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The Mid-Norfolk Railway’s Trust Council has announced the appointment of Mr Mark Sexton as the railway’s first full time Traction and Rolling Stock Manager. This is the second recent full time appointment and continues the increase of the railway's paid staff.   As the Traction and Rolling Stock Manager, Mark will be in charge of the maintenance of all rolling stock on the railway and ensure that it meets the appropriate standards for safe operation on the railway. He will be working closely with the railway’s experienced volunteers and staff to carry out the work required. “We are delighted to welcome Mark to the railway as a full time staff member. His appointment is another step forward in the development of the railway as he becomes our first full time Traction and Rolling Stock Manager. Like all businesses the past year has been difficult, however we have also been looking to the future and where we can we have make decisions like this, to ensure the railway’s continued development”. Charlie Robinson, Chairman Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust   Mark has been appointed following a recruitment campaign that saw a number of suitably qualified candidates apply and follows a series of interviews to establish the best candidate for the job at the Mid-Norfolk Railway.   Prior to his new appointment, Mark has been working at the North Norfolk Railway, where he was first employed as a trainee diesel fitter in 2012. Once trained Mark then worked his way up to become the Running and Maintenance Foreman of the North Norfolk Railway during 2015. Before becoming a member of staff at the NNR, Mark was a volunteer and indeed his interest in the railway first started when he was one of the founder members of their Junior Club as an eight year old, “Railway engineering has been ingrained in me, both of my grandfathers worked at the Ashford Railway works in Kent. This is a great achievement for me being given this opportunity. The railway has enormous potential and I cannot wait to begin this journey and being part of the Mid-Norfolk Railway’s growth.” Mark Sexton

The Railway Accident Investigation Branch has notified The Mid Norfolk Railway that their preliminary investigation into the incident at the Norwich Road level crossing in Dereham on the 10 December 2020 has been completed and that they will be issuing a safety digest in the next few weeks. The incident was caused when the centre carriage of a three-car class 144 Pacer unit, in the words of the RAIB, “detached from a winch rope during unloading from a heavy haulage road trailer directly onto the railway. It ran away and collided with the gates of a nearby level crossing. The vehicle broke through the gates and came to rest over an open, public road.” The issuing of the safety digest will bring the RAIB involvement with the incident to a close. "On behalf of the Trust and the railway's members I would like to thank all of our staff who have worked to resolve this issue both at the time and subsequently. As a railway we are fortunate to have a number of very experienced railway people as well as members with the right skill sets who dealt with this incident in a calm and professional manner. I can assure the membership and our traveling public that as a railway we will be actioning the recommendations of the RAIB, but are also looking at our own procedures in a critical way to ensure such an incident cannot happen again. Finally I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all those associated with the railway a happy Christmas and I am sure we all look forward to a better 2021 when we will once again be operating passenger carrying trains." Charlie Robinson Chairman of the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust

As a sign of the continued development of the Mid-Norfolk Railway, the railway’s Trust Council is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Tony Dunford as the railway’s first Head of Refurbishment. Tony joins the railway from Heritage Painting, but is no stranger to the railway as he has been working at Dereham for Heritage Painting on the various contracts they were awarded by the railway and also the resident Stratford 47 Group for much of the year. Prior to working for Heritage Painting, Tony was well known at the East Lancashire Railway where after first joining as a volunteer in 1989, he spent 11 years from 2007 working his way up to become their Foreman of Carriage and Wagon Restoration. "We are very pleased to welcome Tony to the railway as a full time staff member, he brings great expertise and knowledge and it means that the painting of our rolling stock will now be completed in house by our volunteers and Tony. It also brings a greater degree of flexibility to our future refurbishment projects and opens up opportunities for the railway going forward." George Saville, MNR General Manager Tony’s first project for the railway will be joining the team that is conducting the lottery funded Mk1 restoration. There are two further coaches that are nearing completion which he will be carrying out the painting for. He will then be turning his attention to the painting of the MNR’s Class 101 DMU, once the external bodywork refurbishment is completed. The DMU will remain in its classic British Railways Green livery with yellow whiskers. "I am very happy to join the railway following my move to Norfolk and I am looking forward to leading the refurbishment of the railway’s rolling stock as the railway continues to develop in the years to come." Tony Dunford, MNR Head of Refurbishment

A third Pacer diesel multiple unit has started to arrive at the Mid-Norfolk Railway’s Dereham station to join the railways growing fleet of Heritage DMUs. The Pacer is unit number 144018, a three-car class 144 and has been acquired from Porterbrook following withdrawal from mainline service. The first car was delivered by S A Smith , a specialist transport company, to Dereham station on the 9 December with the other two cars following soon after. 144018 will now join the 2 two-car Class 142 units, 142061 and 142038 on the Mid-Norfolk Railway and give the railway a flexible solution for off peak running days together with the railway’s first generation DMUs. “The acquisition of Pacers by the railway is important, as they join our first generation of Diesel Multiple Units and mean that we are assembling a significant collection of this oft forgotten aspect of our railway heritage.” “Pacers have had in some quarters a controversial past, often being described as noisy and uncomfortable, but that you must remember was when they travelled at 70 mph on the national network. Here they will be travelling at much slower speeds and will be an excellent way to travel on our line and enjoy our beautifully Norfolk countryside views.” Charlie Robinson, MNR Chairman

