The Mid Norfolk Railway has announced that it has reached its initial fundraising target of £15,000 towards the refurbishment of the signal box at Wymondham Abbey.
The signal box was originally the Spooner Row signal box on the Norwich to Ely line. It is now destined to become Wymondham Church Lane signal box, where it will control the signals at the Mid Norfolk Railway's new station at Wymondham Abbey and Church Lane level crossing.
When the Norwich Ely line was resignalled ten years ago, the box was taken out of use. Network Rail later donated the box to the Mid Norfolk Railway, but it could not be moved until the end of last year, when Network Rail closed the whole Norwich to Cambridge line for a weekend so that it could carry out several projects at the same time, including retrieving the box.
The box arrived at Wymondham in February this year, despite Storm Eunice causing problems on the planned movement day. Further delays in installing the box were caused by scaffolding issues, but they have been overcome and a group of working members of the railway has now made significant progress in refurbishing the box.
In 2012, the lever frame was recovered from the box and placed in storage, then nearly seven years ago a new locking room was built by working members of the railway. The railway's in-house S&T department has now re-installed the lever frame, which was originally built by Mackenzie & Holland. It is a 15-lever frame that is an important part of the box's heritage as when it was first fitted it had been rebuilt at the Great Eastern Railway's S&T workshop at Leyton; the rebuilt frame replaced an earlier Saxby Rocker one.
Outside the box, the feather boarding has been replaced as well as some of the structural mullions that were found to be suffering from wet rot or dry rot. Network Rail had covered the roof with a fibreglass coating, but that has been removed and new under felt is being fitted before the original slates are relaid.
Unfortunately, because of rot, most of the windows have required replacement, but the original windows have been reproduced by using them as templates by an outside contractor.
The original paint specifications are being followed to paint the box in 1950s/60s British Rail Eastern Region livery so that it has that period's appearance both inside and out.
Although the initial fundraising target has been achieved, the appeal is being relaunched to ensure there are enough funds to cover additional costs resulting from more work having to be done than originally envisaged, to cover the burden of current rising costs, and to contribute towards the signalling work that will be needed at Wymondham.
If anyone wishes to make a donation, details of how to do so can be found on the Mid Norfolk Railway's website at www.midnorfolkrailway.co.uk/wymondhamsbappeal
For £1000, small groups or individuals can also sponsor a signal. In return, they will be granted access to the box on a future running day. There they will meet Richard Pike, the Head of the railway's S&T department and operate their sonsored signal under his supervision. Further details of this sponsorship opportunity can be obtained by contacting the project leader at peter.singlehurst@mnr.org.uk
