"The Titfield Thunderbolt", Saturday 23 June 2012

[Stonechat]

This weekend has seen the sixtieth anniversary of the Ealing comedy film "The Titfield Thunderbolt".

To mark the occasion, the North Norfolk Railway ran a special service between Sheringham (Mallingford) and Holt (Titfield). An eponymous railtour also ran in connection with the event, starting from King's Cross and utilising, for only the third time, the reinstated crossing beween the two Sheringham stations. This was headed by unrebuilt Bullied Pacific 34067 "Tangmere" and assisted by 0-6-0T 9466.

Cheltonian, RT4531 and myself went along and had a great day out (buses and beer also featured but are beyond the scope of this topic)  Some pics at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78089679@N03/7431555584/in/photostream/

Tony

[hobohippie95]

saw 9466 arrive light engine at norwich, then saw tangmere arrive from KX , then 9466 steam shunted it to sort the coaches out, before it left for cromer with tangmere on the back, will try and set up flickr to upload my pics into.

[RT4531]

Holt Railway Station bus stop:

ITS BEHIND YOU, MARCUS!!

Bob

[hobohippie95]

XD that did make me laugh, although when been up to the North Norfolk for a bus event, waiting for a preserved bus, when a service bus turns up and all the people look at me like im somekind of weirdo...

[Simon Norton]

I saw this train in the evening. I'd been on a trip on the wherry "Albion" from its base at Ludham to Horning Ferry and back, and had returned on the 17.18 bus to Norwich which arrived at the station at 18.10. Behind the ticket gates I saw a steam engine, I think on Platform 4, with a train behind it.

I went off to do some shopping at Morrisons. I got back in time to catch the 18.57 train to Ely. By then platform 4 was clear and I assumed the train had gone. However as our train was leaving the platform, I saw a steam engine with the name "Tangmere" on it on platform 2. There was a train on platform 2 behind it, but the stock looked like the type used for Norwich-Liverpool St services so I'd thought nothing of it.

The steam tours website shows that the Titfield Thunderbolt was due to leave Norwich at 19.12 with Tangmere hauling it, so this fits. It shows that the stock for the train had been taken from Southall. Can someone elucidate the movements of the stock and engine during the relevant period ?

Incidentally the 18.57 left Norwich 8 minutes late, apparently due to awaiting a connection from Lowestoft where there had been an air show. The Greater Anglia website shows an extra leaving Lowestoft at 18.20 and arriving Norwich at 19.03 which fits. I suspect that due to the signalling limitations of the Norwich-Ely route this delay would have impacted on the
steam train. Anyone know whether it did or not ?

[grandad]

Think the train was restricted in the number of carriages it could take so half of the train was left at Norwich,passengers had a choice of going to Holt by train or bus those who went by train return by bus and those who went by bus returned by train.

[RT4531]

There's a write-up in the Eastern Daily Press, plus some photos at

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/photo_gallery_a_norwich_film_extra_makes_a_surprise_appearance_at_the_north_norfolk_railway_s_titfield_thunderbolt_weekend_1_1419886

Bob