Whitwell & Reepham railway station facts for kids

Whitwell and Reepham
Station on heritage railway
Station platform in October 2020
Location	Reepham, Broadland, Norfolk England
Coordinates	52°45′06″N 1°05′51″E / 52.7517°N 1.0975°E / 52.7517; 1.0975
Owned by	Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Eastern Region of British Railways
Platforms	2
Key dates
1 July 1882	Opened
28 February 1959	Closed to passengers
1 May 1964	Closed to freight
28 February 2009	Site reopened to the public

Whitwell and Reepham railway station, also known as Whitwell station, is a former train station in Norfolk, England. It stopped being used in 1959. Today, it's a cool stop along the Marriott's Way, which is a long walking and cycling path. The station is now being brought back to life as a railway museum, with new train tracks being laid.

A Look Back: Whitwell Station's Story

The station first opened in 1882. It was part of a railway line built by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GN). This line connected Melton Constable to Norwich City. Even though many people used the route, it faced tough competition. The bigger Great Eastern Railway had more direct lines. Just one year before Whitwell opened, the Great Eastern Railway opened its own station in Reepham. That station was much closer to the town it served than Whitwell was.

After the Second World War, the M&GN railway faced problems. More goods started moving by road, and more people owned cars. This meant fewer passengers and less freight for the trains. Because the railway was losing a lot of money, British Rail decided to close most of the line. Whitwell station stayed open for freight trains until 1964.

The train tracks through the station remained until 1985. They were used to move concrete products to the nearby Lenwade railway station. After the station closed, the site was used for different things. It was a place for tree surgery, offices, and even a workshop for coaches and cars. When the tracks were finally removed, the path became part of the Marriott's Way in 1993.

At one point, there was an idea to take the station building apart. The plan was to rebuild it at Holt station on the North Norfolk Railway. But in the end, the M&GN station from Stalham was chosen instead.

Bringing the Station Back to Life

New Owners and Big Plans

After many years of being empty, the station buildings were put up for sale in 2006. Norfolk County Council owned them and asked for £250,000. If it didn't sell, the council thought about using it for a travellers' site. However, a family called the Wyatts bought it. They planned to start an alpaca farm there. They also asked for permission to turn the station into a home. They wanted to use the old goods shed as a workshop. In April 2007, the local council approved their plans.

• 

  The entrance to Whitwell Station before it was restored.
• 

  The middle of the Whitwell Station site. You can see the goods shed in the back and the station building on the right.
• 

  The front platform of Whitwell Station before restoration. It was very overgrown and next to the Marriott's Way path.
• 

  The goods shed at Whitwell Station before it was changed into a place for locomotives.

A New Vision for the Station

The station was put up for sale again in summer 2007. It was priced between £300,000 and £350,000, but no one bought it. Then, in September 2007, a train enthusiast named Mike Urry bought it. He had a big dream: to restore the station and lay new tracks. Mike shared his plans on the project's website. He wanted to create a small museum at the site.

Whitwell & Reepham Railway Preservation Society

Mike Urry started the Whitwell & Reepham Railway Preservation Society Limited. By November 2008, it had 100 members. Mike planned the project in three steps. The first step is to make the station look like it used to. This means laying new tracks and fixing up the station buildings. The second step is to extend the line along Marriott's Way. They want to rebuild the 7 miles (11 km) Themelthorpe curve to Reepham railway station. The third step would be to connect with either the North Norfolk Railway or the Mid Norfolk Railway.

By September 2008, 440 feet (130 m) of track had been laid. These tracks were donated by the Spa Valley Railway. They lead to the old goods shed, which will be used as the engine shed. A Baguley-Drewry diesel shunter, two Mk I coaches, a luggage van, and a four-wheel British Rail van have already arrived. Also, an original M&GN hand crane from Holbeach station has been loaned by the North Norfolk Railway. An Andrew Barclay steam engine arrived on March 23, 2009.

By May 2010, most of the platform next to the station had new surfaces. Fences were also being put up. The goods shed received £70,000 for renovations. It got new doors and windows to become an engine shed. An extra track was finished along the cattle platform. This track is now used to store railway vehicles.

• 

  Train vehicles in the partly relaid yard in October 2008.
• 

  The Andrew Barclay steam engine Annie at Whitwell station in March 2009.
• 

  The station sign on the original platform in 2010.

Public Opening

Even though restoration work was still happening, steam trains returned to the station on February 28, 2009. This date was the 50th anniversary of the M&GN line closing. A Peckett steam engine, No. 2000, visited from Barrow Hill Roundhouse.

The railway also started asking for £20,000 to buy a new steam engine. It's estimated that 6,000 people visited over the two weekends of the opening event. A reunion for people who used the old railway line also took place.

• 

  Whitwell station welcomes its first visitors since closing in 1959.
• 

  Peckett 2000, with the W&RR logo, at the station opening.
• 

  The Peckett steam engine and a passenger coach pass the goods shed during the Whitwell station reopening.
• 

  A passenger train in the cleared goods yard at Whitwell.

Top Field Light Railway

In 2016, a smaller railway was added at the top field campsite. It uses a 7 ¹⁄₄ in (184 mm) gauge track. This railway is operated by two engines named "Tihany" and "Loch Ranoch."

Signal Box

The signal box

The original signal box was south of the station platforms. It was taken down after the line closed to passengers. The new signal box is built in the same spot and looks like the original. The signal box, with its control instruments, was found in a garden in Elmswell, Suffolk. The National Railway Museum in York donated a 21-lever control frame. This frame originally came from the Beccles South Box in Suffolk.

See also

• Bressingham Steam and Gardens
• Bure Valley Railway
• Mid-Norfolk Railway
• North Norfolk Railway
• Wells and Walsingham Light Railway
• Yaxham Light Railway
• Barton House Railway