Heritage Railway – August 01, 2019

Youcan help to make ReedhamJunction

asignallingcentreofexcellenceatHolt!

ByRobin Jones

THE largest completetime signalbox in
East Anglia hasbeenearmarkedfora
vibrantsecond lifeatt he North Norfolk
Railway’s Holt terminus.
A£35,000 appeal to fund the
movementofthe GER post-1885
design60-le verReedham Junction
signalboxasacompleteunit has
been launched.
Thesignalbox, which datesfrom
1904, is locatedonthe Wherry Lines,
linkingNorwich withLowestof tto
the rightand Yarmouthto the left.
It is aGreat EasternRailwaytype 7
design, and fitted witha60-le ver
McKenzie&Holland frame.
In October 2018, Network Rail
remodelled the layout ofReedham
Junction and began theresignalling
process,which included theremoval
of its numerous semaphoresignals.
Thetwo-storeywooden structure
wasdecommissioned afterthe
last train passed on the evening of
March22. Thefinal train signalled
through the junctionwasGreater
Anglia’s 11.30pmLowestof t-Norwich
service, worked by Class 153 DMU
No.153309, which passedat
11.52pm.

Restoration
Theredundant structure was
subsequently gifted to the NNR.
Volunteers have alreadystarted
dismantling the mechanical and
electrical equipmentfromthe boarded-
up signalboxand placing it into storage,
ready forthe move.
However, the railway nee ds funds

to buildanew baseforitatHolt and

to coverthe associatedcrean work

and haulage.Furthermore, funding

is neededforthe restor ation and

repairs,plus afullrepainttobedone

beforethe signalling equipmentcan

be installed.

At Holt, it will become far more

than just anotherworkaday

signalbox, with plansto convertit

into ahands-onrailway simulator,

whereeveryone from familiesto

signalling enthusiasts will be ableto

work a‘real’signalbox.

Thesignalboxwill form akey part

of the line’s Norfolk Railway Life

Experienceproject,which is currently

under development. Unlike most

signalboxesinpreservation, mainly

single track withtoken operation,

Reedham Junction will showcase

the larger ’boxeswith double track

absoluteblock,and ajunctiontoo!

Visitors will be ableto lear nthe

artoftrain regulation: the careful

weaving of theYarmouth holiday

express between theLowestof tfish

trainsto keep time,splitting theYork

expressforYarmouth andLowestoft

and in parallel shuntingwagonsfor

Cantley factory –orsimply ponder

at lifesitting inacosy armchair

on adarkevening,with only the

comfortingcoal st ove andaticking

clockforcompany.

Incentives

As we closedforpress,nearly athirdof

the appeal target has beenraised–but

moredonations areneeded.

Members of the public arebeing

invitedto sponsorapieceofthe

signalbox, possibly dedicatedto

aloved one. Everysponsor can

have their namerecorded in the

signalbox’strain register.

Thesponsorship packages include

Plat inum–£500in25£20 monthly

instalments,with adedication

plaque mountednexttothe

diagram, relaycabinet,desk,stove,

or frame,plus twoyears ’unlimited

travel on the heritage line including

special events;Gold –£250(£10x

25 months), withaplaque next to

your chosen lever,plus twoyears’

unlimited travel excluding special

events; Silver–£125(£5 x25months)

–your dedication of lockingroom

weatherboards (175available), plus

twoyears’unlimited travel; and

Bronze–£75 (£3x25months –

withathirdoff tr avel fortwo years,

the last threeexcluding special

events).Straightdonations arealso

being invited.

➜Sponsorship and donationsforms

areavailable fromwww.nnrailway.

co.uk Reedham JunctionAppeal page,

email: [email protected] or

telephoneSherin ghamstation on

01263 820800.

ReedhamJunction signalboxis settobecomeamajor

attraction ontheNorth NorfolkRailway–but£35,000needs

to beraised.NNR ReedhamJunction inhappier times.NNR

Llangollen bids farewell to popular4MTtank

THE LlangollenRailwaysaidfarewell to

popular BRStandard4MT 2-6-4T No.80072

on Sunday, June 30,when its 10-year boiler

certificate ex pired.

Thefinal dayins ervi ce sawBrighton,

1953-built No.80072 treatedasacelebrityby

the train crew and members of the Llangollen

Standard4Trust (LS4T),aregis teredcharity

which supports the operation of the engine

by the owner,80072Steam Locomotive

Co Ltd.

Aplanned £250,000overhaul will see the

boiler liftedfor inspection andrepair,and

the rest of the locomotive, whichwasbought

fromBarryscrap yard in 1988, dismantledfor

attention to its mechanicalcondition.

Ideallocomotive

LS4T spokesmanGeorge Jones said:“Rescued in

1988, the hulk of the engine cameto Llangollen

in 1995to prog ress thework on whatturned

out as an epicrestor ation project, which saw

manyengineering challengesovercome to

return itto stea m.

“Sincerestorat ion, the engine has been a

frequentperformerat Llangollen and has

made visitsto va rious other heritagerailways,

whereith as pr oved apopularattraction.As

aClass4locomotive, it is an ideal enginefor

operation on lines likethe LlangollenRailway.

“The overhaul of the engine callsforthe

renewaloft he original watertanks andcoal

bunker (total estimate cost £85,000), which

arenow considered timeexpired.”

➜Anyone whowould liketohelp makeanearly

return of No.80072 possible is invitedto make

adonationto the owning groupc/o Llangollen

Station LL20 8SN.

Right: Thetraincrewwith thefinaldeparture

of BRStandard4MT2-6-4TNo. 80072from

Llangollen. Left to rightare Richie Smith,Mike

Williams,GrantLathamandGrahamHoyland.

GEORGEJONES

46 Heritagerailway.co.uk indusonwww.facebook.com/heritagerailway

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