Black Prince is one of my favourite stem locomotives, so here are some more photos of this magnificent Engine on the North Norfolk Railway.
The story of Black Prince can be seen at: https://petesfavouritethings.blog/2017/09/27/norfolk-journey-black-prince/
A very wet and windy day, so Sue and I forsake the outdoors for a trip on the North Norfolk Railway and lunch in Sheringham.
We board our train, pulled by the magnificent Black Prince at Holt and make our way across the Norfolk countryside to the coastal town of Sheringham.
But soon the train is calling for the return journey to Holt and once again we find ourselves travelling behind ‘Black Prince’ enjoying the sight and sounds of this wonderful engine.
When Keith and I were in Norfolk recently we didn’t ride on the North Norfolk Railway but we did pop into Sheringham Station on a couple of occasions to use the excellent tea room.
BR Standard 76084 was present on both our visits.
76084 left the Horwich Works in March 1957. It was one of the last batch of locomotives to be built at Horwich. Records show that 76084 initially went to Lower Darwen shed near Blackburn along with 76080/1/2 and 3.
All 5 locomotives were transferred to Sutton Oak, St.Helens in preparation for the closure of the Lower Darwen shed in March 1965 and scrapping of the class began the following year. 76084 was the last of her class to be withdrawn from BR stock in December 1967. 76084 arrived at Barry in a convoy with 76077, 76079 and 76080. She was to stand in the sidings at Barry until 1982 when she was purchased and the new owner had the engine and tender transferred to his back garden where he began work on it. After his death in 1990, the engine was sold again and taken to Morpeth. The new owners continued with the restoration work and 76084 was finally returned to steam in May 2013. By now the Engine had been transferred to the North Norfolk Railway.
At least it was dry when we started out this morning, although this didn’t last long. Our destination today was the Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve at Cley Marshes. As we arrived a Great White Egret flew across the road. After a break for a coffee in the visitor centre, we made our way out onto the reserve, A Bearded Reedling was heard in the reed-bed along with Cetti’s, Sedge and Reed Warblers. A Sedge Warbler gave excellent views and whilst following it when it flew we found a Northern Wheatear sitting on top of a bush.
Sedge Warbler
On the marsh, there were good numbers of Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits along with a few Redshank and a couple of Ringed Plover. A Marsh Harrier quartered the reed-bed and a couple of Common Buzzards were seen over the nearby hills.
Marsh Harrier
On our way back to the centre we had a brief view of a Bearded Reedling and a group of barn Swallows low over the marsh feeding. In the afternoon we set off across the marsh towards the coast. On the way, we saw Mute Swan and Greylag Geese along with Mallard, Gadwall, Redshank and Oystercatcher. The gale was blowing in off the North Sea and no birds were seen on the Sea. A couple of Kittiwakes and an unidentified tern passed along the coast before we made our way back to Cley Village.
On our way back to our base in Cromer, we stopped off at Sheringham, where we had tea in the buffet at the North Norfolk Railway.
Locomotive in steam and Station Refreshment room, Sheringham Station, North Norfolk railway
Afterwards, we walked down to the seafront to search for Ruddy Turnstone. A group of 5 were found sheltering behind the seawall. The gale has grown in strength and as soon as we had photographed the birds we beat a retreat back into the town to catch a bus back to Cromer.
Ruddy Turnstone
Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis)
Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Great Egret [sp] (Ardea alba)
Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta)
Western Marsh Harrier [sp] (Circus aeruginosus)
Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo)
Eurasian Oystercatcher [sp] (Haematopus ostralegus)
Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Common Ringed Plover [sp] (Charadrius hiaticula)
Black-tailed Godwit [sp] (Limosa limosa)
Ruddy Turnstone [sp] (Arenaria interpres)
Common Redshank [sp] (Tringa totanus)
Black-legged Kittiwake [sp] (Rissa tridactyla)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Bearded Reedling [sp] (Panurus biarmicus)
Barn Swallow [sp] (Hirundo rustica)
Cetti’s Warbler [sp] (Cettia cetti)
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Eurasian Reed Warbler [sp] (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)
Common Whitethroat [sp] (Sylvia communis)
Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Northern Wheatear [sp] (Oenanthe oenanthe)
Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba)
Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)
European Greenfinch [sp] (Chloris chloris)
European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis)
Common Reed Bunting [sp] (Emberiza schoeniclus)
92203 was built in Swindon in 1959 and spent its entire time in service hauling Iron Ore trains from Bidston Duck Birkenhead to Shotton Steelworks. It was withdrawn from service it was purchased by the artist David Shepherd. He named it Black Prince. It has been in service at the Longmoor Military Railway, East Somerset Railway, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway before coming to the North Norfolk Railway in 2011, re-entering service in 2014. In 2015 it was purchased by the North Norfolk Railway.
