Whitwell & Reepham Station's February Gala

Those organising Railways galas across the world are hoping for a better year in 2022 and already in the UK, a number of heritage lines have kicked off with some varied and history-making events to whet the appetite of railfans for the year to come. One such railway to have held a modest gala event was that at Whitwell & Reepham Station in Norfolk who hosted the 'Missed & Greatly Needed Gala' on the weekend of 26th and 27th February.

Jamie Ringwood was there to capture some of the action and presents a small selection of photographs from the event. Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST no.2199 'Victory' was able to get out for a final run before the expiration of the boiler ticket during the event. This industrial locomotive, which spent its working life at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, will now receive an overhaul. At the other end of the restoration scale was Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd 0-4-0ST no.7681 'Agecroft No.3' (formerly 'Bolton No.1') which was rolled out for the gala after its own overhaul. It marked the first time in 27 years that 'Agecroft No.3' had run in preservation. With both 'Victory' and 'Agecroft' running, this meant that, for the first time in 12 years, two operational steam locomotives were in steam together at Whitwell & Reepham. The early evenings made for some dramatic photographs, captured superbly here by Jamie. The yard at Whitwell & Reepham Station is currently the extent to which the locomotives can run, with a short stretch of track heading south in the direction of Lenwade. Elsewhere along the line the trackbed forms a footpath and cycleway. This February gala also marked 140 years since the completion of the station in 1882.

For more information on the railway, including future events, visit their website: Whitwell & Reepham Railway

Keep an eye out also for footage of the Gala at European Steam, on YouTube.