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Photo Album
Historical Interest
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Photo Album
Historical Interest
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These photos are of historical interest, showing the line as it was before it lost its last traffic under BR in 1989.
![Hardingham Station in Great Eastern Days](javascript:toggle_image ("hardingham.jpeg", 200, 125, 550, 344))
Future plans for Hardingham Station include the reinstatement of a signal box and passing loop. The station buildings, meanwhile, have been beautifully restored as a private house, and the canopy over the platform has been re-built. This view shows the station in late Great Eastern days, looking north. Sadly, the signal box (visible at the far end of the up platform) is no longer there, and the platforms have been shortened to two coach lengths.
Photo: P. Standley Collection
![Dereham Station in 1910](javascript:toggle_image ("dereham1910.jpeg", 200, 118, 550, 325))
Dereham used to be the bustling centre of the local rail network, as this photo, taken in 1910, shows. The surrounding area has changed completely, and even the station buildings aren't exactly the same as they were back then.
Photo: P. Standley Collection
![Yaxham Box in GER Days](javascript:toggle_image ("yaxham.jpeg", 200, 127, 543, 346))
This amusing photo shows Yaxham signal box, the only original box on the line which has survived the passage of time. The extremely tall signal just in front of the box is characteristic of the Great Eastern style.
![The Last Train](javascript:toggle_image ("lasttrain.jpeg", 200, 137, 550, 377))
The 4th of October 1969 was the last day of passenger operations on the Dereham - Wymondham line under British Rail, and the photo shows the final departure for Norwich. After the closure, freight services persisted until the line was closed completely in 1989.
4th october 1969. Photo: Roland Hummerston
![UKF Sidings at Dereham](javascript:toggle_image ("ukfsidings.jpeg", 200, 139, 550, 383))
One of the line's sources of traffic was the UKF fertiliser depot in Dereham, from where this Class 31 loco is about to pick up its train. The UKF sidings were in fact the last remaining stub of the Dereham end of the line to King's Lynn. Interestingly, on the day this photo was taken, a permanent way team was working on dismantling the line into platform 4, visible on the right of the photo.
September 1983. Photo: Mark Dufton
![Grain Hoppers at North Elmham](javascript:toggle_image ("polybulks.jpeg", 200, 138, 550, 379))
After the line's closure to passengers, it was still heavily used for freight operations. One of its regular customers was Seaman's Grain of North Elmham. Unfortunately, the loading facility at North Elmham no longer exists, and its site is now a housing estate. This photo shows the hoppers being loaded up; each one contains as much grain as two or three lorries.
July 1987. Photo: Mark Dufton