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Monday 29 October 2018

Hols



We are in Norfolk at the moment on a short break. Took a few moments to admire steam locomotive Black Prince. I'm not sure what it is about these machines, because after all they are only machines, but something about them stirs the blood and I'm not even a steam buff.

9 comments:

The Jannie said...

I'm interested in machinery in general and I am a steam enthusiast. The big difference compared with diesels and - particularly - electrics is that steam locos seem alive: they hiss and snort and give off heat and smells which are their own. But - never let anyone tell you that diesels are unimpressive if they haven't stood on the down platform at Drem when the down Flying Scotsman went through pulled by a Deltic!

Demetrius said...

As a former railway worker of the 1950's, memories, memories of the steam locomotives. Wonderful they were, unless of course you had to clean them as I did at 38C.

The Jannie said...

Crikey, Demetrius. I had to go to my 1950 combi to find out that 38C was Leicester! It had vanished before my 1962 Locoshed Book.

wiggiatlarge said...

By coincidence I was in Sheringham on Monday, wasting my time house hunting, and the Black Prince was in steam in the station, I have heard that the services to Holt are being cut back which is sad for this is a very popular ride in the summer.

A K Haart said...

Jannie - yes they do hiss and snort and give off heat and smells as if they are alive. That's probably why some young children can be frightened by them.

Demetrius and Jannie - I've no idea what 38C is. Google brings up bra sizes.

Wiggia - crikey we may have crossed paths without knowing it because we were in Sheringham for a while on Monday too.

Dave Ward said...

@ Wiggia - according to page 23 of the NNR "E" newsletter (http://online.fliphtml5.com/hzxlx/himl/#p=38) there is (or rather was) concern about setting fire to track-side vegetation and farmers fields during the hot, dry summer period. As a result some steam hauled services were replaced with diesel. But I haven't heard anything about permanent cutbacks - indeed, there are plans to extend the track closer to Holt itself.

wiggiatlarge said...

I appear to have got the tracks crossed, it is the branch line to Sheringham that is being threatened with cuts not the NNR, apologies, prehaps they could let the NNR take over the franchise !

A K Haart said...

Dave and Wiggia - I'm glad that is cleared up although we have found the Sheringham branch line useful for visiting Norwich.

Dave Ward said...

"Perhaps they could let the NNR take over the franchise !"

This could be a start:

https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/north-yorkshire-moors-railway-to-operate-sheringham-cromer-steam-services/