The light railway was owned initially by the wissington estate, it was leased to british sugar and subsequently bought by them. In the early days the booking office for train tickets was in the swan inn in the. Wissington sugar beet factorysouthery and feltwell fens, norfolk. Back in the early 90s i drove up into the wilds of the fens and found a few remnants of the wissington railway. The locomotive was used to carry freight from the farms and factories to the mainline sidings. Buy the downham and stoke ferry railway and the wissington light railway by cyril marsters, pamela bullas from waterstones today. Our guest steam loco wissington arrived at ludborough station on tuesday morning on a special low loader lorry.
Wissington mid suffolk light railway 27th july 2014 youtube. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. The downham and stoke ferry railway and the wissington light. Barclay, hudswell clarke, manning wardle 060sts, hudswell clarke 040st, 4wheel diesel hydraulics. A trainset on a trailer, available for events, fetes, festivals and the like. According to the book, 1972 was the final sugar beet season for the line as british sugar corporations york refinery stopped receiving it by rail after that. Wissington sugarbeet factory was opened in 1925, and until 1941 could only be reached by river or by the wissington light railway, 26 which crossed the river at the western edge of the factory. The downham and stoke ferry railway and the wissington. Wissington sugarbeet factory was opened in 1925, and until 1941 could only be reached by river or by the wissington light railway, which crossed the river at the western edge of the factory. It closed in 1917 after flooding, but was reopened in 1924. Taking the docklands light railway through a panorama of familiar names like custom house and gallions reach it was hard to recognize remnants of the past.
The company was grouped into the london and north eastern railway in 1923 formed in 1862 after the amalgamation of the eastern counties railway and several other smaller railway companies the ger served cambridge. Wissington light railway hansard, 25 june 1956 search help. Wissington railway was opened in 1905 and at first was a horsedrawn line to an ammonia factory on the site of a sugar beet factory. The railway continued in this role until the ammunition depot closed, the railway effectively closing with the depot. The campbeltown machrihanish light railway abebooks. Wissington heads for the lincolnshire wolds heritage railway. It was delivered to bscs wissington plant in norfolk which had a sprawling light railway used to connect farms in a remote area of the norfolk. Wild swan publications, 1979 transportation 90 pages. The railway, opened in 1906, was built as a light railway but without either an act of parliament nor a light. An evocative book, examining narrow gauge lines visited by the author in the 1920s, with chapters on the festiniog, the talyllyn, the corris, the glynn valley and the ashover light plus a chapter on the extensive narrow gauge lines built to support the western front in wwi. Apr 25, 2017 our guest steam loco wissington arrived at ludborough station on tuesday morning on a special low loader lorry.
Former british sugar corporation locomotive wissington in action. Something completely different, a day with the lovely 1938 hudswell clarke wissington recreating the atmosphere of a light railway, loosely on the nidd valley line the branch to pateley bridge in the 190731 period. On a different but related note is this quote from the wissington railway, a fenland enterprise by roger darsley, published by the industrial railway society in 1984. Throughout its life various branches were opened and closed, including shrub hill, which had a junction to the site. The locomotive worked on small branch lines in the fens collectively known as the wissington light railway which linked a. A selection of pictures from saturday 14th can be viewed by clicking the thumbnail, left. The site was then requisitioned by the ministry of agriculture who used italian prisoners of war to refurbish the railway and construct roads to the.
Buy the light railways of britain and ireland by anthony burton, john scott morgan isbn. The wissington light railway started its life just after the turn of the century as a sort of cross between an oversize private siding and a farm railway. The downham and stoke ferry railway and the wissington light railway. The photos came to light again as i was sorting out my drawers so i thought id share them. The culm valley light railway was a standard gauge branch railway that operated in the english county of devon. Hansard 18032005 1950s 1956 june 1956 25 june 1956 commons sitting agriculture, fisheries and food. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. It was severely damaged by floods when the little ouse broke its banks in 1915 but when the sugar beet factory was opened in 1925 the railway was acquired under a long lease and was nearly.
Former british sugar corporation 060st wissington was officially launched back into traffic on the midsuffolk light railway on sunday 15th september after returning to. The great eastern railway ger was a pregrouping british railway company, whose main line linked london liverpool street to norwich and which had other lines through east anglia. Details can be found on our facebook page, as follows, and with a website in due course. Wissington will return to the midsuffolk light railway shortly. There are special features on the kings lynn harbour branch and the wissington light railway. Once part of the great eastern railway, this important line has been the subject of many changes of rolling stock. At abbey and west dereham, a privately owned line, the wissington light railway, branched off. The history of the wissington light railway was dominated by the sugar factory.
It seems the loco was then sold to the british sugar corporation, who then used the locomotive on the wissington light railway between the factory and the lner branch line. It was located on the south bank of the river wissey, and was also served by the wissington light railway. These are illustrated herein, along with the diverse types of traffic. It left the denver on the great eastern main line, the fen line to stoke ferry railway at abbey junction, which was located near station farm. Countess of warwick class 060st wissington on a mixed vintage train at the north norfolk railway, 4th march 2015. Wissington in norfolk is the site of british sugars largest refinery in the uk, it is also the largest. Countess of warwick class 060st wissington on a mixed.
