ONCE MORE INTO THE BREECH

Source: ONCE MORE INTO THE BREECH

ONCE MORE INTO THE BREECH

In 1996, The North Norfolk Railway staged a war themed event. I’ve no idea how successful it was, but nineteen years later, it has grown into a major event involving not only the railway, but also the towns of Sheringham and Holt.

 

It’s 400 miles from my Cornish home to Holt, so after finishing work on the Thursday, I headed north with my wife, Vivianne, in our motorhome. Thursday night was spent in a lay by close, too close(!) to the M5 and thus we made an early start on the Friday. After a short detour to visit my sister in law in Woolaston, we arrived at Holt Station by teatime. Awaiting us were the owners of AJN 825, the 1939 Bristol K bus from Westcliff on sea Motor Services, who had very kindly invited me to drive their bus during the weekend.

First problem was the weather! It wasn’t actually raining at the time but had during the previous week meaning the camping field was a tad soft. Especially so in the corner we had been allocated! However, eventually, I managed to park the motorhome half on the field, half on the pavement, and we settled down. Tea that evening was courtesy of Debbie and Barry. A very nice paella with chicken and prawn.

 

Next morning and I’m down to drive this bus on the 10:00 departure from Holt Station to Sheringham via Holt Town Centre. With the owners on the back I climbed into the cab and started her up. Complete the walk round checks and drive off.

 

The bus is wonderful and a delight to drive. A real credit to her owners. Unfortunately, it’s also the most unforgiving crash box bus I drive! However, I am getting better and now can sense whether (or not) the gear will go in when I push the gear stick and if not, I can correct this without stopping the bus or grinding the gears, too much!

Half an hour later and I pull into Sheringham Station. The roads around here are closed for the event with marshals to move the barriers and allow me access. The passengers disembark, and there’s an hour layover before the return so I take the chance to wander through the town with Viv. Although relatively early, the town is full of people in 1940’s outfits, or military uniform and the Yanks are definitely in Town! Next to the local Tesco is a church hall, and they are doing teas and refreshments, with the staff dressed up in 1940’s waitresses gear. Table service, of course, no ordering at the counter. Fare is excellent, if a little pricey. 15/- for a cup of tea! I know there’s a war on, and prices have gone up but I didn’t expect the Church to be profiteering!

Crowds at Sheringham Station

Sheringham Street Scene

All too soon, I have to return to the bus, and I find it’s just about full up. The owners have saved a seat for Viv and I climb back into the cab. Now people will say Norfolk’s flat. That doesn’t apply to North Norfolk! I pull away to three bells and almost immediately I have to negotiate a T junction, on a hill, and turn left to go over the railway line. Not much further and I turn into Holway Road which leads to the A148, Cromer to Holt road. It’s only a mile long but uphill! With a full load, I’m down to second gear for much of the way! At the top, there’s another T junction. Not much of an incline here, but I use first gear to get the bus moving onto the Holt road. Perhaps I was showing off by snatching into second gear, but it worked a treat! Something the bus was not used to in her days around Westcliff on Sea.

 

My next drive is with OVF 229, an Eastern Counties Lodekka.

Same route, out of Holt Station, by pass to Holt town centre and then on to Sheringham. The bus has a much easier gear box although still a crash. The only problem I encountered with her was when I tried to get her into 5^th gear. Difficult in a bus with a four speed box! But once I’d worked out the number of gears, I had no difficulties on this run.

 

