Having only been to Sheringham once before, some 50 years ago (when I was unable to travel on the NNR) I decided that this fixture would be an excellent excuse to return. Travelling there in the morning wasn't going to work, so I asked the National Rail website how to arrive early the previous evening. I set off at the time it suggested but immediately realised I could do better by using the Waterloo & City Line instead of the North London Line. As a result, I was half an hour earlier reaching Norwich. This looked like a wasted half hour as the hourly train to Sheringham was due to leave Norwich one minute before my London train arrived. However, the Sheringham train set off six minutes late, so I gained almost an hour in total.

Next morning, the weather was cold and windy but at least it was dry. After breakfast, I walked up to the two stations in time to take some photos, meet some of our other 40 members and report in before heading for the train in NNR P3. D3940 was preparing to haul Great Eastern Railway ex-Wisbech & Upwell Tramway coach 'Irene' and BR brakevan 950133. 'Irene' is fitted with a Titfield Thunderbolt (film) type bar but it was closed! We set off at 09.53 and almost at once reversed into the adjacent siding, travelling the full length. Next, we visited part of the other siding, the rest being occupied by a sleeping car, Mk1 Brake Gangwayed (BG) coach 81114 and Southern Railway Parcels Miscellaneous Vehicle 1359.

http://www.minorrailways.co.uk/trackplans/northnorfolk.pdf is Peter Scott's 24 May 2023 track plan.

Our tour then ran through bidirectional Weybourne P2, right in the direction of travel, (P1 was occupied by four Class 101 DMU coaches) to Bridge Road Carriage Sheds. We reversed to enter the beginning of the shed on Siding 4 as far as possible before reaching the beautifully polished LNER Quad-Art set. ['Art' = articulated], where D3940 left us to clear coaches from Siding 3 stabling them on the main line. After collecting us, we ran to the buffer stop of the lengthy Siding 3. This was a first and a highlight for all participants. Another visit to Siding 4 allowed the coaches to be returned to Siding 3 (1 & 2 were full).

Our exploration continued to Holt P1 (right on arrival), where we stopped for nearly half an hour to stretch legs and take a Personal Needs Break. Meantime, D3940 ran round, taking the opportunity on its way to move some wagons out of the Sheringham end headshunt to the main line, before hauling us into this headshunt. With work being carried out in the sidings back off the headshunt, our train was taken to them a few metres short of a wagon standing on the points between Sidings 1 and 2. We then ran the full length of the headshunt before being propelled through P2 to the buffers at the far end of line. Past here, the Midland & Great Northern Joint line originally ran to Melton Constable and beyond. There wasn't room for the entire train beyond the run round loop points, so D3940 left us there and ran via P1, returned the wagons to the headshunt and came back via P2 to then take us through P2. Despite appearances on the track plan, it is a long walk (or run) on foot between the two platforms at Holt.






On the return journey, our tour stopped at Kelling Heath Park Halt. Most alighted here while the train reversed to the western end of the platform for photographs and returned to pick us up again.

Following a 14 min stop in Weybourne P1, our exploration proceeded to the Sheringham end headshunt for a visit to most of the sidings. Siding 8 was first, although not far in it as it was fairly full of P'way stock.

Siding 7 had a traffic cone protecting entry to the shed but this was removed and we were able to stop just short of some wheelsets, beyond which a coach was being restored. The tour went to the very end of Siding 6 within the shed (Peter Scott's plan shows it going slightly out the other side), where a sign pointed to 'Children's Room'. An adjacent sign read 'Clearance' but no one purchased a cut price child.

Siding 4 was next. Inside the shed was NCB 18, GER 564 & BR 12131 on Siding 3, together with NCB 22, GNR 1744 and the tender of B12 8572 under plastic sheets, with M7 30053 stabled beyond on Siding 5. We stopped just short of WD 90775. A visit to the start of Siding 5 followed as far as 53809, standing outside the shed. We did not enter Siding 3 with BSC 'Wissington' and GWR 4277 on it, outside the shed.

Meantime, D3935 returned the coaches to Siding 6 which it had previously moved to allow us access and then removed Class 104 M56182, Class 101 M51192, D5631 and D6732 from Siding 1. We could then visit that line up to where it was occupied by a van and the black 0-4-0ST. It also allowed us to visit the very rare Siding 2, stopping just clear of saddle tank Hunslet 1982 'Ring Haw' mounted on a wagon. This 'encore' was so rare that one of the Railway's volunteers indicated even he needed to red pen it!

After that, motive power was swapped to D3935 on the opposite end of the train to propel us as far as possible along the headshunt (no loco in the way), before D3940 took over again to bring us back to Sheringham P3 via the headshunt nearest to that platform.

Although it had been a rather cold day, spirits were high and it was a very enjoyable and comprehensive exploration of the NNR with some notable 'firsts'. A collection was made for the hard-working train crew and ground staff who made it happen, mostly notes rather than coins. Thanks to all involved at the NNR and in our Society for the organisation; the train plan and special instructions alone ran to eight pages.