Dec 05, 20 former british sugar corporation 060st wissington was officially launched back into traffic on the midsuffolk light railway on sunday 15th september after returning to steam thanks to many. Hansard 18032005 1950s 1956 july 1956 2 july 1956 commons sitting agriculture, fisheries and food. Bill hudson transport books narrow guage, industrial and light railway books. It is regarded as a member of the countess of warwick class 060st of which several were purchased by bsc. Hudswell clarke works no 1700 wissington 060st preserved. Wissington has been based on the midsuffolk light railway since completion of her overhaul and has accrued many miles of running during her visit there. In 1964 the crop was so great that 2 additional 500 ton trains a week were run to the bsc nottingham refinery, along with bumper potato crops which needed transporting to goole docks. To book, please telephone the north norfolk railway general office on 01263 820800. The special guest locomotive at the lincolnshire wolds railway in the spring will be hudswell clarke 060st wissington. Each year approximately 300,000 tonnes of liming material is produced by british sugars factories, as a coproduct of the sugar manufacturing process.
Thus, after a full life, the light railway was replaced by road transport leaving the stoke ferry branch to go on dealing with its freight trains in the area of the wissey. Aug 22, 2015 once part of the great eastern railway, this important line has been the subject of many changes of rolling stock. Remains of the wissington railway more old photos i found. Filmed in june 1965 is the british sugar corporations wissington light railway, by this time worked by diesel shunters, one of which is seen passing over the river wissey with a train of wagons. Industrial railway society, 1984 railroads 2 pages. Eastern main lines ely to kings lynn including the stoke ferry branch once part of the great eastern railway, this important line has been the subject of many changes of rolling stock. Whitfield light railway britains great little railways. Six volumes octavo, about pages per volume except the final volume which is 77 pages, numerous photo plates, all with dust wrappers, some wear and occasional spotting to the latter, and spotting to the edges of volume 2, but a good, presentable set of this famous work. For a while it was used as a works shunter with wissington loco on the side probably to remind them it had to be returned. The two lines never overlapped since the latter, opened by 1867, was closed in the 1880s due to the agricultural depression. The downham and stoke ferry railway was a branch line in western norfolk, england.
Filmed in june 1965 is the british sugar corporations wissington light railway, by this time worked by diesel shunters, one of which is seen passing over the river wissey with a train of wagons to the exchange sidings at station farm near abbey junction on the great eastern main line. Easingwold railway pattern six wheeled carriages, more modern m class manning wardle 060st 2015 of 1921 and wissingtons slightly older sister julia. A brief history with particular reference to abbey station by cyril marsters and pamela bullas 30 dec 2009 paperback. Jul 29, 2014 an out and back trip behind wissington on the mid suffolk light railway near wetheringsett, about 8 miles northeast of stowmarket off the a140 ipswich to norwich road. Wissington is a countess of warwick class 060st built in 1938 by hudswell clarke of leeds, one of several purchased by the british sugar corporation. Catalogue of british industrial locomotive and railway photographs. In 1931 lner obtained permission to reclassify the entire branch line as a light railway. The midsuffolk light railway, affectionately known as the middy, was a classic case of a railway built too late for the great railway age.
Midsuffolk light railway suffolks only standard gauge heritage. Wissington sugarbeet factory was opened in 1925, and until 1941 could only be reached by river or by the wissington light railway, 7 which crossed the river at the western edge of the factory. Emerging in unlined black with both hayle and wissington loco painted on the tank sides. Official launch of wissington at the midsuffolk light railway. Throughout its life various branches were opened and closed, including shrub hill, which had a junction to the site of shrubhill tramway, nher 18827. An out and back trip behind wissington on the mid suffolk light railway near wetheringsett, about 8 miles northeast of stowmarket off the a140 ipswich to norwich road. This railway had been built in 1905, and opened in 1906, for the benefit of local farms.
The locomotive worked at the same location for virtually all of its working life, apart from a brief spell in spalding, lincolnshire and by the 1970s was the last. What follows is a series of extracts outlining the story of the construction and life of the kings lynn to ely railway and the wissington light railway. This work has been excellent for the locomotive as. British industrial locomotives transportsofdelight. Remains of the wissington railway more old photos i. The locomotive worked on small branch lines in the fens collectively known as the wissington light railway which linked a number of local farms with the wissington sugar factory. Wissington light railway hansard, 2 july 1956 search help. Wissington will be spending a monthlong stay at the lincolnshire wolds railway and visitors will be able to see the bright green 060 tank engine pulling the passenger trains at ludborough on five running days this spring. The dismal marshes at beckton were a reminder that this terrain was originally purchased for the sprawl of beckton gas works. It is marketed throughout the country under the limex brand, and sold primarily to agriculture for soil ph management.
1160 852 1476 285 18 830 634 1383 258 1534 674 1168 200 81 435 563 843 1461 97 878 811 980 703 1625 684 1227 1040 1409 778 1278 1176 852 487 498 630 814