IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
DEREHAM, NR19 2UU

This is a huge double row of old maltings buildings. It has recently been converted into apartments, called The Maltings, with the basement becoming a car parking area.

Several wagons, used by the permanent way team stand north of Dereham.

The Crossing house, in MNR ownership. It was restored with European funding several years ago. The trackbed here is private, I was on a supervised walking event.

This is on Neatherd Road. The very crossing over the heritage Mid Norfolk Railway is only in occasional use at present. Originally many level crossings were operated by a gate keeper who was provided with a home next to the crossing.

The maltings here have been nicely converted to living accommodation.

One of the only crossings on the line with original BR gates, however these need replacing. The old crossing house is still extant here, the maltings (now flats) can be seen in the distance. The trackbed here is private, I was on a supervised walking event.

The Lynn & Dereham Railway and the Norfolk Railway both obtained Parliament’s permission to build lines to Dereham in 1845. The Norfolk Railway, building its line from Wymondham, reached Dereham first, and opened its railway to passengers on the 15th February 1847. As a result of modernisation, the line witnessed its last scheduled steam-hauled passenger train on the 17th September 1955. Diesel units took over the next day, But steam-hauled freight continued into the early 1960s. By 1960 there was an hourly passenger service to Norwich. The increased use of road transport, led to a decline in passenger numbers, and it became one of the many railways to be threatened by the “Beeching Report” in 1963. In June 1965, the Wymondham to Dereham section was reduced to single track with a passing loop at Hardingham, and the service between Wymondham and Dereham ceased in October 1969. Dereham station opened with the line on 15th February 1847. It was re-opened to passengers on Saturday 26th July 1997. Although the Mid Norfolk Railway is physically connected to the Norwich to Cambridge line at Wymondham, it actually starts from Wymondham Abbey station for its 11+ mile run to Dereham. It is hoped to extend the line beyond here to North Elmham and eventually to Fakenham. See http://www.mnr.org.uk/history-of-the-line/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Norfolk_Railway for much fuller histories. At the north end of the platform seen here the engine has to go over the level crossing across Norwich Road beyond the engine before returning on the passing loop to reach the front of the train. See also http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4624028 Steam engine Cumbria was visiting from north-west England - see http://www.furnessrailwaytrust.org.uk/othercumbria.htm

The Mid-Norfolk line north of Dereham is under restoration. The elegant footbridge that used to stand here has now gone. http://www.commanet.org/reflect.aspx?action=navigate&rec=5009999900243758&dir=N&arcid=5029999900000064&view=large