North Norfolk Railway News

Poppy Line Set to Steam Back to the Forties with Five Locomotives and Intensive Timetable The North Norfolk Railway’s popular Steam Back to The Forties weekend is set to return on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September with the line’s steam trains at the heart of a wide range of activities that conjure up the atmosphere of the momentous decade. The weekend will see the line’s three stations taken over by live music, stunning classic vehicles, vintage trade stands, historical displays and wartime fashions while, on the tracks, five steam locomotives will provide a timetable featuring trains every thirty minutes.  [...]

Varied Line-up Scheduled for Poppy Line’s Festival On Rails The North Norfolk Railway is set to round off the peak season with a ten-day celebration of train travel through the eras as the line stages the popular Festival on Rails.  Recently-restored N2 locomotive, the oldest surviving engine devised by Sir Nigel Gresley is set to feature on a number days. The 105 year-old locomotive returned to service in July following an overhaul costing around £800,000 and which took eight years to complete. Three locomotives are scheduled to be in action each day from 22 to 31 August with the possibility [...]

Teddy Bear to take to the tracks at the Poppy Line   The North Norfolk Railway is set to welcome a special visitor this summer. The popular heritage line, which runs from Sheringham through the north Norfolk countryside to Weybourne, beside Kelling Heath and to Holt, has announced they are looking forward to welcoming British railways Class 14 diesel locomotive D9553. The locomotive is due to enjoy an extended visit and will haul occasional services throughout the summer season.   In common with many British Railway (BR) locomotives, D9553 was built at the Swindon Works in 1965 to work goods [...]

105 Year-old Engine Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley to Steam at Poppy Line Event After £800,000 Overhaul   The North Norfolk Railway has today announced that Great North Railway Class N2 1744 is set to make its public re-entry to service at the popular heritage line on July 17, hauling special passenger trains for members of the Gresley Society and other key supporters to celebrate the completion of the engine’s overhaul costing almost £800,000. The steam engine is then scheduled to haul some of the line’s services throughout the weekend of July 18 – 19 during the railway’s Golden Years [...]

Long-term Future of Steam Locomotive 76084 Secured at North Norfolk Railway The North Norfolk Railway has signed an agreement with the 76084 Locomotive Company Limited that will see the 1957-built engine overhauled at the NNR’s Weybourne Locomotive Works and working on the 5½ mile heritage line for the duration of her next “ten-year ticket”. The locomotive was a regular performer on the Poppy Line after entering service following restoration in 2013 until the expiry of her boiler certificate in 2023. NNR General Manager, Graham Hukins, explained, “Legislation requires steam locomotive boilers to be removed from the engine every ten years [...]

Visiting locomotives, bands and brews for railway’s 2026 Rails and Ales celebration   There’s a fantastic event brewing at the North Norfolk Railway on June 12, 13 and 14 as the line prepares to host Rails & Ales 2026! The popular event will feature at least 8 historic steam and diesel locomotives, including 2 that are visiting the line for the long weekend. In addition, there will be over 40 local ales to sample across the three stations and at bars on board some trains plus 10 Norfolk ciders as well as live music performances from local bands. Tickets include [...]

All Aboard! Railway débuts ‘new’ Victorian era carriage at bank holiday celebrations    The North Norfolk Railway is busily preparing for the late May bank holiday, when it is scheduled to début a special addition to its popular vintage set. The new coach, dating from 1897, will join other coaches from the Victorian era owned by the heritage line’s supporting charity, the Midland and Great Northern Railway Society (M&GN), as part of the Vintage Train that will be in action throughout the bank holiday.   Great Eastern Railway No 37 was originally built at Stratford as a third-class family saloon, [...]

New and Old at the Poppy Line as Heritage Railway celebrates Great British Classics   The North Norfolk Railway is set for four weeks of fun for all ages this May, with the return of some old favourites throughout the month alongside a popular new dining experience aboard the line’s fleet of historic trains. From drop in science shows and hands on signalling experiences to recreations from BBC sitcoms, May is set to be a busy month for the heritage line which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.   Visitors looking to step back in time can do so over [...]

Locomotive Looks to Scotland Trustees of the M&GN Society are delighted to announce that their largest steam locomotive, WD 2-10-0 90775 The Royal Norfolk Regiment has taken on the livery of some of its Scottish classmates. Locomotive No’s 90750 - 90774 were sheded at both Grangemouth and Motherwell between 1948 and 1961, and wore distinctive ’Scottish blue’ number and shed plates. This colour now adorns 90775, mirroring the colour she wore when first was loaned to the North Norfolk Railway in 2003 by then owners the Essex Locomotive Society. The locomotive is also wearing a 65F ‘Grangemouth’ shed plate, loaned to the [...]

Grant Funding Helps Heritage Railway Invest in Accessible Travel   The North Norfolk Railway has today announced that it has received funding of £50,000 from Airbnb’s new Best of British Fund. The Fund, launched in partnership with Visit Britain, sets aside £1 million to help support local hospitality and seeks to celebrate traditions and experiences that make British tourism unique and unforgettable. The heritage line applied for support with its upcoming project to convert an existing coach into an accessible saloon, allowing visitors with additional mobility needs to enjoy journeys into the past with facilities purpose-built to support them.   [...]