hinder access. We also have to be careful as the site adjoins Network Rail. Upon completing the sleepers we collected up the redundant ones and sorted them into piles before heading home early.
A small band of fledging P-way staff (The Northern section gang) dug out the ballast around a further 20 sleepers on the section between Neatherd Road and Swanton Road crossings in preparation for sleeper replacement.
Meanwhile, the rest of the department had a rare day off to visit the March Whitemoor Yard open day.
The gang went out to Wymondham to fill in the ballast around the sleepers that we've just changed, completing the work in that area.
Once more, the team returned to Crownthorpe with brush-cutters and saws to clear some more of the encroaching scrub. We've now cleared about a quarter of the total area.
By Ernie Woolley.
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Ernie Woolley and Harry Long finish off the new fence. 19th May 2004. Photo: Terry Mann |
The gang have now finished off the perimeter fence by the car park at Dereham station. The last post proved particularly obstinate, as we had to break through a foot or so of concrete to dig the hole. It was necessary to requisition some mechanical equipment from the PW department to do this, namely a Hilti hammer and generator.