Work is continuing at Dereham Station turning the rooms at the end of the Goods Shed into Offices and a Mess Room for volunteers. Thanks to the efforts of Kathy Lloyd, the following contributions have been received from local companies and we would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all concerned: Ryan James at Travis Perkins : Kitchen units, sink, taps and worktop Ben Jackson at Dereham Tile and Carpet Centre : Damp proofing, floor tiles, adhesive and grout Wayne and Carleen at Dereham Decorating Supplies : Paint and brushes Chris Vertigan at City Plumbing  in Fakenham: Water heater Kris Harrod at Jewsons : Paint Jamie at Hughes in Dereham: Bagless Vacuum cleaner We are very appreciative of this wonderful show of support. Charlie Robinson Chairman Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust

It is all change at the Mid Norfolk Railway as another Diesel Multiple Unit arrives at the railway to join the railways fleet, during the railway’s 25th Anniversary. Despite Covid-19 this year has been a very busy time for the railway with regards the Diesel Multiple Units based at the railway. The new arrival, a class 117 two car set follows closely on the departure of a class 122 railcar that has left for restoration. Additionally, this year has also seen the arrival of two class 144 Pacer Units from the mainline and ongoing restoration of other resident units. The class 117 set that has arrived consists of 51412 DMS and 51370 DMBS and is owned by long time MNR Member Paul Hughes and his son Michael. The two units are under restoration, with the aim that one car will be in service during 2021. “This is exciting times for us and our DMU set following the move to its new home at the Mid-Norfolk Railway. This will mean that the project will be able to move at a faster pace towards full restoration thanks to the excellent facilities the railways has to offer. I would also like to say a big thank you to the management at the MNR for allowing us to make Dereham our new home”. Michael Hughes MNR Member, 51412 & 51370 Owner The arrival of the Class 117 set follows on from the departure of Class 122 Railcar 55009, that owner Chris Nesbit has had transported to the Great Central Railway, where the unit has been taken in hand for a full restoration by Renaissance Railcars. “My personal circumstances mean that I am now based in the East Midlands and for some time now I have not been able to work on 55009, due to the distance and of course the time it takes me to travel to the MNR, so the restoration to passenger carrying standard has to be achieved in a different manner”. Chris Nesbit MNR Member & 55009 Owner 55009 left the MNR during October, seen arriving at the GCR a broken window has been renewed, batteries charged, the engines have been started, and some minor repairs to the vacuum brakes completed. All of which meant 55009 moved under its own power within the confines of Loughborough yard on the 20 October. Once fully restored 55009 will enter service on the GCR, including their Mountsorrel branch line. This however is not the end of 55009 as far as the Mid Norfolk Railway is concerned, as Chris a long time member of the MNR and at one time Trust Council member, said: “I fully intend that once 55009 is restored and back in passenger service I will like to see it return to Norfolk and visit the MNR for a gala weekend”. The Mid-Norfolk Railway like most heritage railways is a mixture of rolling stock owned by the railway itself and stock owned by groups and individuals that are hosted by the railway. The BR Blue Grey liveried Class 101 set is owned by the 50019 Ramillies Group and is currently available for service together with the MNR’s own second-generation DMUs. The MNR’s own class 101 set is currently undergoing restoration in the railway’s maintenance shed where progress has been steady, if slower than planned due to obvious restrictions, but is planned to be available for service during the 2021 running season.. Other DMUs that are resident at the MNR under private ownership include a class 108 set that this year been moved from the railway’s sidings where it has been stored and into Dereham yard where a restoration plan has been developed. Circumstances however mean that the timetables for the work required to bring class 117 and the 108 sets back into service will remain flexible! “We are extremely happy to welcome this latest arrival at the railway and of course look forward to a future return of 55009. What this means is that the railway is assembling an important collection of DMUs and therefore in the future it will be possible to see and ride on multiple DMUs that represent an important but often overlooked part of the UK’s rail heritage.” George Saville MNR General Manager The Mid-Norfolk Railway’s programme and timetable for 2021 will be published in the new year that will feature regular steam and diesel hauled trains as well as DMU services. In addition, CV-19 restrictions permitting, there will be a full calendar of special events including the October visit of the Flying Scotsman.

