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. This railway had been built in 1905, and opened in 1906, for the benefit of local farms.
In the early days the booking office for train tickets was in the swan inn in the. It is marketed throughout the country under the limex brand, and sold primarily to agriculture for soil ph management. Midsuffolk light railway suffolks only standard gauge heritage. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. The history of the wissington light railway was dominated by the sugar factory. The culm valley light railway was a standard gauge branch railway that operated in the english county of devon. A brief history with particular reference to abbey station by cyril marsters. Wissington in norfolk is the site of british sugars largest refinery in the uk, it is also the largest.
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. Wissington light railway c1940 middleton press the private extension at shrubhill is of interest since there was an early horsedrawn tramway that ran from shrubhill brickworks to the main line from ely to norwich. Official launch of wissington at the midsuffolk light railway. Wissington light railway hansard, 25 june 1956 search help. It is regarded as a member of the countess of warwick class 060st of which several were purchased by bsc. The light railway was owned initially by the wissington estate, it was leased to british sugar and subsequently bought by them. The section between abbey and stoke ferry was abandoned in 1965 but traffic continued to the wissington railway until 1982 wissington light railway. 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. 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. 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.
Buy the downham and stoke ferry railway and the wissington light railway by cyril marsters, pamela bullas from waterstones today. 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. The midsuffolk light railway, affectionately known as the middy, was a classic case of a railway built too late for the great railway age. 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. 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.
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. Each year approximately 300,000 tonnes of liming material is produced by british sugars factories, as a coproduct of the sugar manufacturing process. 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. 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. The downham and stoke ferry railway and the wissington light railway. 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. This locomotive was built by hudswell clarke in 1938 for the british sugar corporation bsc. 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.
The railway, opened in 1906, was built as a light railway but without either an act of parliament nor a light. The two lines never overlapped since the latter, opened by 1867, was closed in the 1880s due to the agricultural depression. A brief history with particular reference to abbey station by cyril marsters and pamela bullas 30 dec 2009 paperback. A selection of pictures from saturday 14th can be viewed by clicking the thumbnail, left. Remains of the wissington railway more old photos i. 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 wissington light railway was a network of lines which connected the bsc factory at downham market with the lner stoke ferry branch line, and many of the farms across the neighbouring fens.
Once part of the great eastern railway, this important line has been the subject of many changes of rolling stock. Easingwold railway pattern six wheeled carriages, more modern m class manning wardle 060st 2015 of 1921 and wissingtons slightly older sister julia. British industrial locomotives transportsofdelight. The special guest locomotive at the lincolnshire wolds railway in the spring will be hudswell clarke 060st wissington. 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. The railway continued in this role until the ammunition depot closed, the railway effectively closing with the depot. Wissington light railway hansard, 2 july 1956 search help. The dismal marshes at beckton were a reminder that this terrain was originally purchased for the sprawl of beckton gas works.
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. Hansard 18032005 1950s 1956 july 1956 2 july 1956 commons sitting agriculture, fisheries and food. Emerging in unlined black with both hayle and wissington loco painted on the tank sides. 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. Details can be found on our facebook page, as follows, and with a website in due course.
Countess of warwick class 060st wissington on a mixed vintage train at the north norfolk railway, 4th march 2015. 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. With the expiry of the lease on 30th june 1957 the british sugar corporation subsequently closed the wissington light railway. Routeofwissingtonrailway norfolk heritage explorer. 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. Apr 25, 2017 our guest steam loco wissington arrived at ludborough station on tuesday morning on a special low loader lorry. Whitfield light railway britains great little railways. A trainset on a trailer, available for events, fetes, festivals and the like. Our guest steam loco wissington arrived at ludborough station on tuesday morning on a special low loader lorry. Hansard 18032005 1950s 1956 june 1956 25 june 1956 commons sitting agriculture, fisheries and food. 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. It closed in 1917 after flooding, but was reopened in 1924. Remains of the wissington railway more old photos i found. The campbeltown machrihanish light railway abebooks. These are illustrated herein, along with the diverse types of traffic. Wild swan publications, 1979 transportation 90 pages. In 1931 lner obtained permission to reclassify the entire branch line as a 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. 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. There are special features on the kings lynn harbour branch and the wissington light railway. Former british sugar corporation locomotive wissington in action. The photos came to light again as i was sorting out my drawers so i thought id share them. The downham and stoke ferry railway and the wissington.
Hudswell clarke works no 1700 wissington 060st preserved. It was located on the south bank of the river wissey, and was also served by the wissington light railway. This work has been excellent for the locomotive as. Wissington mid suffolk light railway 27th july 2014 youtube. 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.
Barclay, hudswell clarke, manning wardle 060sts, hudswell clarke 040st, 4wheel diesel hydraulics. 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. All proceeds from ticket sales will support the railway and the society. Industrial railway society, 1984 railroads 2 pages. Bill hudson transport books narrow guage, industrial and light railway books. Wissington will return to the midsuffolk light railway shortly. Countess of warwick class 060st wissington on a mixed. Throughout its life various branches were opened and closed, including shrub hill, which had a junction to the site. 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. Aug 22, 2015 once part of the great eastern railway, this important line has been the subject of many changes of rolling stock. 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. 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 downham and stoke ferry railway was a branch line in western norfolk, england.
Wissington sugar beet factorysouthery and feltwell fens, norfolk. The locomotive worked on small branch lines in the fens collectively known as the wissington light railway which linked a. Turning off the a10 north of southery and you could still find the remains of rails in some of. The downham and stoke ferry railway and the wissington light. 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. 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.
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. 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. At abbey and west dereham, a privately owned line, the wissington light railway, branched off. 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. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 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.
1030 1581 377 848 986 1518 358 433 533 1001 826 199 64 697 1184 1433 704 1051 345 1388 1039 131 1148 128 771 704 118 1053 746 255 280 153 883 1412 1059 706 1456 1446 754 1016