Friday 11th November 2016

I am awake at half six, so switch on the radio to find that 2016 had taken another star from us; this time Leonard Cohen had passed away, and so Radio 6 were playing many of his best known tunes.

I go down for breakfast, and find that we are expected to sit in the area of the restaurant/bar facing the rear of the hotel, where the only view is of the traffic jam on Bridge Road, and the part looking onto the Broad is empty. But the tables have been set with coffee cups are through there I am told.

I have fruit followed by the meat part of a fry up. I am still avoiding eggs and tomatoes have no place on a breakfast plate, either tinned or grilled.

I have enough time to brish my teeth back in my room, then rush out and along Bridge Road to the station in order to be there to catch the train to Norwich. However, I soon realise that my watch had long since stopped and was showing the time to be ten to eleven, and the clock on my dumb mobile could be anything from a few seconds out to maybe an hour.

As it turned out, I have a 15 minute wait, but time to see a single 153 trundle up the East Suffolk line behind the platform of Oulton Broad Norther station. And thanks to some vegetation clearance the platform is now accessible right to the eastern end. The two car 156 arrives on the other platform, and ten minutes later this will be the train taking us to Norwich

The question you might be asking is why is Ian going to Norwich anyway? Well, due to DMU shortages, locomotive hauled trains are being used between Nowich and Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, so, what better to get a taste of how railways used to be is a day in Norfolk riding on them? None better, clearly.

We arrive in Norwich, and on the platform next to where we arrive is a rake of three Mk3 carriages, top and tailed by a pair of powerful 68s. I don't know where its going, but I am getting on it. I had already bought a Wherry Rover ticket for just £9 giving me unlimited travel for the day. Bargain.

As it happens its going back to Lowestoft, but on a fine late Autumnal morning, it would be a pleasure looking out of the huge windows onto the marshes and Broads as we travel along.

There is nothing like the rumble of powerful diesel engines as the locomotive eased us out of the station, quickly accelerating onto the line to Lowestoft. Past what is left of the engine sheds at Crown Point, then over the river at Whitlingham before striking out to Brundal, taking the right hand fork to Cantley and Reedham. Making the tight turn south, then over the swing bridge and down onto the marsh, running beside the long straight of The New Cut to St Olaves and again over the river at Somerleyton. And finally from there, running beside the cut to the top of Oulton Broad then turning towards the coast into the town, past the Broad and through the North station and finally into the familiar terminal of Lowestoft.

There is enough time to get out to snap the loco on the platform before getting back on board for the return trip. From my seat I see 3 buzzards, several kestrels, cormorants, swans, a hen harrier, a muntjac deer as well as a good few herons, ducks and other wildfowl. All from the comfort of my seat on the train. A fine day, and I smile as I realise it is going perfectly well.

Back in Norwich, the other loco hauled train is sitting at the buffers, growling. Two 37s with three carriages inbetween. Once again, no idea where there are going, but I'm getting on board.

Turns out its going to Great Yarmouth, which is good as there is a church there I wanted to snap. So I settle into the carriage behind the front locomotive, with the windows open so able to hear the engines working as we trundle through Norfolk. And once we are under way, the sound of the engines growling is rather wonderful I have to say, and I have a smile on my face all the way.

At Brundal we take the left fork to Acle, then running between the A47 main road and Breydon Water to Great Yarmouth.

Vauxhall is the last of three terminal stations left in the town, and has two very long platforms, used in the past for the huge numbers of holiday trains that used to bring workers from the midlands and north to Yarmouth for their holidays. Now rarely anything more than these three coach trains come here, and the long-abandoned carriage sidings are now overgrown with pampas grass, looking very exotic.

The station itself is a shell of what it used to be, and a good 15 minutes walk from the sea front and just 5 minutes less from the market place and shopping centre. Not that well placed for a station. From the forecourt, I can see the tower of the Minster, so I make for that.

It is open, and I am amazed at how large it is; Wiki says it is the largest parish church in England by floor area, and it is easy to believe. Most Kentish churches are of a simple Norman two cell, and so quite small. These Norfilk and Suffolk churches seem almost cathedral in size in comparison. I go round taking shots, but it is just so big, but after being bombed during the last war, it was mostly rebuilt, and now seems almost secular in function and form.

I have time to get back to the station for the next train beack to Norwich, and I think being clever I can get off at Brundal snap a locomotive or two before going back to Lowestoft. What I failed to remember was that the locos were hauling no stop services, and once getting off the train, I find I have a 90 minute wait for the next train to Lowestoft, and I was thirsty and hungry.

But there is a pub nearby, so a couple of pints of Woodforde's a and a basket of chips goes down well. And so I am back on the platofrm in time to catch the DMU back. Sadly, it was the service used by school kids, and it was packed, but I manage to get a seat, and with darkness falling, I can close my eyes as we run back to Reedham and then to Oulton Broad.

Darkness has fallen, but there will be entertainment in the evening, as England are playing Scotland at Wembley. I go next door to the pub, get a seat to watch it on the big screen, but there are so many people about I give up at half time and go to watch the rest in my room, going via the chippy for a bag of chips smothered in salt and vinegar.

England run out 3-0 winners without really convincing, but its a win, and against Scotland too.

There is more Family Guy on TV later, taking me to well past bedtime, so better get some beauty sleep.