Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the S&NLR

Snow Time on the S&NLR

Over the last week snow arrived on the S&NLR giving a festive view from the carriage windows for our Santa's Specials passengers. Unlike full size trains in the UK "Little Nellie" ran extremely well with two of our Isle of Man carriages in the wintry weather.

Above: "Little Nellie" soon after arrivle at Weybourne

Above: Little Nellie steams through the wintry landscape

Above: Awaiting departure from Sprowston

Santa Specials

The Santa Specials are now running every Sunday, and Christmas Eve, the trains this year are being hauled by our live steam loco "Little Nellie".

Starting from boxing day until New Years day Nellie will be hauling the Mince Pie Specials.

After undergoing a spell of maintenance recently, "Little Nellie" was seen being tested ahead of the Santa's Specials yesterday evening (Saturday 6th December) with three of the railways IoM carriages

Above: "Nellie" seen at Sprowston shortly after arrival
Above: "Nellie" can be seen steaming through the late autumn countryside

Above: Departing Weybourne

Above: "Nellie" can be seen at Sprowston in the fading daylight

Nellie visits the ALR

On Saturday (7th November) "Little Nellie" visited The Ashmanhaugh Light Railway a 7 1/4 inch gauge railway near Wroxham. The loco was steamed up and ran on blocks.

Above: Big and small"Little Nellie" poses with ALRs "Lucille"
Above: Big and small "Little Nellie" poses with ALRs "Lucille"
Above: "Little Nellie" is steamed up on blocks with
ALRs "Thunderbox" in the background

Locomtive Update

Its been over two months since the railways first live steam locomotive arrived in the form of an Accuaft Edrig. Upon the locos arrival, the loco was named "Little Nellie" and the loco has proved to be extremely reliable and popular, and very easy to drive (we're just waiting for a nice cold frosty morning now...).

In other news the manager isn't happy as he's been landed with a pile of paper work after one of our mainline diesels ran off the end of the siding at Weybourne during the Mixed Traffic Gala!

"Nelson" has finally entered the railways workshops for a repaint, the loco will exit the workshops in BR diesel blue livery in which it should look very smart?

TTFN Happy Steamings

Above:"Little Nellie" at WeybourneAbove:"William Marriot" soon after it landed its self in a spot of bother during the Mixed Traffic Gala
Above: Nelson half way through its repaint

Mixed Traffic Gala

Last weekend the railway held its end of season Mixed Traffic Gala, two locos visited from the Old Catton Light Railway, in the form of Otto, and also their new American loco which has been named "Annie". Locos from the S&Ns home fleet was "Little Nellie", "Black Beauty", "Frank S" and "William Marriot".

Above: "Little Nellie" patiently awaits departure from Weybourne in

the autumnal sunshine

Above: Otto having arrived with an early morning train from Sprowston, waits for Nellie to haul the train back so it can shunt into the siding and await its next duty.
Above: OCLRs new loco "Annie" awaits departure from Sprowston with the IoM set
Above: "Frank S" hauls a goods train Above: "Black Beauty" awaits departure from Weybourne

Above: "William Marriot" hauls a short hopper train

Last night "Little Nellie" entered the railways workshops for stage one of the locos upgrade, this was the application of gold lining to the fronts and sides of the water tanks and also to the back of the cab.

Other upgrades for the loco will be a GWR style safety valve cover, tank top coal bunker, tool box and name/number/works plates.

Above: Nellie poses in platform 1 at Sprowston to show off her new lining
Above: Nellie poses on platform 1 at Sprowston to show off her new lining

Above: Before lining was applied Nellie can be seen departing Weybourne with the IoM set

Above: Before lining was applied Nellie can be seen awaiting departure from Weybourne

Above: Nellie can be seen departing Weybourne

Nellie Steams

One Friday, we steamed Nellie for the first time. We steamed her four times, twice on blocks and twice running round the railway. We are extremely pleased at how controllable the loco is and how well it runs.

Above: the pressure starts to rise for the first time
Above: the first bit of steam appears from the loco
Above: "Little Nellie" running on the railway with IoM stock

Above: two arty pics of Nellie

"Little Nelle" arrives at last!!

Our very first live steam loco arrived today! Built by Accucraft UK Ltd Nellie is an Edrig class loco and has come from the very last batch as a new loco is due to takes its place next year!

Open Day

Our annual Bank Holiday open day was held on Monday and a good selection of locos visited from Fundenhall and Raglen Hall Joint Railways as well as our own fleet.

Above: visiting live steam Lady Anne hauling our IoM stock
Above: Lady Anne at Weyboune

Above: a dirty diesel from Raglen Hall

Above: a scratch built East African diesel from Fundenhall

Above: as usual Raglen Hall supplied the noisiest loco, this Santa Fe loco regularly treated us to a blast of its horn courtesy of several track magnets on the railway...

IoM carriages enter service, new hoppers and Stainz No. 2 returns!

Our IoM carriages are now in service and they seem to look good being hauled by nearly anything! We now have three new hoppers made by Piko, and our very first loco Stainz No.2 named Sue has returned to the railway after being away from the railway for over a year having an overhaul.

Above: Sue passes Kelling halt hauling our new hoppers
Above: a close up of one of the hoppers

Above: During the first day of service on the railway the IoM carriages can be seen here awaiting departure at Weybourne

More IoM carriages arrive!

Today (25th August) the two other Isle of Man 4 wheeled carriages arrived on the railway number B4 and C1, so we now have a rake of four. These should look exellent being hauled by our live steam loco which is due to arrive during September.

Above: C1 and B4 are united with B2 and B3 soon after arrivel

No. 15 back in service

Loco No. 15 "Black Beauty" has now been reassembled after its been in the workshops for the last week having lining added and its chassis painted - we were given some transfers so the loco now sports British Railways on the tender and numbers on the buffer beams, we have also detailed the cab interior