Thuxton Station on Mid Norfolk Railway

Thuxton is on the branch railway from Wymondham to Dereham and thence on to Wells-next-the-Sea.

It was opened between 1847 and 1857 by the Norfolk Railway and became part of the Great Eastern Railway in 1862.

It was part of the through line to Wells complete with the Forncett connection off the mainline to London for through services. However Wells never developed as a resort in the Edwardian era as did Cromer and Sheringham and Poppy Land.

The line was originally double track but singled in BR days and dieselised. This did not save the branch and Thuxton closed to freight in 1964 and passengers in 1969.

The line was subject of efforts at preservation, and Thuxton re-opened as part of the Mid-Norfollk Railway in 1995. Since then it has seen the relaying of a passing loop and as pictured here, the construction of a Signal Box to control it.

The original signal box was downgraded to a ground-frame in 1933 and demolished in 1955. The replacement box is based on the design of the GER box at Shippea Hill in Cambridgeshire, and re-uses components from the signal cabin at East Winch in Norfolk.

The Mid-Norfolk Railway specialises in diesel preservation and the unit visible in the passing loop is BR Class 101, number 101695, with wonderful whiskers on the front.

The train was hauled by the Class 73 Selhurst, an electro-diesel it of course can only use diesel power on the MNR. It is painted in InterCity Gatwick Express Livery.

The train back was an East Midlands Train that ran through to Norwich and then onto Nottingham. The first through service to run onto and off the branch since 1969!