Station Name: WATTON (NORFOLK)

[Source: Glen Kilday]


Watton Station Gallery 2: c late 1930s - c1950s


Watton’s old Merryweather steam fire engine is waiting to be loaded onto a goods train, having been sold, with Watton’s Fire Brigade posing for the camera.  Date unknown, possibly late 1930s.
Photo from Julian Horn collection

Sidings to the east of the line off Griston Road, completed in 1943 for the United States Army Air Force, served the needs of the airfield and newly built Neaton 3rd Strategic Air Depot about a half mile to the south at Griston. Three large supply hangars were built close to the sidings and the area became known as Little Texas. The photograph shows US road trucks being loaded from typical British wooden-sided railway wagons. Griston Road, with its bungalows that are still in place in 2017, lies behind the crane. To the immediate south there is a housing estate built in the early 2000s. The land where lay the sidings was redeveloped post-war and occupied by a factory. In December 2017 the site has been cleared and may be reused for housing.
Photo from James Lake collection

Aerial view showing Watton station and goods yard in 1946. Also seen are the three parallel sheds to the south of the station on the down side. Two of these are the engine shed and carriage shed built by the Watton & Thetford Railway c1870, a year after the Watton terminus opened. The engine shed closed in 1875 when the line was extended to Swaffham. The buildings were leased to local seed and corn merchant Tyrrell & Byford in 1908. A private siding was still in use in 1957. The two USAAF sidings built in 1943 are seen bottom right.

Taken after the heavy snowfall in the early months of 1947.  Squads of men dig out the railway near Watton station with a J17 0-6-0 in support.
Photo from Julian Horn collection

Watton Station entrance with Norwich Road behind the photographer, taken about 1950. The building on the right is Tyrrell & Byford's weigh office.
Photo from Duncan Chandler collection

The level crossing and Railway Hotel looking towards Norwich in about 1950. The station and goods yard are to the right (south).
Photo from Julian Horn collection

An unidentified Class 03 diesel shunts goods wagons at the north end of Watton station with The Railway Hotel in the background.  Norwich Thorpe received three of these diesel mechanical locomotives, numbers D2218-21, new from Doncaster Works in 1955.
Photo from Julian Horn collection

About 1955 a Class D16/3 4-4-0 62577 brings a Thetford-bound train into Watton, running past the northbound platform to reach its own stopping place.  The loco was built new at Stratford in 1909 as a ‘Claud Hamilton’ Class and rebuilt twice into its final form seen here.  It spent many years working from Norwich Thorpe shed and was withdrawn for scrap in October 1956.
Photo from Julian Horn collection

A fine view of part of the topiary hedgerow maintained by Mr. Fagg - it may be him in the image. The brick building to the right is a weigh office. Date unknown.
Photo from Julian Horn collection

The passenger shelter on the southbound platform looking towards the station buildings and Norwich Road, probably taken in 1955.  The station’s gas lights and lack of BR totem station-name boards is evident. The topiary hedge seen in the picture above is in front of the black timber building seen in the centre at the south end of the down platform. The coal yard is seen far right.
Photo from Julian Horn collection

A goods train occupies the southbound platform whilst milk-churns and wicker crates are stacked on the down side platform in this image from about 1955.
Photo from Julian Horn collection

The northbound platform, level crossing and Railway Hotel in the 1950s.  Upstairs windows in the main station building were bricked-up at some point.
Photo by JV Russell from Duncan Chandler collection

Looking south from the level crossing over Norwich Road; the down platform with a water crane at the north end and Watton station box are seen on the right with the goods dock and large brick goods shed on the left. The up platform can just be made out in the centre distance. The level crossing
is single track.
Photo from Julian Horn collection

Click here for Watton Station Gallery 3:
c1950s - Early 1960s

 

 

 

[Source: Glen Kilday]




Last updated: Monday, 18-Dec-2017 17:01:22 CET
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