|
Latest
News-2010.
Updated 6th August 2010
Click here for 2009 News Archive
Click here for 2008 News Archive
Click here for 2007 News Archive
06/08/10
North Norfolk Railway Financial
Results Press Release
Colin Borg writes: At
July’s annual general meeting of North Norfolk Railway plc a
net pre-tax profit of £187,310 was reported, marking a
significant turnaround in the financial position of the
company. Previous years had seen paper losses, especially as
depreciation of the growing asset base runs at some
£100,000.
Managing director Hugh Harkett commented: “This is an
impressive financial result, thanks to tremendous efforts by
our volunteers and staff. The railway has been able to repay
all its private loans, and is now in a much improved cash
position.”
The AGM also saw former chairman David Morgan introducing
his successor, Steven Ashling.
Steven is a long-standing NNR volunteer signalman and a
professional railwayman: his day job is with Network Rail as
an operations manager. Steven was instrumental in bringing
about the reinstatement of the level crossing at Sheringham,
opened in March this year.
David Morgan has accepted the Board’s invitation to become
the company’s first president, so his long association with
the railway will be maintained.
Hugh Harkett said that the current season was going very
well. “In expectation of a continuing positive trend in our
finances, we’ll be increasing infrastructure upgrades and
planning for exciting new services on the line.”
06/06/10
Wissington Boiler test
Ian Lake writes: I am
pleased to inform you that Wissington's boiler has passed
its hydraulic examination yesterday around 12 noon. Boiler
inspector Les Rhodes witnessed the boiler hold successfully
hold a pressure of 240 psi for a period of 30 minutes,
conducted an examination of the boiler and then went home.
Society representative John Howard was in attendance and
whilst a few minor weeps were noted, these were not deemed
to be of any concern by those present.
In the next few weeks preparation will continue ready for a
steam test out of the frames. This will once again probably
be synchronised with the Y7's test to save journeys by the
insurance inspector.
Mixed traffic gala
The LEV (Leyland Experimental
Vehicle) was out and about along with the Class 101 now in
its "speed whisker" livery. And of course the visiting
(and unique) Black 5 "George Stephenson", with its outside
Stephenson link motion.
 (photo
by Ann Alldred).
01/06/10
Conflat B502824
arrives
 (photo by Nigel Scarlett).
Built by Pressed Steel in 1958 this wagon has arrived from Quainton road with two bogie bolster bogies which have been acquired as spares. This wagon has been obtained primarily to be restored as a runner for the 03 diesels as they were used in Norwich as station pilots.
12/05/10
BTK 295 receives
attention at Holt
Coaches from the early 20th century are rarer in preservation than later grouping era coaches, many of which passed into departmental use, to be snapped up by preservationists in the late 1960's and 70's. In economically deprived rural East Anglia many 19th century coaches survived as grounded bodies, and are now being mounted on steel underframes with our own No. 3 and 129 as good examples of this. The restoration of this rare vehicle is now coming to the front of the queue and all donations will be most welcome
Click here
for the restoration fund details.
Click here
for a gift aid form.
(photo by Nigel Scarlett showing the van end of the coach).
08/05/10
A donor and BP provide
funds for restoration of the tank wagon: MORE FUNDS NEEDED.
The Society would like to restore the BP / Shell tanker built in 1944 for display at Holt (see photo by Nigel Scarlett).
The total cost of restoration will be £2,100. A BP employee has offered to donate £700, which will matched pound for pound by BP (as a charity donation), leaving a further £700 to raise.
In effect, every £1 that we raise, will therefore matched by £2 from elsewhere.
This will mean that a very tatty wagon will get restored (by a contractor) and put on display at Holt.
Please make donations payable to "M&GNJRS" and state "BP/Shell tanker fund" in the cover letter.
Please use gift aid as this will increase the value of your donation if you pay tax.
Click here
for a gift aid form.
Please help to make this happen.
02/04/10
101 DMU and TK
Progress
 
The TK is stripped back for panel repairs and a
repaint while the trailer car of the DMU is complete and
awaits mechanical attention following its weld repairs and
return to heritage speed whisker paint scheme. The
power car has meanwhile been receiving mechanical attention
and will now proceed to the carriage shop for weld repair
and a repaint to green. (photo: Chris Green)
11/3/10
M&GN reunited! 5 Miles
added to the national railway
An emotional day for all involved as our railway
is reconnected to the former M&GN line into Cromer, and a
sense that we are not just a tourist attraction but a
serious railway business, trusted with our operating
procedures to be connected to the national system albeit on
an occasional basis. It is events such as this however that
convince that with effort we can accomplish anything, Steve
Ashling, Julian Birley and Bob Wright have all worked
tremendously hard over the last two years to make this
happen, assisted by many other volunteers in the build
period. Below a superb photo by Richard Dixon taken
from the top of the bus (with Ivo Peter's Bentley) and a couple of photos by Bob Wright
showing a beaming Steve Ashling and
Chris Green, showing the throng.
 
11/3/10
Mark 1 restoration
As time passes the condition of carriages for
restoration gets more challenging. Mark 1s once thought
uneconomic to repair are now worth considerable work as the
current SO project at Weybourne shows. The "top hat"
channel sections at the coach ends as well as all the steel
sheeting to the sides has been cut away to good metal.
Two temporary scaffold poles hold the roof true. The
Mark one design with its load-bearing chassis lends itself
to substantial repairs however, competent rather than coded
welders can carry out this work.
  
The second photo shows that even
substantial plates can be distorted by rust between plates
and the third shows the new top hat section welded in.
(photos
Chris Green 20/2/10 and 11/3/10)
14/2/10
Wissington
Progress
Click here
for pictures and details
20/2/10
B12 Tender and 101 DMU
Progress
Click here
for DMU picture and details |
