The Eastern and Midlands Railway was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of several small railways in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, England, including the Yarmouth and North Norfolk Railway, the Lynn and Fakenham Railway and the Yarmouth Union Railway. Many of these lines were built by contractors Wilkinson and Jarvis. In 1893 the Eastern and Midlands Railway became part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway.[1]
| Eastern and Midlands Railway | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Locale | East of England |
| Service | |
| Depot(s) | Melton Constable Railway Works |
| History | |
| Opened | 1881 |
| Closed | 1893, became part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Constituents
edit| Lynn and Fakenham Railway Act 1876 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Citation | 39 & 40 Vict. c. cxlvi |
The constituents of the Eastern and Midlands Railway were:[2]
- Peterborough, Wisbech and Sutton Bridge Railway, opened 1866[3]
- Midland & Eastern Railway (incorporating Lynn and Sutton Bridge Railway,[4] Norwich & Spalding Railway and Spalding & Bourne Railway)[5]
- Lynn & Fakenham Railway[6]
- Yarmouth & North Norfolk (Light) Railway (incorporating Great Yarmouth & Stalham Light Railway)[7]
- Yarmouth Union Railway[8]
- Spelling variations
The spellings of some place names have changed since the 19th century (e.g. Wisbeach/Wisbech and Bourn/Bourne).[9]
Routes
edit- Westbound from Kings Lynn
- Eastbound from Kings Lynn
Locomotives
editIn 1884, William Marriott became the locomotive superintendent[10] at the company's Melton Constable Railway Works. The railway's stock included:
- Two Fox, Walker 0-6-0ST locomotives (works numbers 338 and 339) which had been built for the Great Yarmouth and Stalham Light Railway in 1877.
- Seven 4-4-0T locomotives built by Hudswell Clarke for the Lynn and Fakenham Railway between 1878 and 1881.[11]
- Fifteen Beyer Peacock 4-4-0 locomotives built 1882-1888[12]
- Four built for the Lynn & Fakenham Railway
- Eleven built for the Eastern and Midlands Railway
- Eight Sharp Stewart 0-6-0T (Later 0-6-0T+T and 0-6-0) locomotives (ex-Cornwall Minerals Railway)[13]
To the M&GN
editThe Eastern and Midlands Railway became a part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in 1893.
References
edit- ^ "Eastern and Midlands Railway - Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk.
- ^ "MGN E&M". www.wycherail.co.uk.
- ^ "Eye Green Railway Station and the M&GN – EyePeterborough". www.eyepeterborough.co.uk.
- ^ Archives, The National. "The Discovery Service". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk.
- ^ "Midland & Eastern". www.wycherail.co.uk.
- ^ "Lynn & Fakenham". www.wycherail.co.uk.
- ^ "Disused Stations: Yarmouth Beach Station". www.disused-stations.org.uk.
- ^ "Great Yarmouth's Rail Connections". www.berneyarms.co.uk.
- ^ "M&GN Joint Railway Society". www.mandgn.co.uk.
- ^ "William Marriott". steamindex.com.
- ^ "E&MR Eastern & Midlands Railway Hudswell Clarke 4-4-0T - Railway-Photography".
- ^ "LNER Encyclopedia: The M&GN Class 'A Rebuild' Locomotives". www.lner.info.
- ^ "Joint Railways: locomotives". steamindex.com. Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway.
