The Norfolk Beach Railway Mystery - Has it been Solved? 2024 Edit
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- The Mystery of the Norfolk Beach Railway. Has it been Solved?
Join me in Trimingham, Norfolk as I take a look at an unusual abandoned railway on a popular seaside location.
What was it for? When was it constructed? Many questions remain unanswered.
Let's try to find out and see what you all think....
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#disusedrailway #norfolk #disused #railway #abandoned Additional Music by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0.
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When I met my husband, I had no idea how I would become so attached to Norfolk and its history. He loves Trains and more importantly the history of how they were devastated by the Beeching cuts, I just love any history but trains help 😊. This video in particular brings history into our world. I’m now 56 but if I had this in a history class I would be hooked on history for ever. It wouldn’t have been endless days of Marie Antoinette.. Just loved this and because it’s personal I had to do another super thanks…. All the best Alex.
It's a lovely area isn't it? I've managed to do around a dozen videos around there so far I'll be back for more ❤️
I love and share your enthusiasm for old railway track, Ant. I don't understand why, but it's wonderful. Keep doing what you're doing. I'm with you all the way. Thank you.
As a local to Norfolk and a local railway historian i can confirm these rails were put in the 1970s...it was to reinforce the cliffs that were crumbling....Norfolk County Council...installed the rails to bring in rocks by narrow gauge rail to shore up the cliffs...but alas it did not work and as the cliffs kept crumbling.....the project was abandoned...and even to this day...Norfolk County Coucil have no plans to remove the remains of the tracks...enjoy these remains of an abandoned project...
Interesting. The only things that stop coastal erosion are the groynes, that stop the sea scouring the cliff base.
But no council seems to want to stop the erosion, else they add them.
Ant, in your original video you thought the tracks dated back to WW2 because of the state of corrosion. However, the tracks had been subjected to 47 years of seawater, sometimes during storms, when you filmed them in 2021 and constant exposure to seawater and spray would no doubt have made them look very old within ten years.
I found this facinating, i think it was laid to assist in the building of the sea defences ,, A lovely part of the country ...
That's what I heard when I lived in Narrrfukk
I think that is the most likely scenario
That looks so eerie, just abandoned. But also extremely fascinating too. As always an excellent video.
Very kind thanks very much ☺️
Thanks and great work and I do like your editing.. Just Brilliant.
So very kind thanks very much ❤️
@@TrekkingExploration I’m hoping this will spur others to thank you. Such great content delivered to our door. I edit my own videos so I know how so much effort is required. It’s probably the most difficult thing to do otherwise you end up with jump cuts. All the best
@@MrAsBBB hopefully they'll keep getting shared around and watched. I'll keep them coming 🙂
You spoil me, sir: from Merthyr Tydfil, where I was born & bred to East Anglia, where I now live!
I've seen these rails with my own eyes. I couldn't find any reliable information on their origins, but always thought it they were WW2 related.
Those "1974 photos" look about right. There's a chap wearing a white hard hat that were introduced in the late 1960s and the mini loco is of a similar vintage.
Excellent work!
If you like narrow gauge, then why not take a look at the Southwold Railway in Suffolk that used to run from Halesworth (with its novel level crossing apparatus that is still in situ) to Southwold.
The excavator bore the name “Dredging and Construction Co” The company was based in Kings Lynn and there is some information on the net. I have not researched in any detail but there may be information about the sea defence work and the railway.
The track panels are standard contractor ng panels, made to be portable and possibly a lot older than the 1974 job. They may well have been in storage for many years having been retired from previous jobs. The rail lengths towards video end look more like standard guage rails on their sides? They may be life expired rails supplied as reinforcements on the sea defences but surplus to required so just dumped.
Nice job Ant and you could be right as from memory that type of "Mecanno" track was used for many years and I do recall seeing it in use on the canal near LLangollen in the late 60s / 70s when repairs were underway on the canal banks. All that said, gret vid and thanks for the cracking stills at the end!!
Amazing what you find, brilliant video of yesteryear “Railways”
Thanks for watching Peter
Trekking Exploration, nice content keep it up bro
Thanks very much indeed 😊
Press photography was mostly done in black-and-white in the 1970s. Colour printing in newspapers didn't come along until the 1980s (apart from Sunday colour supplements etc.) Many books of that era had black-and-white photographs.