A wet day forecast and so Sue and I headed out for the North Norfolk Railway which runs from Holt to Sheringham.
Black Prince arriving at Holt Station
Our train was hauled by Black Prince which looked wonderful as it pulled into Holt Station.
Holt Station
Locos at Weybourne Station
In Sheringham, we made our way to the front and Sheringham Museum, which has an interesting display of retired Sheringham Lifeboats and a temporary exhibition of Dutch Gansey Jumpers, much beloved of Fisherman over the ages. Few originals have survived but examples of the different patterns have been recreated from early photographs of the men in their working clothes.
Gansey Jumpers
Sheringham
Sheringham
We took lunch in a shelter on the front and were joined by a Ruddy Turnstone.
The Front at Sheringham
Ruddy Turnstone
After lunch, we made our way back to Holt on the Railway and then with the weather still unpleasant visited a craft complex. The weather finally brightened to allow an hour at Weybourne beach where Red-legged Partridge and Sandwich Tern were new birds for the holiday before a return of the rain curtailed the day.
The coast at Weybourne
Red-legged Partridge [sp] (Alectoris rufa)
Common Pheasant [sp] (Phasianus colchicus)
Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Red Kite [sp] (Milvus milvus)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk [sp] (Accipiter nisus)
Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo)
Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus)
Ruddy Turnstone [sp] (Arenaria interpres)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis)
Stock Dove [sp] (Columba oenas)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Collared Dove [sp] (Streptopelia decaocto)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Common House Martin [sp] (Delichon urbicum)
Cetti’s Warbler [sp] (Cettia cetti)
Common Whitethroat [sp] (Sylvia communis)
Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
Haven’t managed to get to any steam days this summer, although hoping to get down to the Bluebell Railway in a couple of weeks. In the meantime here is a report from the North Norfolk Railway
On the 1st October, the North Norfolk Railway held the annual Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society Members Day. All of the society’s locomotives were operational, B12 8572, Y14 564, Wissington, and Class 31, D5631, alongside class 37 D6732. Each of the locomotives, apart from the 37 were available at different times of the day to take part in a Driver for a Fiver, which was very popular. Members of the society were allowed free travel on all of the trains, and the general public were offered an enhanced service for a standard rate. With the amount of locomotives and unique rolling stock, it felt like aspecial event, but at a standard rate.
The society’s rolling stock was also in operation, with the unique Quad Art set, the almost complete Suburban four set, running with the three completed coaches, and the vintage train. The always reliable Mark 1s were…
View original post 1,058 more words
The NNR is a preserved railway which runs between the Norfolk towns of Sheringham and Holt. Leaving Sheringham Station aboard a train of Mk 1 coaches pulled by Standard 4 – 76084 we made our way through the Norfolk Countryside to Weybourne Staion and then onto Holt.
76084 at Sheringham
Arriving at Holt
76084 at Holt
We remained on the train and went back to Weybourne in the hope of getting to see the collection of engines held here but the shed was not open to public and only a limited view was possible from the platform. Weybourne is the nicest station of the 3 on the line and as posted yesterday we also had the pleasure of seeing a nest of Barn Swallows fledge whilst waiting for our train back to Sheringham.
Weybourne
Weybourne
We then rejoined a diesel powered unit for the journey back to Sheringham.
76084 leaves Weybourne bound for Holt as DMU enters station bound for Sheringham
A lovely ride through the Norfolk countryside, but disappointed that I was not able to get a good look at the engines they have in preservation.
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