A lost line from Lenwade

摘要

There are few railway lines which only had a 21-year life, and certainly few built as recently as 1960 that only saw trains for just over two decades! But that is the case of the Themelthorpe curve in rural Norfolk.rnNot only are we only talking a short curve of less than a mile - its construction would hardly have been heralded with a big celebration as it was built following the decimation of lines in the area, namely much of the ex-Midland and Great Northern (M&GN) network.rnLines such as those from Sheringham to Norwich City and from North Walsham to Bourne closed to passenger traffic in 1959-64. Some M&GN lines remained for freight, and the need to serve Norwich City and Lenwade services that led to the new curve being built.rnThe curve connected the Wroxham to Wymondham line with the remains of the Sheringham-Norwich City line. It allowed total closure of the line from Sheringham to Themelthorpe via Melton Constable. It meant that freight trains from Norwich to Norwich City no longer had to cover some 64 miles, and it effectively saved 30 miles off the trip.