Lowestoft in the 50's & 60's

[Doc Shunter]

Hi.

I am interested in what trains & services operated out of Lowestoft in the 1950s/60s.

In particular the service to London. (change at Ipswich if I recall correctly).?

I think there was also a light gauge rail that serviced the docks and harbor ?

Also, I recall as a kid in the 60's, often seeing this little bubble type loco running through the crossing at Oulton Broad. A cleaning/maintenance car perhaps ?

Anyone know or can point me to a good reference source please.

Cheers

Doc

 

[shredder1]

I`m not familiar with the region really although have visited it a number of times over the years, the present station is Lowestoft Centre and the town used to have a Lowestoft North Station,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowestoft_North_railway_station

 

[AM9]

Hi.

I am interested in what trains & services operated out of Lowestoft in the 1950s/60s.

In particular the service to London. (change at Ipswich if I recall correctly).?

I think there was also a light gauge rail that serviced the docks and harbor ?

Also, I recall as a kid in the 60's, often seeing this little bubble type loco running through the crossing at Oulton Broad. A cleaning/maintenance car perhaps ?

Anyone know or can point me to a good reference source please.

Cheers

Doc

As late as the mid '70s there were peak trains from Liverpool St through to Lowestoft Central stopping at some of the stations on the East Suffolk line so I imagine that that was also the case in the '60s.

 

[eastdyke]

Hi.
I am interested in what trains & services operated out of Lowestoft in the 1950s/60s.
In particular the service to London. (change at Ipswich if I recall correctly).?
I think there was also a light gauge rail that serviced the docks and harbor ?
Also, I recall as a kid in the 60's, often seeing this little bubble type loco running through the crossing at Oulton Broad. A cleaning/maintenance car perhaps ?
Anyone know or can point me to a good reference source please.
CheersDoc

To set some of the railways to Lowestoft in their historical context there is a little booklet 'The East Suffolk Railway' by John M Cooper published in 1982 by The Oakwood Press - ISBN-10 0853612854. Now out of print but can be found at £8-£10 secondhand.

This is an outline of some of the London services from the 1955 summer timetable (there were variations!!).

In the mid-fifties London services via Ipswich comprised through portions which combined/split with the Yarmouth portions at Beccles . The Monday-Friday timetable included 5 such trains including the Easterling which ran non-stop Liverpool Street to/from Beccles.
The Lowestoft portion would typically be worked by an L1 2-6-4T with the main train engine (usually a Britannia/B1/B17) and Refreshment Car portion working to Yarmouth South Town.

On a Saturday in the peak of the holiday season there were 10 services from London which included both the Easterling and a number of Holiday Camps Expresses. The latter did not divide at Beccles but ran to Lowestoft with the complete train (after a reverse) continuing to Gorleston-on-Sea via the line through Lowestoft North. One of these ran non-stop London (dep 3.00) to Lowestoft (arr 5.30). Not too shabby at all!

In the fifties Lowestoft had substantial freight especially fish (typically with a K3 in charge) but all types of mixed goods to service the town and industry much of it on the south side (of Lake Lothing) which was by a goods only line from near Oulton Broad South. The coal yard and goods depot at Kirkley were served as well as industry including the substantial ER Sleeper Depot.
The Sleeper Depot had its own 3' gauge internal railway. The standard gauge portions were worked by a Departmental Sentinel Y3 loco (your little bubble type loco?). The south side lines closed 1966/67.

From 'Shed Bash UK', there is a picture of a Departmental Y3 here, along with Lowestoft (32C) shed loco allocations over a number of years.

http://shedbashuk.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/lowestoft-1938-1959.html

 

[colchesterken]

Unless age and fantasy is getting the better of me. in the late 50s they ran trains to Yarmouth via the East Suffolk . Brits from platform 10 at Liv st, I remember hearing announcements with the stopping at Woodbridge it seemed so quaint. Ahhh the good old days
Also NXEA ran class 170s to Lowestoft in the recent past

 

[70014IronDuke]

There is a GER discussion forum - see

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/GERSociety/info?referrer=GNRSForum

And there is this

https://www.lner.info/

I am sure if you search on these, you will find discussions on Lowestoft.

And you can always post questions for any additional information.

 

[Doc Shunter]

Thanks lads,

A wealth of information.

@Eastdyke,

That little 'bubble loco' thing must have been a track inspection car.

Similar to this; but in a blue livery.

It used to trundle through Oulton Broad all the time. I recall sitting in the car with my folks waiting for it to go through the level crossing.

I must have been about six or seven at the time (1966/7), & it always fascinated me as it looked so weird.

 

[eastdyke]

It used to trundle through Oulton Broad all the time. I recall sitting in the car with my folks waiting for it to go through the level crossing.

