Getting To The Broads.

[BoF]

Right, that’s done! I have booked Salerno out of Richardson's for next March. This will be my fifth solo trip, with the added bonus that I can use my accrued discount towards my sixth. Brilliant! First stop will be Lathams up at Potter Heigham for all the stuff I didn’t know I needed, wanted or forgot to bring! Next thing to do is sort out getting there.

 

My wife and I car share, and other than my trips up to the Broads, there never is a problem over who need to use it. However, I can’t leave my wife without a car for a week, especially if it is only going to sit in a car park the whole time. For my first solo trip I managed to get a reasonable deal from a local car hire firm, but by the time for the second trip the prices had gone through the roof. At the same time, all the local and national car hire firms in the area dropped their basic hire charge, but changed what was previously included as part of the ‘basic’ charge to ‘extras’, and expensive extras at that. Some people might say that they were all operating a cartel and fixing the prices, but I could not possibly comment on that. The bottom line was that I could take the risk, only pay for the basic hire and hope I didn’t have an accident, or include the ‘extras’ and spend about the same for the car as I was the boat.

I decided to look at getting there by train. Entering my home station to Hoveton & Wroxham into the National Rail Enquiries came up with a ridiculous figure, on one occasion costing nearly as much as a hire car. Then I remembered something I had read, heard or been told (?); break the journey down into segments. So I did and after a bit of experimenting, hit upon the best option;

• Home station to London

• Tube to Stratford

• Stratford to Hoveton & Wroxham via Norwich

That reduced the total cost dramatically. For example, Stratford to Hoveton & Wroxham advance standard ticket for £6.00; First class for £9.00. Guess which one I went for! The prices have not gone up much since then; I can’t find the invoice for March this year, but I think it was about £14 single. Its roughly 5 hours each way by car, needs two tanks full of petrol, plus the actual cost of the hire car, plus having to put up with 3 motorways, so the train turns out to be the best, and cheapest, option for me. I also arrive less stressed out than I do if I drive.

The downside is I can not bring all the ‘stuff’, or as my wife calls it, ‘crap’, that I want to take with me. I have to choose what ‘crap’ I really want and pack it all very carefully into a suitcase/holdall I can get up into a luggage rack. That does focus the mind, but of course there is always Lathams as previously mentioned!

Food is another factor to consider. On my first trip up the car looked a like a supermarket home delivery van! My wife did my menu and it was full of fresh green and healthy stuff, all very good for me (I am told), but I was going ‘boating’ and managed to sneak in some ‘proper grub’ like real butter, a white loaf and a few cans of beans, spam and corned beef. I ended up bringing a large amount back home. After that, I got Tesco to deliver to the boat. End of problem!

So now I have some 28 weeks / 196 days approximately, to plan my trip, decide where I want to go, pour over the maps, scan the tide tables and make copious notes. I can feel my wife’s eyebrows rising and hear her sigh already! I could always get a train set and take over the lounge?

[SwanR]

March is a great time to be out on the rivers. I'm sure it will all come together perfectly. :)

[Timbo]

Like it Bof! The only thing my other half drives is... me up the wall! So my car is now where I keep the camping gear and spare tools for the boat. Hopefully, you will find yourself in the same predicament as the rest of us. It starts with accumulating 'equipment' for when you hire, progresses to collecting the odd boat or two and then you fill your house and car with all the paraphernalia that you 'might', possibly, at some point, may find a use for on a boat!

You had to go and use the 'Train Set' words, didn't you! You do know we are going to have Vaughan and Q coming to tell us they are not toys but scale models and all that! 

[BoF]

1 hour ago, Timbo said:

You had to go and use the 'Train Set' words, didn't you! You do know we are going to have Vaughan and Q coming to tell us they are not toys but scale models and all that! 

Err Yes, I did, didn’t I! Whoops!

 

The problem is, and whilst I accept all the comments about them being scale models etc, I don’t want a scale working model of Lower farthing junction circa 1924, I want my own little world where I can run whatever trains I want/like, even if they come from different times or regions or companies.

Many years ago I went to a Model Railway Club with the intention of joining. I was made very welcome and settled down to watch the network run (new boys don’t get to ‘play’ for quite some time I was told). Not a problem, I expected that, but what I did not expect was the detailed, and at times confrontational, conversations over timetables, relative scale speed, platform approach (??) and other stuff I had no idea what they were talking about. The actual, beautifully hand-crafted ‘scale models’ only ran for a short while. I didn’t go back.

 

Right, tin hat on! Fire 1! 

[Broads01]

I like Salerno, Bof. It's 10 years since I hired it now but the refit it had not long before I had it has held up well. 

It's a long time since I travelled to the Broads by train. The split ticket thing is good and I've used it on other routes. Alas the added cost and hassle of taxis to and from Stalham always puts me off. 

[BoF]

Just now, Broads01 said:

I like Salerno, Bof. It's 10 years since I hired it now but the refit it had not long before I had it has held up well. 

It's a long time since I travelled to the Broads by train. The split ticket thing is good and I've used it on other routes. Alas the added cost and hassle of taxis to and from Stalham always puts me off. 

