2013 Society Members' Day Announced
The 2013 M&GN Joint Railway Society Members' day has been announced, for Saturday 5th October 2013. On this day, the North Norfolk Railway is opened up for Society members and any member is welcome to travel for free. This year marks a special anniversary for the Society and will be a day not to miss!
Saturday 5th October marks exactly 50 years to the day the ubiquitous Wandering 1500 railtour left Broad Street at exactly 9.20am, running via Finsbury Park and onto Stratford Upon Avon and return. The tour was the last time the B12 steamed until 1994 with the locomotive going into store after the trip. To mark the occasion, it is planned to have the B12 depart Sheringham station at exactly 0920 to mark 50 years of the tour and to kickstart the 2013 Members' Day.
To celebrate the trip, a railtour will also be chartered by the Railway Touring Company and will run from London Liverpool Street to Holt, traversing the Sheringham level crossing. It is anticipated the locomotive hauling the tour will be LNER B1 4-6-0 61306Mayflower. Tickets for the tour have yet to go on sale.
As part of the day and associated celebrations, the Society is appealing for anyone who travelled on the original tour, or was a member of the footplate crew to make contact. David Butcher, a long standing Society supporter and Fireman on the original 1963 tour will be on the footplate of the B12 to mark the anniversary. The Society would specifically like to invite former footplatemen involved with the tour to come forward for an invite to join David on the day.
It is planned to haveB12 8572in steam for the day, hauling theGresley Quad-Art setalongside the Society'sClass 31 D5631.
Non-Society members are still welcome to travel on the day and normal rover ticket fares will apply. Memberships to the Society can be purchased either in advance or on the day to make advantage of the free travel offer.Joining the Societyis the best way to support the North Norfolk Railway and membership benefits include quarter rate travel on normal NNR running days and four copies of our full colour journalJoint Line.