I must have been about six or seven at the time (1966/7), & it always fascinated me as it looked so weird.

A class 03 shunter used to work the south side goods line in the 1960's, could it have been one of these 'light engine'? The picture is dated circa 1968 but the lines were closed 1966/67 so the dates might fit!

http://www.eastanglianrailwayarchive.co.uk/Railways/Ipswich-to-Lowestoft/i-W3kLtQt

They get slightly bigger 'blue bubbles' now (at least for the time being)
Class 68's plus Mk2 stock!

https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?img...6nVAhUsJMAKHfXHCyAQMwguKAkwCQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

 

[Doc Shunter]

A class 03 shunter used to work the south side goods line in the 1960's, could it have been one of these 'light engine'? The picture is dated circa 1968 but the lines were closed 1966/67 so the dates might fit!

http://www.eastanglianrailwayarchive.co.uk/Railways/Ipswich-to-Lowestoft/i-W3kLtQt

They get slightly bigger 'blue bubbles' now (at least for the time being)
Class 68's plus Mk2 stock!

https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?img...6nVAhUsJMAKHfXHCyAQMwguKAkwCQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

Nothing like those.

Imagine a long, VW Combi or old Comma van with windows all along. Very roundish and light blue.

Maybe I dreamt it ? A childish nightmare coming back to haunt me !


Oh, & London to Lowestoft non stop in 2.5 hours. None to shabby at all I agree !

 

[Dr_Paul]

I have a few rather vague memories of Lowestoft in the mid and late 1960s. There was still a rail connection to the docks, although by then the wagons were towed across the main road by an agricultural tractor. The line to Lowestoft South was still in place from Oulton Broad South, but I'm pretty sure it was rusty and rarely used by then.

 

[eastdyke]

Nothing like those.
Imagine a long, VW Combi or old Comma van with windows all along. Very roundish and light blue.
Maybe I dreamt it ? A childish nightmare coming back to haunt me !

Oh, & London to Lowestoft non stop in 2.5 hours. None too shabby at all I agree !

Well, not found anything quite to your description but I did come across this. Pic. is b/w so no idea of the colour scheme!!
This was on Departmentals.com and is described as '041707 - IU Powered Grampus wagon'

http://www.departmentals.com/photo/041707

Best regards.

 

[SouthDevonian]

The 1960 public timetable shows the following services to Lowestoft (& beyond). Remember that the direct Beccles - Yarmouth South Town line had been closed by this time.

1. Mon-Fri
1.1 Ex Liverpool St (all to Yarmouth South Town via Lowestoft): 09.38; 12.38; 15.38; 18.38

1.2 Ex York: 10.15 (high peak started back at Newcastle at 08.23)

2. SO
2.1 Ex Liverpool St (all to Yarmouth South Town via Lowestoft): 07.25; 07.47; 07.50; 08.38; 09.00; 09.38; 09.58; 10.38; 11.00; 11.38; 12.07; 12.38; 12.47; 13.38; 15.00; 15.38; 18.38

2.2 Ex York: 10.12 (high peak started back at Newcastle at 08.23)

2.3 Ex Derby 09.55 combined with Leicester 10.52 (to Gorleston via Lowestoft)

 

[eastdyke]

OK - one final stab at the 'mystery vehicle'.

Wickham Railbus -Elliot Track Recording Coach. AKA 'Laboratory 20'.

http://www.railcar.co.uk/type/wickham-railbus/non-passenger-use

The vehicle appeared about March 1959, in a livery of bright yellow, red and brown (later carrying the red and blue BR Research Department colour scheme).

http://www.railcar.co.uk/images/wickham/elliot-02.jpg

I can find no reference to the vehicle having been in the Lowestoft area but that doesn't mean that it wasn't. Pictures of the unit in use anywhere seem to be rare.

 

[Doc Shunter]

OK - one final stab at the 'mystery vehicle'.

Wickham Railbus -Elliot Track Recording Coach. AKA 'Laboratory 20'.

http://www.railcar.co.uk/type/wickham-railbus/non-passenger-use



http://www.railcar.co.uk/images/wickham/elliot-02.jpg

I can find no reference to the vehicle having been in the Lowestoft area but that doesn't mean that it wasn't. Pictures of the unit in use anywhere seem to be rare.

It was very much like this but in blue & white trim as I recall.

LILIPUT L143000 STLB X626 Diesel inspection car. (probably not the one, but very similar looking).

 

[Doc Shunter]

I have a few rather vague memories of Lowestoft in the mid and late 1960s. There was still a rail connection to the docks, although by then the wagons were towed across the main road by an agricultural tractor. The line to Lowestoft South was still in place from Oulton Broad South, but I'm pretty sure it was rusty and rarely used by then.

I recall seeing that old line. It was not far from where we lived.

I wonder what year it closed ?