When were class 08s first allocated to Norwich?

[Rail-Online]

Hi,

 

Can someone help me with info on when were class 08s first allocated to Norwich? I remember that it was all 03s to well into the 1970s and I found a 'shed by shed' allocation book for July 1975 which confirms this. Question is when did the first ones appear? I recall visiting and, I think 2, were there but the staff still preferred their 204Hp locos and they were then not in use.

 

Don't suppose there are any shunters at Norwich now..............

 

Cheers Tony

[cary hill]

This link http://www.brdatabase.info/ seems to suggest that three arrived on 23/5/76 - 08124, 08138, and 08250. This seems to fit quite well with information and recollections you already have.

 

 

David

[Rail-Online]

Thanks David,

 

That is a new site to me and very interesting, it shows more detail than the Harris books (exact dates not just months).

Interesting that class 20 D8044 was allocated to norwich for just 4 days before going t Devons Road - I bet it was a paper exercise!

 

There are some strange ones though, 45002 allocated there in 1973 must be an error.

 

Thanks for your help

Cheers Tony

[Rivercider]

I have a copy of 'Shunter Duties' produced by the Inter City Railway Society, so not an offiicial publication.

The booklet appears to have been produced by enthusiasts, with some 'inside' information.

 

 

It is dated August 1979 and has details of pilot duties for NR.

 

There are 6 duties listed for class 03:-

Yarmouth Station pilot AB

Lowestoft Goods Yard

Norwich Station and Carriage Sdgs AB

Crown Point Yard

Back Yard CCE sdgs

Thorpe NCL depot.

 

Also 2 Local Trip Pilots based on Crown Point Yd tripping as reqd to

Trowse, Victoria CCD, and the engineers sdgs.

No loco class is shown against these duties, is that what the 08s were employed on?

 

cheers

[Classsix T]

Don't suppose there are any shunters at Norwich now..............

 

Cheers Tony

On the contrary. NXEA always have a hired in Gronk at Clown Point. Mostly for use as depot pilot but it occasionally collects stock off specials and the like and drags it off to NCP.

It'll usually be on the back of the depot, briefly visible from trains crossing the river.

 

C6T.

[Classsix T]

 

There are some strange ones though, 45002 allocated there in 1973 must be an error.

Not so. Before Cl.47 became the motive power of choice for GE expresses, Cl.45 were trialled. Some pics exist in one of Dr. Ian Allan's GE pictorial books.

C6T.

[Rail-Online]

Thanks Guys,

 

Yes the way the Inter City shunter duties were organised, if no other class indicated it meant it would normally be an 08 duty.

 

So there's still one shunter at Norwich and a peak was trialled - The Peak does not show up in Harris' book though as it was off TO and HO in 1973, as the BR database used scanned data and an interpretation package I think it is a mis-read. The trial one must have been on loan

 

Cheers Tony

[south_tyne]

6 hours ago, 27016 said:

 

On the subject of Norwich pilot duties, there was also a turn for a vacuum braked 03 at Wymondham until about 1976.

 

Was that a Norwich to Wymondham trip working? If so, can you recall what the make-up of the working was likely to be? Apologies if those are silly questions. 

 

David

[DY444]

On 26/07/2011 at 17:28, Classsix T said:

Not so. Before Cl.47 became the motive power of choice for GE expresses, Cl.45 were trialled. Some pics exist in one of Dr. Ian Allan's GE pictorial books.

C6T.

 

Class 47s had been the motive power of choice for Norwich trains for a number of years before the idea to use Class 45s came up in 1974.  Copy of the RCTS report from the time is here:

 

http://www.45133.co.uk/uploads/2/2/3/1/22313750/class_45-0s_for_liverpool_st_-_norwich_.pdf

[18B]

A word of caution over the BR Database site, it is a VERY VERY VERY useful tool, HOWEVER! it does have some gaping holes which if not interpreted right could lead to a misunderstanding of its data. for example may loco's allocations aren't complete and thus give the impression that they remained at the depot last quoted through to their scrapping, when in many instances that wasn't the case.  other Classes 56 such as the 56s are missing much of their relevant info.  

[south_tyne]

10 hours ago, 27016 said:

IIRC the 03 turn outbased at Wymondham was for shunting traffic in the Ketton Cement yard plus any other traffic detached at Wymondham for the branch to Dereham and Fakenham. The loco being swapped over as and when refuelling and maintenance/exam was due.

 

So far as trip working from Norwich was concerned, Wymondham was served by 8N01 05.45 Norwich Thorpe Goods to Fakenham and 8N12 13.00 Fakenham to Norwich Thorpe Goods, nearly always worked by a March allocated class 31.

Although 8N12 was booked to arrive back in Norwich at 18.34, I remember viewing the return working arriving back into Norwich about 16.45 hrs most days. A healthy consist of about thirty to forty wagons being normal. 

 

8N01 and 8N12 normally conveyed a mixture of vacuum braked BR 12T Vent Vans, 16T Mineral Wagons with coal for Fakenham and plenty of 21T Grain Wagons from North Elmham and Great Ryburgh and not forgetting Cement traffic to/from Wymondham. Once a week this service also conveyed UKF Shellstar Fertiliser PWA Wagons to/from the UKF depot at Dereham, formed up in the un-fitted rear portion of the train due to being air braked only - Tuesdays rings a bell. Needless to say a BR 20T Brake Van was always found on the rear.

 

As you can probably imagine, with this and other trip workings in the Norwich area feeding into freights to/from March Whitemoor, both Norwich Thorpe Goods and Wensum Yard were busy places back in the 1970's.

 

A very good DVD well worth watching is 'Pick Up Freight' by Transport Video Publishing and featuring the daily freight between Dereham and Fakenham. Although filmed in 1968, not much had changed through the 1970's.

 

Hope the above is useful.

 

Mark 

 

Hi Mark,

 

It is most useful indeed, fascinating in fact. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond and share you extensive knowledge, it's greatly appreciated. There was clearly a wide variety of traffic handled and locations served well into the post-steam period. 

 

Apologies for asking another question, but just to tap into your clear local expertise, do you know roughly when the BSC plant at Cantley ceased to be served by rail? I hope you don't mind me asking!

 

Thank again,

David 

[south_tyne]

3 hours ago, 27016 said:

Hi David,

 

No problem and only to pleased to help where I can.

 

We moved away from Norwich in 1979, so I don't know when rail traffic ceased at Cantley.

 

Kind regards

 

Mark

 

Thanks Mark and no problem at all! Much of my family live in the Lingwood and Acle area so I have always been interested in that part of the world. 

 

Thanks again for sharing your information and taking the time to reply.

 

Cheers,

David 

 

[Rivercider]

With reference the supplementary question about Cantley BSC, I can't answer when it closed, but for interest I have a supplement to the WR WTT section PH for the West of England from 1976, which lists additional trains run in connection with the 1976/77 sugar beet season. As well as other additional trains from Ely, Kings Lynn and Sproughton the following trains were booked  to run additionally from Cantley from w/c 2/10/76 until the last week of February 1977:-

6V49 04.25 WO Cantley to Exeter Riverside

6V49 04.25 TO Cantey to St Blazey

6V41 04.25 SO Cantley to Taunton

 

cheers