My last drive of the day was back on AJN again. 16:00 from Holt Station  to Sheringham and return. And another full load! No real problems with the gears, a couple of times I had two attempts to find a gear but I kept going. Apparently, at the least hint of a grinding sound, cheers went up from the passengers when I found it! In the cab, it’s too noisy to hear anything from the passengers. But run wasn’t without its problems! The stop at Holt war memorial is immediately before a T junction and I have to turn left. Not normally difficult but this weekend, the pavement opposite has been dug up and a barrier has been set up to protect pedestrians as they walk in the road. Now to prove my theory that in these elf & safety conscious times, the  hazard warnings are more of a hazard than the hazard itself. A double decker bus has come from my left and because the bus stop is no longer accessible, being in the stretch of dug up pavement, the driver has parked between the hazard warning sign and the hazard. Thus although the front of the bus is by the kerb, his rear is sticking out into the road. I decide I can’t squeeze through the gap and sit tight until he moves off. Then a single deck bus appears from behind me, also wanting to go left. The narrow gap doesn’t deter him! I watch with trepidation as the nearside of his bus comes uncomfortably close to the front corner of mine. I do have my hand brake on. Useful defence if we make contact. But fortunately,(miraculously?) he gets around me. Then has to mount the pavement in order to clear the rear of the decker. I can only assume he was running late. Eventually, the decker moves off and I have a clear run out of town. Not the only incident on this run! On the straight A148 heading for Sheringham, I see in my rear view mirrors, (yes, I do use them, occasionally!) two cars following me. The second one pulls out to overtake the first car and me, just as the first car has the same idea! Luckily for both, he realises his error in time.

 

For an evening meal, Viv and I had been invited to join the owners of AJN at a restaurant in Sheringham. The railway were running a diesel train set during the evening between Holt and Sheringham so we took advantage of this rather than, as we did last year, drive one of the buses into town. The trains seemed to be running late and we all wandered onto the platform as a steam train pulled away. A meal had been booked for 19:30, plenty of time had our diesel been on time but in the event, we only just made it!

 

Next morning was a repeat of the Saturday. I drove AJN out of Holt at 10:00 to Sheringham where we had an hours layover before returning. My next drive should have been RM 2151 from Holt Station at 12:30 but there’s been an incident. An enemy air raid has seen the train service suspended between Holt and Weybourne with Holt Station being out of action!

A Spitfire circling Holt looking for the enemy raider!

Well, not quite! Loco 8572 pulled into Holt Station, uncoupled from its train and was trying to run around the train for the return when it failed to stop and ran into the buffers at the end of the platform, derailing the front bogie and causing some damage to the platform end.

North Norfolk Railway Loco 8572 at Holt Station, having run into the buffer end stop.

Fortunately no one was hurt although the shocked driver was taken to hospital as a precaution. There is a video of this loco leaving Holt on the Saturday at https://www.facebook.com/612027493/videos/vob.612027493/10153779674427494/?type=2&theater  Thus when I arrive to take over my bus, it’s not there and the inspector, John Stewart, points me towards a very full MW and asks me to take it direct to Sheringham, and bring back as many passengers as I can. 

 

Well, all hands to the pumps as they say, and I take this bus with its full load to Sheringham. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told them that this was the first time I’d driven that bus! The bus has a 5 cylinder Gardner engine, as opposed to the 6 cylinder version I’m more used to, but all was fine except when I turned off the main road and headed down to Sheringham Station, I couldn’t find a gear! This bus does have a Bristol 5 speed box and I think that in coming out of 4th, looking for 3rd, I must have  wandered into the neutral zone between 4th and 5th. Drivers of these buses will understand the problem. But The Gods were with me and I eventually found third.

At Sheringham Station, more than usual scenes of chaos with people stranded and needing to get back to Holt. One of AJN 825’s crew has started to marshall the queue and soon they’re pouring aboard.  Again, I head straight to Holt Station.  I’m supposed to be on a break but that’s gone out of the window. I would have liked to take a train into Sheringham but that’s not possible so I stay on the buses. The MW fills up again and I’m off, but back to original route via Holt town centre where there’s quite a queue! Diverting buses direct to Sheringham has meant a big gap in the timetable. I pick up as many passengers as I can, offering to stop on the main road near Holt Station for anyone trying to get there.

When I finally make it back to Holt Station on the return, I find that John is getting worried about me as I haven’t been seen for some time!

By mid afternoon, the railway have managed to get diesel trains running along the whole line and things are starting to return to normal. 16:30 and my routemaster comes into Holt Station for me to take the last return trip to Sheringham. He’s only ten minutes late so once the driver has unloaded his passengers and turned around, I climb into the cab.

RM 2151

Now compared to the earlier buses I’d driven this weekend, this bus is so easy! Power steering, and a semi-automatic  gear box. No crunching of gears, and no aching arms!

All too soon, the weekend is over. Wonderful time in north Norfolk, with some great people. Next year should be their 20th anniversary, so I’m looking forward to returning then, and hopefully driving these brilliant buses again.