On Saturday 21st Hastings Diesels tours arranged a tour from Hastings, via London and Cambridge to Ely and King's Lynn. Billed as 'The West Norfolk Wanderer' it was intended that folk would travel to Ely and King's Lynn for a fine day out and included a quick run out and back on the Middleton Towers freight line. My enterprising brother (he has his uses and a blog http://www.northernvicar.co.uk/) spotted this via the Cambridge university railway club's news and contacted the organizers regarding the possibility of just doing Ely and Lynn and the Middleton Towers branch. Arrangements were made and at 11:30 platform 1 at Ely was filled with 6 car Hastings unit in all its Thumping glory.

Arrival at Lynn at 12:10 gave us just under three and half hours to 'see the sights'. We got to walk to the quay-side and realise just how little is left of the original industrial past. The old Customs House is very attractive and there are a couple of 'trendy bars' but not a lot else left.

King's Lynn station still has quite a few of these.

At 15:30 we left King's Lynn and headed out over the crossing on the main-line. There were lots of happy smiling King's Lynn residents waving at this strange old DEMU as it went past. They were less happy and smiling when the gates stayed down and we reversed back into the sidings and then again to gain access the the branch. The line is still protected by a 'proper' upper quadrant signal too! We only got as far the the level crossing just before the loading area. I don't think they wanted their nice clean unit covered in sand and, from memory, the old station is home to some very large and aggressive dogs!

The trip home to Ely was quite exhilarating with some 'lively performance' (i.e. classic Thumping') from the unit. We got back to Ely North Junction very swiftly and then were held while three or different services passed over the stupid single lead junction. Still we were back at Ely pretty much on time.

Many thanks to Hastings Diesel Tours for accommodating us on the final leg of the tour.

David