Thanks for that, it's good to know.

I haven't actually encountered any issues with getting a taxi from the station to Stalham and back again. I have used 'All Abroad' from Potter Heigham for the last 4 trips and its worked fine. 

[Cockatoo]

Here I was thinking 'Don't Richos run a minibus between the station and their yard?'

 

Then I realised that was nearly 20 years ago.

 

How to feel old doh!

[Vaughan]

11 hours ago, TheBof said:

but what I did not expect was the detailed, and at times confrontational, conversations over timetables, relative scale speed, platform approach (??) and other stuff I had no idea what they were talking about. The actual, beautifully hand-crafted ‘scale models’ only ran for a short while. I didn’t go back.

Don't worry, I know what you mean! I think it is because railway modelling is such a multi-facetted hobby and everyone has their own "thing" that they are keen on. It needs an awful lot of research into history and working practice, not just of the railways but the country they run through. For instance, how far apart are telegraph poles? If you want to get it right, you have to find out!

I know that theQ is a member of a club, but I have tried it a few times without success. So I do my own thing, and "play trains" in my loft!

[Vaughan]

7 hours ago, SteveDuk said:

Then I realised that was nearly 20 years ago.

I hope you were not talking about Stalham station, as that closed in 1959!

[TheQ]

Or Sutton Staithe halt which was opened in 1933 and closed in 1935.

Telegraph poles by a railway are 60 to 65 yards apart (50 to 60 normally on curves) that's 390mm apart in 2mm scale, (N gauge)  or 780mm in 4mm Scale, (00, / EM / P4 gauge) or 1395mm in 7mm Scale(0 gauge) 

I model a bit of the Highlands and islands of Scotland in 2mm Scale, and a bit of Salisbury plain in 4mm Scale. If I'm with SWMBO's art club friends. I say I paint in scale 3D and animate it as well...

TheBof, you should have tried other model railway clubs, it's surprising how many there are. There are three within 5 miles of my house, and probably another half dozen within 25 miles and I live out on the coast... search for clubs here>>> http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/other/clubsheader.php

Rule 0, railways and model railways... make a cup of tea,

Rule 1, Model railways.. "it's my railway and I'll run what I like"

Some model railways at shows have a jar of rivets sat on the layout for the rivet counters.., or a Thomas the tank engine to send round if a rivet counter starts give grief..

Yes I'm a member of Broadland Model railway club,  I although I know there are clubs like TheBof Mentioned, most, as we do, have the emphasis on Modelling. At my club we have 4 club layouts at various stages of construction and 2 private layouts at the club (including part of one of mine).

We also of course have shows, a club open Day in Stalham town hall in August, and our club Exhibition in Aylesham next Saturday which is mostly 18  invited layouts and 9 traders or societies.

http://www.bvrw.co.u...el-rail-express

If you wish to travel by car...

Broadland Model Railway Club's  ( http://s643945335.websitehome.co.uk/ )

Annual Exhibition at Alysham.

Jubilee Centre, Norwich Road, Aylsham, Norfolk NR11 6JG

7th October 2017,  10:00 to 16:00

Entry,   £4 Adults,    £3 Children,    £3 Concessions 

Limited Disabled parking on site.

ALL other parking at the Bure Valley Railway, Aylsham Station, Norwich Road, Aylsham, Norfolk, NR11 6BW (300 yards).

 Well you lot walked into letting me get the advert in again

It's looking dry for Saturday,    good, I'm on Stewarding Duties.

 

[Cockatoo]

2 hours ago, Vaughan said:

I hope you were not talking about Stalham station, as that closed in 1959!

No I meant Wroxham :)

[Broads01]

10 hours ago, Vaughan said:

I hope you were not talking about Stalham station, as that closed in 1959!

I never knew Stalham had a station. Where was it located? 

[NorfolkNog]

Right at the 'top' of the High Street Simon, near the post office. Its near where the High Street meets the new bypass which is actually constructed on the old railway. You can still see bits of the old Station yard.

 

http://www.berneyarms.co.uk/html/yarmouth/rail/mandgntour/mandgntour.htm

 

[Vaughan]

The Midland and Great Northern Railway, known locally as the "Muddle and Go Nowhere", brought all the holidaymakers from the Midlands to the Norfolk Coast and the Broads between the wars, and was responsible for the success of Broads tourism as we know it today. They were in competition with the Great Eastern Railway which brought customers from London and the south, so towns such as Cromer, Sheringham, North Walsham, Aylsham, Haddiscoe and Kings Lynn all had two stations, served by two different companies. Gt Yarmouth and Norwich had three stations.

All of the main centres of boating on the Broads were all originally situated beside a railway station. The only exception was Horning.

[NorfolkNog]

You can see the stations that Vaughan refers to on this map. The old 'muddle and go nowhere' lines are in yellow and you can see where there was more than one station. Melton Constable was once a major railway town but now the lines have all gone. I think the only remaining bit is the line from Cromer to Sherringham.

But of course as Vaughan mentions back in the day, the holiday makers would arrive by train before cars became more popular in the 50's and 60's.