Great historic mystery video. Love it Ant. You got us all thinking. What a find. Brilliant.
Thanks so much Shirley ☺️
Looks so weird seeing a railway on a literally beach,pretty interesting
It really is strange. I bet there are others too.. thank you for watching
@@TrekkingExplorationmy pleasure
The railway leading to Looe in cornwall runs along a river estuary bed. Its still in service. Always struck me as a silly place for a railway. Never really understood how it hasnt been washed away!
Fascinating video Ant. I was always intrigued after watching your original video. I'd say that the mystery has been solved for sure 👍😊
I think that's definitely the mystery solved
Hi Ant. This track looks like Jubilee track to me. Prefabricated. Used a lot for construction work. Most of our motorways were built with narrow gauge stock on Prefabricated track like this. Right through the 70s even.
As to more history of this line....search the Industrial Railway Society's forums.
The reason i say that is because there is a wealth of knowledge shared there, and guess what....you were mentioned recently in a post about this very line! Seems the photo with locos you found hadnt been seen by the experts before !
Cheers. Gary
It also makes me wonder how many of these little railways were once used in such places... Maybe a couple yet to be found. Thanks for watching 🙂
@TrekkingExploration The abandoned truck, tyres usually have coded markings on the sidewall to indicate when they were manufactured.
They look like WW1 decauville type track. I remember seeing some of this trackwork disappearing into the long grass in a sports ground in Sidcup or Eltham when I was young, and amazed at how it looked just like giant Hornby tinplate track. Great video Ant!
Fascinating, thank you Ant. Take care.
Thanks Christine 😀
Love the edit mate
Cheers buddy hopefully it'll get shared around
There was another narrow gauge railway on the other side of the Wash, somewhere around Frieston, I think it was constructed to assist with draining the marshes.
I don’t know if any of it survives.
Thanks for the video. Love the content. Best regards from Chicago
Very kind thanks very much 😃
As a product of the 1970s myself I can identify with that amount of weathering so I tend to agree. However that other bit of track looked different enough, and I think maybe one of the photographs did, that perhaps there were two railways built for similar purposes or, as you mentioned, the older one for moving war remains.
The two heavier rails were most likely for placing heavy loads onto after being removed (possibly/probably) by crane from the trucks on the narrow gauge.
@@stephensaines7100 I have to admit I hadn't thought of that - it does make sense.
keep up the great work man , luv your videos
Very kind thank you 🙂
Interesting video once again Ant. 👍👍
Thanks for watching 🙂
That profile of rail type was first used in 1860 and the 'U shaped upturned' formation sleepers were first introduced in 1889. So the timeline could be as early as that?
The mystery deepens lol.
I agree with the mid-70's theory as the track assemblies/sections look to have been made cheap, quick and dirty and to be disposed of at the end of a government job.
Thanks to Ant for keeping local and regional history alive.
It's quite bad really it was all just left there but interesting for us today
@@TrekkingExploration Just like a Headstone, every artifact has a story.
Another fascinating piece of history. I would have to go along with your thoughts about this odd little line. Quite spooky, really!
Thanks for watching Simon
Got to be the 70's version looking at all the equipment. Tend to think of the 70's as fairly recent but time flies and it's now 50 years ago and some of that equipment being used would probably date back another twenty years. Grainy B&W? - blame the mist rolling in from the sea!!! Nicely tied up Ant, good excuse for a bracing walk on the beach👍👍👍👍
8:00 is exactly the scene in one of the construction photos
I've just looked, it seems like it yes 🙂
There was certainly very old track remains on the beach prior to the sea defence works, as I can remember asking my dad about it when I was only up to his waist in height, about 6 or 7 years old, which would have been 1970 or there about. this says to me that both stories have some truth about them. It is entirely possible that some of the old ww2 track would have been reused for the sea defence work.
B&W photography was still common in 70s as it was cheaper. Also, a lot of these industrial narrow gauge railways were re-used at different places, so this could easily be older than 70s and just used previously elsewhere.
