Bure Valley Railway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bure Valley Railway is a Heritage railway in Norfolk, within The Broads National Park.
The Railway runs from Wroxham to Aylsham (9 miles) and is Norfolk's longest narrow-gauge railway, with both steam and diesel locomotives. There are intermediate halts at Brampton, Buxton Lammas and Coltishall. There are 17 bridges, including a 105 ft-long girder bridge over the River Bure at Buxton Lammas.
The history of this railway starts in 1877 when the East Norfolk Railway opened from Norwich to Cromer, with an extension from Wroxham to Aylsham in 1880. The ENR was taken over by the Great Eastern Railway in 1882, which was amalgamated into the London & North Eastern Railway in 1923. The railway was nationalised in 1948.
In 1952 the passenger service stopped, but the freight service continued. Buxton Lammas closed for goods in 1964, and Aylsham and Coltishall in 1974.
Freight trains continued to run over the line after this for two principal sources of traffic. The line west of Aylsham via Cawston and Reepham originally went further to a junction at County School Station; by this time it instead turned south via a new curve at Themelthorpe to join a fragment of the old Midland and Great Northern system to reach Lenwade and Norwich City station.
Coal traffic continued to be carried from Norwich Thorpe via Aylsham to Norwich City - a fantastic trip around Norfolk just to cross Norwich! There was also regular traffic from Lenwade in the form of concrete building components.
This traffic ended in 1981 and the line through Aylsham formally closed on 6 January 1982. A weed killing train ran in 1983 and track-lifting trains ran the following year.
The Bure Valley Railway opened in 1990, and a long distance footpath (rail trail) opened alongside it in 1991. It is currently home to Norfolk's only operational railway tunnel, which carries the railway under the Aylsham Bypass. The only other tunnel, in Cromer, is disused.
The track is laid to a gauge of 15 in (381 mm) . The railway is operated by a fleet of five steam and three diesel locomotives. Passenger rolling stock consists of 26 fully-enclosed bogie carriages and two four-wheel brake vans. Trains almost always include carriages capable of accommodating wheelchairs. Approximately half the carriages are equipped with electric heating, for winter services.
