Victory requires new tubes and a new fire box. Photo: Whitwell & Reepham Railway Station

As part of its Big Give Christmas Appeal 2025, which aims to raise money through pledges, matched funding and donations, the heritage railway run by volunteers is hoping to raise £10,000 towards the restoration of its steam engines, Annie and Victory.

Annie, which was built in 1904 in the workshops of Andrew Barclay & Sons in Kilmarnock, Scotland, needs a needs complete overhaul, including a new boiler, which will cost £30,000, as well as new tubes and a new fire box.

Victory was built in 1945, also in Barclays’ workshops, and requires new tubes and a new fire box.

To make a donation, send an email for bank details.

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The celebrations will commemorate 65 years since the closure of the original Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway network, which operated through the station until its closure in 1959.

The station reopened in 2009 after it was bought by Hellesdon businessman Mike Urry, nearly 50 years after it was closed to passengers.

The anniversary gala will feature the station’s regular steam engine, Agecroft, and other rolling stock, as well as a guest Peckett & Sons locomotive visiting from Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.

The visiting engine, May, shares a history with one of Whitwell’s own engines, Annie, having both worked at the Yates Duxbury paper mill.

Visitors can enjoy passenger rides, demonstration goods trains, a model railway exhibition on the first weekend, craft stalls and traders on the second weekend, and a beer festival running throughout the event.

Food and drink will be available at The Siding bar and restaurant. Tickets are available in advance HERE.

Lesley Turner, events manager at the station, said: “We’re really proud of how far the station has come in the past 15 years and want to showcase all the fantastic work that has been done here to restore the station and track to a destination that visitors love.

“We’re really looking forward to two weekends of full-on steam entertainment.”

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A total of 445 heritage organisations will share £103 million to help restart vital reconstruction work and maintenance on heritage sites, keeping venues open and supporting those working in the sector.

Whitwell Station is to receive a grant of £49,000, which will be used to purchase tools for the workshop and a new system for scanning historical documents and allowing online access, and to help provide a safe play area for children.

The grant is from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and the Heritage Stimulus Fund, administered by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Both funds are part of the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, which is designed to secure the future of the country’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues with emergency grants and loans.

Richard Bailey, a trustee of Whitwell & Reepham Railway Preservation Society, said: “This grant is essential to keeping historical items safe and ready for the future. It will also help attract more people to the station in these hard times.

“We have been open since venues were allowed to have customers back inside, and we have found a lot of support, both for what we have done and for what we have planned to do with this grant.”

Whitwell & Reepham Railway opened in 2009 as a heritage railway, nearly 50 years after it was closed to passengers.

The preservation society aims to continue restoring Whitwell Station to its former glory, re-laying track and sidings, acquiring rolling stock and adding more items to its museum.

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As well as the campsite, all the indoor and outdoor seating areas at the popular visitor attraction on Whitwell Road, Reepham, will be open Monday–Thursday 11 am – 5 pm, Friday 11 am – 8 pm and weekends 10 am – 6 pm (weather dependent). The car park will be closed and locked 15 minutes after the closing times.

The car park is already open for visitors to use to take a walk or exercise on Marriott’s Way, and a range of food and drink for takeaway can be purchased from the station building, with card payments only (no cash).

All food and drink will be served in disposable containers, and customers are reminded to maintain appropriate social distancing while collecting and paying for their items.

There will be no toilet facilities available until 4 July.

Opening/closing times may be subject to change. Check the website for the latest information.

See our earlier story:

• Limited reopening of Marriott’s Way access at Whitwell Station

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The station building will also be open for the sale of takeaway food and drink, such as crisps, chocolate, bacon rolls, burgers, tea, coffee, cold soft drinks and various alcoholic drinks. Payment by card or exact cash only.

However, there will be no toilet facilities available at this time and no access to any other parts of the station.

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Place your order by telephone: V’s Café 01603 879300, Diane’s Pantry 01603 920660 or Reepham Pizza House 01603 872327.

However, the Happy House Chinese Takeaway in Back Street will be closed indefinitely from Monday 23 March.

Whitwell & Reepham Station is now offering a takeaway service from 11am – 3pm every day, covering hot food, hot and cold drinks, and beer and wine. Please see the menu on the door or order online.

The railway is also offering all fire, ambulance and police service employees a free hot drink from the takeaway service (ID required).

Meanwhile, all public train trips at Whitwell Station have ceased until further notice. For further information, telephone 01603 871694 during opening hours or email.

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The event will feature more than 120 exhibits, including traction engines, stationary engines, commercial vehicles, scaled traction engines, tractors, classic cars, steam engines, working demonstrations, trade stalls, and food and drink.

Other highlights will include the Saunders Travelling Stage Show and a special gin train, as well as free train rides throughout the day. There is free parking and a free vintage shuttle bus.

Tickets are priced at £6.50 for adults, £2.50 for children or £16 for a family ticket, with discounts available for pre-ordering online.

Sounds Imperial will be playing live on the Saturday evening in the Sidings Function Room from 7 pm with free entry.

The post Tenth steam rally at Whitwell Station appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Mr Baker’s true-life account runs through the Second World War, the changing railway companies and his passion for steam – he now trains people to work with the engines.

The book follows Mr Baker’s journey as a young boy who wanted to be a train driver to his teens and adulthood, and recounts his stories and memories of the different engines, drivers and friends he has met while working on the railway.

Now in his late 80s, Mr Baker still has an active interest at both the North Norfolk Railway and at Whitwell Station, where he is steam superintendent and comes to steam days and looks after the crew.

He finished his hand-written manuscript more than eight years ago, but it was only published in January of this year.

The book has now sold more than 220 copies worldwide and has already been reprinted.

It is available at Whitwell Station, price £16.95, and can also be purchased from Waterstones in Norwich.

The post Norfolk railwayman’s book on sale at Whitwell Station appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

The Mercedes-Benz Unimog 406 before work started.

The pupils aged 13-14 years are on site at Whitwell Station on Wednesday mornings as part of the year-long project.

The students are learning about the mechanical, electrical and hydraulic systems. Their tasks include rewiring the vehicle, cleaning and painting in new livery, greasing and lubricating all points, fixing rust points or replacing metal areas, learning how the Unimog can be driven and understanding the operation of the crane.

Richard Bailey from Whitwell Station said: “It’s a great experience for the students. They have already learnt so much about how things work and we have received support from the head of trucks at Daimler’s head office in Germany, who is following the project with interest.

“Taverham High School also needs to be commended for this great approach on how to get students hands-on experience.”

The Unimog 406 is a vehicle of the Unimog-series by Mercedes-Benz. A total of 37,069 units were manufactured by Daimler-Benz in the Unimog plant in Gaggenau, Germany, from 1963 to 1989.

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The Society has now launched a petition that seeks to clarify the term “railway land” pertaining to the Lynn and Fakenham Railways Act of 1876-1881.

The heritage railway group wants the UK government to confirm that there is an Act of Parliament still in force for the land to be used as a railway and, if this is the case, to clarify who has preference over the land.

The petition can be signed HERE

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