County School in the sights of returning Mid- Norfolk Railway volunteers
MID- NORFOLK Railway volunteers have returned towork on several projects following the easing of Covid- 19 restrictions– and have been completing signallingwork thatwill enable the line to extend to its long- isolatedoutpost of County School station.
A small group of signalling team volunteers has been working on the railway’s Dereham North signalbox, the structure of which has stood at the end of Platform 1 at Dereham station since 2007, following its recovery fromLowestoft.
The teamhave installed the signalling frame and associated infrastructure ready to commission it asaworking ’ box. Mid- Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust chairman Charlie Robinson said: “This is another important step along the road to our eventual aim of reopening the line to County School station.”
The main running line currently reaches the level crossing at North Elmham, and this work will allow the railway to begin the process of restoring the signalling on the line north from Dereham.
Other jobs being carried out by volunteers include the refurbishment of Bridge 1683 just north of Hardingham station, where the need to replace 2.5- ton wooden waybeams was identified by a route inspection last year.
Beginning on July 10, the permanent way team plus volunteers from the railway’s other teams, removed the rails and ballast before then removing the life- expired beams.
Once the beams were out, the exposed metal work of the bridge was inspected and the ironwork treated. The new beams were then installed, set in a special preservative resin and new rails relaid. Specialist plant was needed for the second part of the project which was carried out by Sonic Rail Services, a regular contractor for heavy infrastructure work on the railway.