[TheQ]

They also started building a line but almost immediately stopped building it. This line would have run from mundsley, to happisburgh to sea palling and eventually to Great Yarmouth beach Station, ( beach Station was roughly half way between the current bus depot and the beach). I did consider building a model of part of this but other areas attracted me more.

[BoF]

It was only a throwaway comment about 'train sets', honest! But wow, thanks for an excellent number of interesting posts! Are any of the old track beds still around? 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Chris,

I am not sure about signs of old tracks but on the Southern Broads you can see the pillars of the swing bridges that used to be at Haddiscoe and Beccles.

Regards

Alan

[BoF]

1 hour ago, ranworthbreeze said:

Hi Chris,

I am not sure about signs of old tracks but on the Southern Broads you can see the pillars of the swing bridges that used to be at Haddiscoe and Beccles.

Regards

Alan

Hi Alan,

Yes, I am aware of those, although I haven't 'been South' for some time now. It's the old trackways that fascinate me.  My daughter lives up in Derbyshire and there are several old trackways near her that have been converted into walk & cycle paths; an excellent idea.

Down in my part of the country there are virtually no traces of the old branch lines that ran across the region, other than the heritage lines that enthusiasts have managed to save. There was a single track line laid during the First World War that ran up from the main London to South Coast line that went up to a German POW camp. It was taken up in 1919, and then relayed in the 1940s (I think) to bring troops and munitions up to an army camp.That was partly taken up in the late 1940s and the last train ran on the remaining section in July 1951. The OS Map has a few references to a 'dismantled railway', some which you can get to with a bit of effort fighting your way through the trees and scrubs, but the old terminus (or what's left of it, if any) is inside a firing range. 

What a divergence from my original post!

[TheQ]

North of Stalham, the line becomes a foot path for some miles. Then you lose it as it crosses the river / North Walsham canal (Bridge gone)  You can then follow it the other side, to around Briggate. Shortly after that at the junction of the old and New A149 to north Walsham it disappears under the New A149 till you get to North Walsham Station area.

South of Potter Heigham New bridge, which is on the site of the old railway bridge, most of the line has been reincorporated into the fields. I believe if you know where to look you can find some bits of the old line, the Kingsway road in Hemsby is part of the old track bed, and across the old Yarmouth road you can see more of the old line heading for California.  

From there it became another road that is the southern limit for California but effectively disappears from there on and onwards it went along the coast to Caister and then a few hundred yards inland near the race course to Yarmouth

[Vaughan]

11 hours ago, TheBof said:

But wow, thanks for an excellent number of interesting posts!

All part of the forum service, sir!

The new road from Stalham to Potter is the old track bed and you can see several old crossing keepers cottages where minor roads cross the line.

The M&GN line from Norwich to Aylsham is now a cycle path, called Marriot's Way. William Marriot was the chief engineer and locomotive builder for the M&GN at Melton Constable works. Hence the new housing development near the old line at Taverham is called Thorpe Marriot.

The North Norfolk Railway from Sheringham to Holt (well worth a visit) is on the old M&GN line and the Mid Norfolk Railway is on the track of the original Norfolk Railway, later Great Eastern, and they also built the first railway in Norfolk, from Norwich to Yarmouth.

The A47 road from Dereham to Swaffham is on the track bed of the later Great Eastern Railway.

There are still lots of features such as bridges and earthworks, but the M&GN ran on mostly flat land, so there is not much left.

[TheQ]

The Bure Valley Railway (narrow gauge) Runs from Wroxham and Hoveton railway station (well across the road from) to Aylsham alongside  there is a foot path along side for most of the way.

[Vaughan]

Forgot that one! Some of the roads around Beccles are on the old railway as well.

[Springsong]

There are plenty of old railway beds nationally turned into walking trail/cycle tracks.  See link below, it makes facinating reading.

http://www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/rail-trail

In days gone by,  i have when I still walked, covered a few of these.

 

[ranworthbreeze]

1 hour ago, TheBof said:

Hi Alan,

Yes, I am aware of those, although I haven't 'been South' for some time now. It's the old trackways that fascinate me.  My daughter lives up in Derbyshire and there are several old trackways near her that have been converted into walk & cycle paths; an excellent idea.

Down in my part of the country there are virtually no traces of the old branch lines that ran across the region, other than the heritage lines that enthusiasts have managed to save. There was a single track line laid during the First World War that ran up from the main London to South Coast line that went up to a German POW camp. It was taken up in 1919, and then relayed in the 1940s (I think) to bring troops and munitions up to an army camp.That was partly taken up in the late 1940s and the last train ran on the remaining section in July 1951. The OS Map has a few references to a 'dismantled railway', some which you can get to with a bit of effort fighting your way through the trees and scrubs, but the old terminus (or what's left of it, if any) is inside a firing range. 

What a divergence from my original post!

Hi Chris,

The routes near your daughter's will more than likely be the Tissington Trail and the Manifold Valley, of the two I prefer the Manifold Valley, the track here was tarmaced over with a wide path which is great for all users, there is a cycle hire shop and a number of picnic area's, part of the route takes you through a tunnel, this is now used for traffic and pedestrians.

Regards

Alan