The rails, sleepers and fish plates are exactly the same as used underground in mining in the 1970's and 80's. Don't know about all areas but certainly in North Derbyshire.
Great video very interesting.
Thanks for watching
Thanks for the update Ant.😂
Thanks for watching 🙂
Excellent video Ant, I saw the article on BBC website, that picture is really interesting as it shows two locos operating. I think it may be 73 as men seem to be wearing hard hats . Would make an interesting model
Cheers Russ
It's quite a unique little area isn't it? Thank you for watching 🙂
@TrekkingExploration
I need to go and see it really. Only a few miles from where I live
@@maestromanification it's worth seeing it's quite eerie
@TrekkingExploration I bet , think I'll wait until a foggy evening in November and scare myself witless 😀
@@maestromanification 😂😂😂
4:50 - you doubt the pics were 1974 as they were in B&W - yes holiday and wedding photos would be in colour, but B&W was still commonly used for more day to day photos. But more importantly amateur photographers could much more easily and cheaply develop their own photos in B&W than colour.
Are there any signs of long forgotten General Ironsides pillbox stop lines on that part of the coast. As getting concrete making materials in an area would need a narrow gauge railway that could have been in itself from the first world war. The metal sleepers might have a casting date on them.
Upto about the equivalent of around three tonnes of basis concrete and steel reinforcement to build a single bog standard pillbox. If that makes any sense.
I have visited Trimmingham beach a plenty amount of times and I’m with the ww2 disposal theory but I believe after the war the tracks were abandoned and reused in the 50’s and 70’s for beach coastal defense within the general area’s surrounding it. That’s my theory anyways.
I like the way everyone leaves their trash when they have done with it. All this should have been removed as normal practice.
I love Norfolk! Thsn kyou
Thanks for watching Angela
What a state to leave a beach in but when a real railway is closed in the uk they rip up the lines before anyone can save it as a heritage line.
W😮W - How amazing - not something you expect to find on a beach - may be a Sand Castle but not a Railway - I believe the 1973 Story b/c that was the year I was born!!! 😉🚂🚂🚂
P.s. I've just told my friends on the Hornby Forum about your / this Video b/c I thought that they night find it interesting - so you may get a few extra views!!! 😉🚂🚂🚂
1970s is not late for black and white film. Even well into the 80s most magazines, newspapers, books and journals were entirely BW or mainly BW with a few colour pages so there was no point in taking colour pictures for them. BW film could be easily processed and printed with simple facilities relatively cheaply and printed in large sizes for record purposes whereas colour processing was much more complicated and expensive. For low light work BW film was readily available in faster speeds than colour.
Ok
Cape May New Jersey had a beach railway as well.
I bet there was a lot at one time
Basically the construction company dumped their trash on the beach, send them the bill for clean up 😂
Yeah pretty much. Thanks for watching 🙂
Hells mouth in north wales, there’s rails on the beach that have fallen onto it, it was a ww2 training camp, they used the railways to train the gunners.
looks like ww1 military N.G. trench railway line, even down to the sleepers! Part of a ww1 shore defence system?
Certainly post 60's as the rail is what is commonly known as flat bottom, probably 98lb.
Ahhh thanks for the information
So sometime between the end of ww2 1945 and 1953 so a max of 8 years how can you say it looks old by only 8 years something other 70 years ago but nice work thanks
I did mention the 1970s work on the coast protection. Thanks for watching
Good vid as usual. I was never really a mystery. People speculated - badly, that's all. The BBC did some lazy journalism recently about it recently that you allude to which was basically a hack noticing some social media posts asking about it and turning it into a "news-worthy" article - really rather poor show from the BBC to be honest. I live up the cliffs there and the reason the tracks remain there is pretty common knowledge.
When I read the article I thought, your saying this like it's new news yet I said it 3 years ago on the previous video 😂
It's been out there years and was allso a little carriage just off the sea defence
That would have been good to see
@TrekkingExploration think it's still out there just broke up loads. Someone use to dive over it
@@user-vo1vj1uz1u 😩
❤❤👍👍😊😊
Thanks Chris
:) :)
🙂🙂
Champion!
Thanks Ray 😊