Use of barrier wagons on railtours?

[Steptoe]

Many years ago I committed the dual sins of using a c****y camera and not labelling my photos. These views of a railtour to Norfolk (probably taken in the late 80's) are fairly unremarkable except for the use of the flat wagons between the 47 and the coaches. I've not seen this before and didn't think it unusual at the time but am now wondering as to the reasons.

These photos are from the Bittern Line, I recognize the station as North Walsham (from many pleasant dinner breaks trainspotting there!) and the 'double track' section pictured is possibly the run in to Cromer station.

 

[306024]

I originally thought this was the special that ran in connection with a new Cromer lifeboat. At some point the lifeboat (a small inshore boat) would have been on the wagon. However the headboard and the stamps on the side of the loco are all to do with the Royal Mail. Anyone with a better memory?

 

[Steptoe]

Another of my photos show that the train was topped and tailed but frustratingly because of the goods shed it's not possible to see if there was also a flat wagon on the rear. I can't remember if it was possible to run round at Cromer then, though it may have been possible as the station still had the remnants of a goods yard, but if so the loco, flat wagon, and the non-Pullman coach may have swapped ends there.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That's the Orient Express stock on it, so it might actually be easier to pin down a date than it would be for most tours...

 

[Ash Bridge]

I can't add much to this but during 1988 Royal Mail commemorated 150 years of TPO services. During May of that year several special trains were operated using the British Pullman (VSOE) rake with LNER A4 Mallard used on at least a couple of trains, others were Class 47 hauled with 47515 being used on one occasion between Banbury & Marylebone, perhaps the train you photographed was in connection with these events? I was just wondering if maybe they had used the Carflat wagon as a means to display an early type of TPO vehicle at some point?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Just had a thought about that... that's not how they carted the replica Rocket down from York to Marylebone is it? It would fit if the chimney had been removed for the transit?

 

[Ash Bridge]

Just had a thought about that... that's not how they carted the replica Rocket down from York to Marylebone is it? It would fit if the chimney had been removed for the transit?

I'll have to admit it was a vague recollection of something like that which prompted me to suggest the above.

 

[Ploughman]

Have you tried looking on Six Bells ?
https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/trf/trfindex.htm

 

[Steptoe]

I'm fairly certain I took the 2nd photo from the overbridge west of Cromer station and as this is a view of the rear of the train (I also took a photo of the lead loco approaching the overbridge c/w Royal Mail headboard & no flat wagon) it would seem that the suggestions that the flat wagon was used to display something are correct rather than my assumption that it was a barrier wagon.

The final destination must have been Cromer and as I used the same camera to take photos of the remodelling of Norwich station in 1986 ready for electrification (as well as the photos being on adjacent pages in the album) this pins the date down to the late 80's, however as the wagon was empty on both the up and down journeys between Norwich and Cromer maybe whatever it carried was unloaded at Norwich and the tour ran to Cromer as an 'extra'.

Interestingly on Ploughman's link there is a 'Norfolk Coast Pullman' listed for 10/10/87 organised by Hertfordshire Rail Tours?