13th May 2025 “Roger Harrison’s East Anglian Railways” by Dave Pearce

Our final talk of the 2024/25 season was given by Dave Pearce and was a tribute to the late Roger Harrison (1932-2010), a member of the Norfolk Railway Society and prolific photographer in East Anglia.

The first part of Dave’s talk covered Norwich to Ely, Cambridge, Hitchin, Peterborough, Kings Lynn and Wells. We opened with a 1951 view of a newly built Britannia leaving Norwich Thorpe on the Up Postal to Liverpool Street, various views on the Wensum Curve and veteran J15 No. 65469 on 21^st May 1960 pulling the M&GN Society’s ‘Waveney Valley and M&GN Special’ from Norwich City to Cromer, the Wensum Curve, Tivetshall, Beccles, Lowestoft and Norwich Thorpe. The well known Yarmouth to York featured behind B1 No. 61043, as did the North Elmham to Channelsea Milk and Parcels, behind Claud No. 62540.

Heading West we saw the unusual sight of Sheffield Darnall-based B1 No. 61111 arriving into Wymondham in June 1961 on a Rotherham to Wolsingham pilgrimage special. Ely produced an unusual 1958 view of Claud No. 61610 on an Up working of 4 carriages on the Down platform, whilst at Cambridge we observed a rare shot of the 1953 RCTS “East Anglian Railtour”.

We met the Great Northern main line at Hitchin to see A4 No. 60027 ‘Merlin’ on the ‘Capitals Limited’, before it became the ‘Elizabethan’ in 1953. Some fine views of the South of Hitchin station were seen, including a very early Brush Type 2 (later Class 30/31) and 204 hp Gardner-engined 0-6-0 shunters (later Class 03) in the vicinity of Hitchin South Box.

A brief pause at Peterborough showed C12 No. 67398 on station pilot duties with a horse box, Claud No. 62597 in the roundhouse at Spital Bridge, various views of the vast New England yards and the M&GN flyover in the process of demolition. Spalding was next and the complexity of the GN East Lincs line, the Joint Line and the M&GN lines combining at the station was very well illustrated. A lovely view of a V2 on the Lowestoft to York was seen at Cowbit, followed by a rare view of the West bays at March station hosting 0-6-0 Class J19 No. 64642 and a green Cravens DMU.

Heading East we saw Class 04 No. 11102 (later D2202) at Wisbech after arrival on the Tramway from Upwell, last day operations at Heacham on the Wells line in 1952 and views of Wells station on arrival on the last day.

Part 2 of Dave’s talk covered South Lynn to Yarmouth and Lowestoft, with further views around Norwich. We began on the last day of the M&GN line, 28^th February 1959, with Dave piecing together Roger’s movements covering Potter Heigham, North Walsham, Melton Constable, Massingham and South Lynn. Roger was a very active member of the Norfolk Railway Society and as such enjoyed certain privileged activities such as driving and footplate runs on J15 No. 65469 the Mundesley branch in 1960, arranged by Norwich shed master Dick Hardy.

Returning to Norwich Thorpe, Claud No. 62540 and B1 61055 were seen on shed, along with the unusual sighting on A5 tank loco No. 69826. As always, Britannias were in action on Liverpool Street workings, including 70038 ‘Robin Hood’ and a highly unusual view of a newly delivered Brush Type 2 reversing an Up London train into the Spur to Norwich Victoria, in order to run wrong line to the South. Views on the Waveney valley were next, including J15 no. 65469 on the daily trip at Harleston and vintage Class E4 No. 62793 at Beccles returning to Norwich.

Lowestoft then followed, with LNER Sentinel shunter No. 7773 at the Sleeper works. Heading up to South Town, with Claud No. 62604 at Gorleston Links, we were treated to 70034 ‘Thoms Hardy’ at the terminus and the sad sight of three Clauds parked up as surplus to requirements following the introduction of diesels in 1958. Moving over to Vauxhall revealed the delights of Class J70 0-6-0 Tram Engines 68219 and 68223 on shed.

We concluded the evening back in Norwich – Roger’s favourite stamping ground – with various movements over the Wensum Loop (not to be confused with the Wensum Curve), a lovely 1952 view of V1 No. 67664 arriving from Lowestoft with fish vans at the front of the train and the last day of steam in East Anglia – 31^st March 1962 – with Britannia 70003 ‘John Bunyan’ coming round the curve into Thorpe station from Liverpool Street.

The evening (and the season) concluded at 10.00 with huge applause to Dave for an amazing tribute to Roger, which magnificently captured the diversity and fascination of East Anglia’s railways in the highest standards of photography.