Norfolk Police and the Mid-Norfolk Railway security measures last night successfully prevented an attempted metal theft from the railway’s Dereham station.   The incident follows an attempted break in on Wednesday night that was spotted by MNR staff and volunteers who monitor the CCTV system that railway operates. The police were notified and extra precautions were taken.   Last night again the site was targeted with the Police being called at 9.30 pm. On arrival a sweep of the site was carried out with no one being found. Unfortunately the thieves then returned a second time and the police again returned. Once again a search failed to apprehend anyone however damage to security fittings and fencing was found and yet further security precautions will now be installed. “The last two nights have been very long for all of us involved in these incidents and I would like to thank our staff, many of whom are volunteers for assisting the railway at this difficult time. I would also like to thank Dereham police for their speedy response and reassure our members, supporters and the general public that they are investigating this incident further. The railway therefore appeals to the public and if anybody has any information on this incident can they please contact the local police.” George Saville, MNR General Manager Metal theft from the national rail network is an ongoing problem and the Mid-Norfolk Railway recognises this and continues to take precautions. It forms one of the three main criminal issues that all railways face. The other two being graffiti and trespass. All of these issues are because of the dangerous nature of accessing the track are criminal offences. “Incidents such as last night highlight not just the criminal intent of some but also the dangerous nature of unauthorised access to the railway. The MNR might well be closed to the public at the moment but the railway itself is not closed. Currently Direct Rail Services are operating on our track on a daily basis, as they operate Rail Head Treatment Trains on behalf of Network Rail on the East Anglian rail network. They are using our facilities as an operating base. As such trespassing on the line is both a criminal offence, but just as importantly a life threatening risk that is being taken.” Charlie Robinson, MNR Chairman

Passengers at the Mid-Norfolk Railway during the 2021 running season will be surprised by the changes they will see with new and refurbished rolling stock giving a new look to the railway. Recently the railway has been running some test trains that have allowed volunteers to update their personal operating qualifications. The opportunity was also taken to give the newly refurbished Mk1 coaches their first run out. This stock will make an important contribution to delivering a CV-19 precaution compliant service. The test train was hauled by British Railways Standard Class 4 2-6-4T, engine number 80078 , which will be on hire from its owner to the MNR for the 2021 service and will join other engines and DMUs to provide the MNR’s planned services. The test train’s running gave a clear vision of what passengers can expect for the steam hauled trains that will form a part of next year’s passenger operating season. By next year the maroon coaching stock available for use by the railway will be joined by Mark 1 ( M13225 FK ) a first class corridor coach. This coach is now being refurbished as a result of the railway’s recent successful Heritage Lottery Fund grant. This grant was part of the recently announced government support to culture and heritage organisations and was given to the railway specifically to enable the railway to adapt its activities and therefore run in such a way as to comply with Covid-19 social distancing regulations. For the MNR, this refurbished coach will allow a heritage steam experience to run that is economically viable. “Seeing this train running is the culmination of so much hard work by our volunteers who restored the coaches and painted the running gear and also Heritage Painting our commercial partner who painted the body work. I am sure our passengers next year will be as impressed as we at the railway, by the end result.” Charlie Robinson, Chairman The Mid Norfolk Railway Summer 2021 operating season programme and timetable will be published in the new year together with ticketing details. This will include the visit of the Flying Scotsman in October as previously announced.

The Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust (MNR) has received a £190,000 lifeline grant from the Government’s £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund. The Culture Recovery Fund is administered by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of the Government and is intended to provide vital financial support for qualifying organisations such as the Mid-Norfolk Railway. This MNR’s successful bid is one of the first round of grants that have been issued from the Culture Recovery Fund and is part of the £1.57 billion package that has previously been been announced by the Culture Secretary. The fund is designed to secure the future of Britain’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues with emergency grants and loans. “As a nation it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounce back post Covid.” Oliver Dowden MP, Culture Secretary "The Mid-Norfolk Railway is thrilled to have been successful in our bid and we are extremely grateful to the Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The grant will make a really important contribution to the Railway's plans to reopen to the public in a manner that is compliant with the ongoing Covid-19." Charlie Robinson, MNR Chairman The money the MNR has received, will be used for several purposes. More than half will allow work to commence immediately on the full restoration of a Mark-1 corridor coach. This is extremely important as once restored it will join other coaches the railway has recently restored and means that the railway will be able to run trains that are long enough to comply with Covid-19 social distancing regulations, but just as importantly are also economically viable. Money will also be used to hire in specialist machinery to allow some essential track maintenance work to be carried out that will ensure the railway’s staff and volunteers will be able to socially distance. Finally, the remainder will be spent on IT equipment, to allow homeworking, advertising and some consultancy advice for our planned reopening for the 2021 operating season. “All the heritage railways are different, as we have seen some have been able to run public trains this year and other like ourselves have not. This has been because the nature of some of our stations and our rolling stock has meant we have felt we could not run a service that would be compliant with Government Covid-19 precautions and also be economically viable. This grant will allow us to meet those requirements and once again be able to run a public service.” George Saville, MNR General Manager

