Wymondham Goods - 1980s 

A vanished scene from Brirtish Rail days 25 or so years ago. On an early summer day, diesel locomotive 37040 brings the mixed freight from North Elmham and Dereham into Wymondham, stopping outside the signalbox for Driver Jack Spall to return the single line token/branch train staff to the signalman. Note the Guard riding in the brakevan. The train shunts back into the down sidings and deposits the brakevan, before moving out onto the main line and setting back ready to move into the up sidings. Later, having left the Dereham wagons in the up sidings and collected some cement tanks, and then returned to the down sidings to reattach the brakevan, the loco powers out of the yard and away through the station towards Norwich, leaving a trail of exhaust fumes. The video also includes brief shots of the interior of Wymondham Signalbox, and glimpses of Met Cam and Cravens DMUs on local stopping services. The bulk Grainflow or 'Polybulk' wagons were introduced in the 1980s and carried grain from the fields of East Anglia, via the maltings of R.J Seaman & Sons Ltd. at North Elmham to whisky distlleries in northern Scotland as well as to ports for export. Each wagon could carry 60 tons of grain. The Wymondham to Dereham branch finally closed to frieght traffic in 1989 but today survives as the Mid Norfolk Railway. (The original recording is undated - many thanks to Chris Pearson from the MNR who advises that the Redland brick contract commenced in 1985 so that probably dates the recording as 1985 or 1986. Many thanks to Chris for much other additional information provided too).