Whitwell and Reepham railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Whitwell and Reepham
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| Station on heritage railway | |
Station platform in October 2020
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| Location | Reepham, Broadland, Norfolk England |
| Coordinates | 52°45′06″N 1°05′51″E / 52.7517°N 1.0975°E |
| 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 located in Norfolk, England. It closed in 1959 but is now being brought back to life. Today, it is a railway museum where old tracks are being relaid. It is also a popular stop on the Marriott's Way, a long walking and cycling path.
Contents
History of Whitwell Station
How the Station Started
Whitwell station first opened in 1882. It was part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GN). This railway line connected Melton Constable to Norwich City. The line was used quite a bit, but it faced tough competition. The larger Great Eastern Railway had more direct lines. In fact, the Great Eastern had opened its own station in Reepham just one year before Whitwell. Their station was much closer to the town.
Why the Station Closed
After the Second World War, fewer people used trains for freight. More goods started moving by road. Also, more people owned cars. This meant fewer passengers for the M&GN line. The railway started losing a lot of money. So, British Rail decided to close most of the line. Whitwell station stayed open for freight trains until 1964.
Even after closing, the tracks through the station remained until 1985. They were used to move concrete products to the nearby Lenwade railway station. After the tracks were removed, the land became part of the Marriott's Way in 1993. Over the years, the station site was used for different things. These included a tree surgery, offices, and a workshop.
At one point, there was a plan to move the station building. The idea was to take it apart and rebuild it at Holt station. However, another M&GN station from Stalham was chosen instead.
Bringing the Station Back to Life
Saving the Station Site
For many years, the station buildings were empty and unused. In 2006, Norfolk County Council, who owned the site, put it up for sale. They asked for £250,000. If it didn't sell, they thought about using it as a site for travellers.
However, a family called the Wyatts bought it. They planned to have an alpaca farm there. They also wanted to turn the station into a home. The old goods shed would become a workshop. Local councillors approved their plans in April 2007.
New Owner, New Plans
The station was put up for sale again in the summer of 2007. This time, the price was between £300,000 and £350,000. It didn't sell right away. In September 2007, a railway fan named Mike Urry bought it. He had a big dream: to restore the station and lay new tracks. Mike announced his plans on a website. He wanted to create a small railway 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. They planned the project in three steps.
Phase One: Restoring the Station
The first step was to bring the station back to its original look. This involved laying new tracks and fixing up the station buildings. By September 2008, about 440 feet (134 meters) of track had been laid. These tracks were donated by the Spa Valley Railway. They were placed in the yard and led to the old goods shed. This shed would become the engine shed.
Several old railway vehicles were brought to the site. These included a Baguley-Drewry diesel shunter, two Mk I coaches, a luggage van, and a four-wheel van. An original M&GN hand crane from Holbeach station was also loaned to the project. In March 2009, an Andrew Barclay steam engine arrived.
By May 2010, most of the station platform had new surfaces. Fences were also put up. The goods shed received £70,000 for renovations. It got new doors and windows to become a proper engine shed. An extra track was also completed along the cattle platform. This track is now used to store railway stock.
Future Plans for the Railway
Phase two of the project is to extend the line. The goal is to rebuild the 7-mile (11 km) Themelthorpe curve along Marriott's Way to Reepham railway station. Phase three would connect the line to either the North Norfolk Railway or the Mid Norfolk Railway.
Public Opening of the Station
Even though restoration was still happening, steam trains returned to the station on February 28, 2009. This date was special because it was 50 years since the M&GN line closed. A steam engine called Peckett No. 2000 visited from Barrow Hill Roundhouse.
The railway also started an appeal to raise £20,000. This money would help buy a new steam engine for the line. It is estimated that 6,000 people visited over the two weekends of the opening event. A reunion for people who used to work on or use the line also took place.
Top Field Light Railway
In 2016, a smaller railway was added at the top field camp site. This is a 7.25-inch (184 mm) gauge railway. It is operated by miniature steam engines named Stafford class “Tihany” and LNER K2 Loch Ranoch.
Signal Box
The original signal box at Whitwell was located south of the station platforms. It was taken down after the line closed to passengers. The new signal box has been rebuilt on the same spot. It looks just like the original one.
The signal box itself, along with its instruments, was found in a garden in Elmswell, Suffolk. The National Railway Museum in York also donated a special 21-lever 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
Images for kids
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Entrance to Whitwell Station before restoration.
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The centre of the Whitwell Station Site; with the goods shed in the centre background, and the rear of the station, front right.
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The front platform of Whitwell Station before restoration. Vastly overgrown, and adjacent to the Marriott's Way cycle path.
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The goods shed of the Whitwell Station site before conversion as a locomotive shed.
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Railway vehicles in the partially relaid yard, October 2008
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Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Annie at Whitwell station, March 2009
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Station running in board on the original platform, 2010
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Whitwell station sees its first customers since closure in 1959
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Peckett 2000, branded for the W&RR
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The Peckett and passenger coach passes the goods shed during the Whitwell station reopening
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A passenger train in the cleared goods yard at Whitwell
