19th April 2021 · ‘The Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway’

Presenter: Brian Sullivan

The Norfolk and Suffolk Railway was unusual as it had two lines which were not connected to each other. There was a line from North Walsham to Cromer, part of which still exists and a line from Lowestoft to Yarmouth which is now closed. This presentation is concerned with the history of the latter.

Lowestoft Station is a three platform terminus of typical Great Eastern design opened in 1847. It is approximately half a mile from Lowestoft locomotive depot (32C) and a branch line between the two is taken off to serve Lowestoft Fish Port and also the local wooden sleeper depot. Several Y3 0-4-0T “Sentinels” were allocated to deal with the assembly of fish wagons and transport them to sidings next to the depot to be transported by overnight express to the London fish market at Billingsgate. This operation ceased with the closure of the Fish Port in 1939. The Y3s were retained to operate the sleeper depot.

The double track line from Lowestoft to Yarmouth Beach was built and owned jointly by the Great Eastern, Midland and Northern Railways and opened in 1903. It was connected to the Lowestoft mainline at Coke Ovens Junction close to the locomotive depot and takes an 180 degree curve to the first station, Lowestoft North. The track then turned North to stations at Corton, Hopton-on-Sea, Gorleston-on-Sea (3 stations) and through the town of Yarmouth, over Breydon viaduct and turned South to Yarmouth Beach station. The Yarmouth Beach station was closed in 1953 as the result of the Breydon Viaduct restoration being too expensive to be sustainable, and the final destination was moved to Yarmouth South.

In the early days of operation the normal usage was two or three trains a day, consisting of two coaches hauled by an F5 or F6 2-4-2T. In 1942 Gorleston North station was closed after being bombed and in 1967 Lowestoft North station was closed.

In 1959 the line was upgraded following the closure of the Lowestoft to Beccles line, the other line to Yarmouth.

The line was given a stay of execution in the early 50s by the construction of several holiday camps along the coast between Lowestoft and Yarmouth. In order to serve the residents it became necessary to transport them to and from the camps using privately hired trains from areas such a London, the West Midlands and even further afield. The hired trains were six to eight coaches hauled by various 4-6-0s and run on “change-over” days to Corton and Hopton via reversing at Lowestoft station. This involved the use of more powerful locomotives than the F5 or F6 and N7 0-6-2T from the modernisation of Liverpool Street London suburban trains and L1 2-6-4T from the closure of Great Central were brought in to serve the purpose.

The normal local trains were replaced by two-car diesel units in 1958, the route reduced to single line in 1967 and finally closed in May 1970.