A second Pacer diesel multiple unit (DMU) has arrived at the Mid-Norfolk Railway’s Dereham station to join the railways growing fleet of heritage DMUs. Pacer unit number 142061 was delivered by Rail Support Services Ltd , a company that specialises in the road haulage of rail vehicles. The unit arrived at Dereham station after being stored at the Gascoigne Wood Sidings near Selby, where it has been stabled since being withdrawn from service by Northern Trains . 142061 together with 142038 , the MNR’s first Pacer unit are now planned to enter service with the railway during the 2021 passenger operating season. The pair of Pacer units will also be refurbished. The railway also plans to return one of the units to its original Regional Railways livery, as used by British Rail when they were first introduced onto the network during the 1980s. “The acquisition of Pacers by the railway is important, as they join our first generation of Diesel Multiple Units and mean that we are assembling an important collection of this oft forgotten aspect of our railway heritage. Pacers have had in some quarters a controversial past, often being described as noisy and uncomfortable, but that you must remember was when they travelled at 70mph on the national network. Here they will be travelling at much slower speeds and will be an excellent way to travel on our line and enjoy our beautiful Norfolk countryside views.” Charlie Robinson, MNR Chairman

A mystery find has been made at the Mid-Norfolk Railway’s County School station. The find was made during maintenance work on the railway’s permissive footpath that runs alongside the track bed at the station. “As some of our volunteers were carrying out routine maintenance of the railways Permissive footpath, they found a piece of metal buried. After digging it out, it appeared to us, that we had found the Firehole deflector plate from a steam locomotive.” Richard Cullen, the MNR’s volunteer County School Stationmaster, who is overseeing the restoration of this part of the railway. This plate is part of the arrangement on steam engines where the fireman, shovels coal into the firebox that in turn provides the heat to the boiler. The mystery is however, how did this come to be buried by the side of the line near the station? County School station was originally built by the Great Eastern Railway in 1886. It served as a junction station between the railway’s Dereham to Fakenham line and the East Norfolk Railway’s branch line to Aylsham and Wroxham. The station however never had an engine shed, or any facilities to service or repair steam locomotives. During January 1915, there was however a collision of two Great Eastern Railway steam trains close to the station site, with both locomotives being damaged. Richard and the volunteer team wonder, could this plate be a reminder of that accident? This accident happened when a freight train travelling from Wroxham collided with a passenger train from Fakenham. As the collision fortunately only happened at slow speed it resulted in both engines and some of the wagons and coaches being damaged but there were no injuries. Already a damaged buffer, believed to be from the tender of one of the locomotives, is on display at the station museum. This buffer was previously discovered at the site and the deflector plate, once conservation work is completed, will be added to this growing museum. County School station presently serves as a visitor centre and small museum including a display about the Norfolk County School / Watt's Naval School that gave the station its unusual name. “We at the railway would be delighted to hear from anybody who might have some knowledge on this unusual find and of course we are always on the lookout for volunteers to join us, to help with the restoration of the railway at this wonderful station.” Richard Cullen, MNR County School Stationmaster At this time, due to Covid-19, the museum remains closed to the public, but it is planned to reopen in Spring 2021.

The Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust (MNRPT) is today announcing that sadly this year’s Polar Express™ Train Ride has been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. The Trust which oversees the running of the railway has been forced to make this difficult decision as it has become clear that, as the Covid-19 situation continues, it would be impossible to put on the full show that makes the Polar Express such a unique experience and maintain the social distancing that is still likely to be required. As such the railway does not, therefore, want to put on a version of the show that would likely be a disappointment for our passengers when compared to previous editions. The very nature of the show requires the cast to interact with the audience who are, of course, the passengers. “We have come to this difficult decision because we have to take a long-term view that safeguards both the railway’s reputation and that of The Polar Express™ Train Ride. We appreciate that this will be a major disappointment to our passengers, but we hope that there is understanding as to why this decision has been made.” Charlie Robinson, MNR Chairman The MNR does, however, have some good news to announce as the railway has signed a contract with Rail Events Inc. , the rights holder on behalf of Warner Bros. , which will see The Polar Express™ Train Ride return to the Mid-Norfolk Railway each year till 2024. The Trust is, therefore, delighted to say the show will be back on the road, or in our case rails, for 2021. “All of our Polar Express ticket holders have received an email from the railway setting out their options. These are a refund of the ticket price, as previously promised when they booked, or to transfer their ticket to the 2021 Polar Express.” George Saville, MNR General Manager In the meantime, the Railway is currently investigating an alternative steam-hauled Christmas train service which will comply fully with all social distancing regulations but allow families to enjoy a festive train ride this Christmas. More information and updates will soon be available on our website.