‘Scene’ at Norwich

Earlier this year, I had a day out on the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) which runs from Sheringham via Weybourne to Holt. The day was a father’s day outing paid for by my son Andrew and his wife Joy.

 

We got there by way of ‘East Midland Trains’ from Nottingham to Norwich and then by ‘abellio-greateranglia’ to Sheringham.

 

158812

This unit carried us to Norwich. The journey was painfully slow, arriving something in the region of 50 minutes late.

 

The Class 158 is a product of Derby works being built between 1989 and 1992.Totaling 182 units built, they are my favourites amongst the various modern diesel units being fast (normally), warm and comfortable.

 

Norwich is at the end of a fast connection into London terminating at Liverpool Street.

 

The services are run with class 90 electric loco’s and Mark 3 coaches in push-pull mode with the loco at the London end.

 

The Class 90’s were built at Crewe between 1987 and 1990. there were 50 of this Bo-Bo design built to replace many of the earlier electric loco classes such as the 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85‘s which dated back to the 1960’s.

 

90013

 

Although not currently named, it has in the past carried ‘ The Law Society’ and ‘The Evening Star: Pride of Ipswich 1885 to 2010-125 years of serving Suffolk’.

 

 

90008 'The East Anglian'.

 

90012 'Royal Anglian Regiment'.

The coaches used are standard Mark 3’s which are a comfortable ride.

 

The ‘country end’ of these trains is provided with a Driving Van Trailer (DVT). The batch of which 82152 is a member of were built by Derby works in 1988. Used initially by  ‘Virgin Rail’ on the West Coast Main Line before being cascaded East with the introduction of the Pendolino fleet on that route.

170 273

 

Seen on the buffer stops at Norwich. Another Derby product. One of a batch of 4 sets (170 270 to 273) built by Bombardier in 2002 specifically for the then ‘Anglia Railways’ Norwich -Peterborough services.

 

 

156 416

 

Seen at Sheringham after carrying us there from Norwich. Another product of the late 1980’s this time built by Metro Cammell and designated as a ‘Super Sprinter’. One of 114 two car sets produced.

 

Operating Norwich-Great Yarmouth shuttles due to a lack of suitable DMU’s were a pair of  ‘Direct Rail Services’ (DRS) Class 47 loco’s operating in top and tail mode with a couple of ‘DRS’ liveried coaches. These were the first ‘DRS’ livered coaches I had seen.

 

The history of the Class 47’s is to long to recount in any detail here. Suffice to say, they were a product of the 1950/60’s and became one of the most successful of the U.K. diesel classes produced.

 

Produced by Brush and powered by engines that were built by Sulzer of Swiss origin.

 

47 501 ‘Craftsman’

 

 

47 805 ‘John Scott 12.5.45-22.5.12’

 

A 2 car unit was made up by coupling two Class 153’s together. In this case 153335 (named Michael Palin) and 153314.

 

Andrew spotted this. Norwich possesses neither subway or footbridge access......!