Ellingham and Kirby Cane photograph archive
The Waveney Valley route provided a useful link between Tivetshall on the Norwich main line and Beccles on the East Suffolk routes.
Extract from East Anglia - Celebration of Steam by Nigel J.L. Digby:
The Waveney Valley Railway was incorporated in 1851 as a line from Tivetshall to Bungay, but there were difficulties which prevented construction beyond Harleston. This section was opened in 1855 and worked by ECR until 1861 when the WVR were obliged to work it themselves until the Great Eastern railway took over in 1863. Bungay was eventually reached in 1860 and Beccles on the ESR in 1963. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1953 but goods services remained. The section between Harleston and Bungay was closed in 1960, between Bungay and Beccles in stages during 1964 and 1965 with the remaining section to Harleston in 1966.
The brick built station building was an attractive two-storey structure in the Italianate style, with a low pitched slated roof and arched window surrounds. the platform frontage featured a small covered area or loggia for waiting travellers and there were miniature gables at the front and rear of the building. At some stage the brickwork of the house was rendered and a single storey extension built on the east end. in 1877 a siding was authorised to serve Ellingham Mill at a cost of £67....
The end came in 1966 and 111 years of railway history in this part of East Anglia drew inexorably to a close.
Painting by Joe Crowfoot (Carl Adams)
Painting of Ellingham Station by Joe Crowfoot. Joe was born in 1946 into a family of Lowestoft fishermen. He spent his early years as a wherryman on the Norfolk Broads. Since 1980 he has been a professional marine, aviation and landscape artist.
Painting of Ellingham railway bridge by John Constable Reeve, donated for display in the Memorial Hall Kirby Cane.
Ellingham Station, gates, road bridge and signal box.
Ellingham Station.
Thelma Southgate's Story (nee Head)
Thelma was the daughter of Station Master Mr Head 1931-1949. He was initially a lorry driver delivering parcels left at the station but he studied in the evenings and was promoted to Station Master. Thelma lived at Station House for 18 years with her family, seven in all. There was no running water. The pump was situated in the gents toilet and water was bucketed to a big earthenware container in the scullery which sometimes froze in winter. Part of the old carriage was her Dad's shed and part a store for parcels. The loggia where passengers waited, they called the Arcade. The waiting room was to the right of the front door. The bedrooms were upstairs but there was no bathroom. A tin bath in front of the range in the living room served. The American servicemen stationed in tents on searchlight field came to visit. Thelma attended Ellingham School and then Bungay Secondary school to which she cycled. The trains became part of life and she didn't notice the noise. Her father died aged 46 in 1948 and her mother died also aged 46 in 1950. The family was moved to a new council house in Ditchingham and Thelma took on the role of mother as well as working. In 1951 she married and was able to give up work and look after
all the family plus her own children.
Ellingham Signal Box was equipped with fifteen lever, Dutton frame.
Hunslet Shunter and waggons leaving Ellingham Station, showing level crossing gates.
The main source of traffic were domestic coal inwards and agricultural produce ( wheat, barley , hay, manure and sugar beet) outwards, together with building materials and general merchandise.
Steam Train at Ellingham Station, early 1953.
Hunslet Diesel at Ellingham Station
Hunslet Diesel near points to the wartime petrol dump sidings (now the Grain Store)
The line played its part in the war effort. These additional sidings were built in 1943/44 to serve the fuel depot. Some 148 trains of fuel for the USAAF were received during 6 months in 1944 alone. limited floodlighting enabled activity to take place round the clock. (Dr I.C. Allen -The Transport Treasury)
Between June and September 1944 the tiny goods yard handled some 2,518 wagons loaded with bombs for the American Airforce (From Tivetshall to Beccles' by Richard Adderson and Graham Kenworthy)
By the late 1980s the fuel tanks had been removed and the site adapted for use as a grain store. Two rectangular huts, a vehicle shed and air raid shelter survive at the site.
Ellingham Station the summer before closure.
The old signal box (Dorothy Stevens)
Ellingham Station and level crossing
J15 Sunday Special leaving Ellingham Station
Train passing Braces Lane level crossing
(from 'Tivetshall to Beccles' by Richard Adderson and Graham Kenworthy)
Mr Head at the top of the steps (Dorothy Stevens)
Ticket for the last passenger train to Beccles January 1953 (Molly Barber)
Account of that day: Almost the whole village turned up. Mr Dale, in the ticket office issued a record number of single tickets to Beccles.
The old station from the north(Robin Lyne)
Steam Train approaches Ellingham Station - Crossing Cottage, Braces Lane on the right
(Molly Barber)
The Old Station Ellingham (Robin Lyne)
Ellingham Station (WI Scrapbook)
Station House showing the station platform (Diana Wadley)
Station House, now two houses.(Diana Wadley)
Crossing Cottage Braces Lane.
The disused railway line and road bridge. (Michelle Kirk)
The old railway line, looking east (Robin Lyne)
Under the old railway bridge (Robin Richardson)
Supported by Kirby Cane Memorial Hall (a registered charity).
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