455:
east. The engine without warning left the line turning a complete somersault and fell funnel downwards some 60 yards into the field. The Brake with the other carriages except a horse box left the metals and plunged down the embankment and capsizing on to their sides. The fearful jolting threw driver Harvey and his fireman from the footplate and doubtless saved their lives. The
Westinghouse brake pulled the carriages up very quickly but not before them leaving the line. The foreman plate layer, George Smith, together with other lengthmen were at once conveyed to Ipswich and London. The cause is not absolutely certain but it is believed a heavy storm shifted some ballast on the line causing the rail to move. The engine is a No 169 known as a tank engine and was running head foremost. The branch line had only four years ago been laid with 80lb steel rails. The engine driver Frederick Harvey and the stoker George Pamment live at Bury, the guard, George Rampling lives in Sudbury. No passengers were hurt. Quickly on the scene were Mr C.J.N.Row of Melford, a merchant and formerly stationmaster at Melford, Dr McNab of Bury, Mr Shean from Lavenham and Mr Pollintine the stationmaster from Lavenham.
534:
258:
109:
117:
250:
234:
241:
124:
101:
212:
190:
168:
146:
463:
The official report on the railway accident on the Bury
Melford line has been issued by the Board of Trade. Eight passengers were injured, two seriously, the driver and the guard. The Inspector attributed the accident not to the permanent way which was in good order but to the character of the engine
454:
A passenger train which was passing between Bury and
Melford and travelling at a high rate left the rails about two miles from Melford near Lineage Wood where the line has a sharp curve also a decline of 1 in 110. The land belongs to the Rev Sir William Hyde Parker on the west and to Earl Howe on the
551:
By June 1922 (the last year of the GER) the weekday train services saw southbound departures from Bury St
Edmunds at 07.26 (to Colchester) 09.14, 11.12 and 1.40 (pm) (to Long Melford where they connected with a Cambridge to Colchester train), 3.40 (Colchester) 4.27 (Sudbury - ran Wednesday only) and
413:
in 1849, had initially planned to extend to Clare and Bury St
Edmunds where it would join the Ipswich and Bury Railway which had reached Bury St Edmunds in 1846. Construction difficulties between Marks Tey and Sudbury led to the scheme being abandoned once Sudbury was reached due to lack of funding.
526:
locomotive number D8221 and, on departure from Bury St
Edmunds, a single Brake Van. At Lavenham the engine cleared the yard of 16 ton mineral wagons (suggesting the last traffic was domestic coal) and departed. However by the time the train reached Cockfield the guard realised that he had forgotten
514:
The section from
Lavenham to Long Melford was lifted in May 1962 with freight between Bury and Lavenham (Cockfield and Welnetham both remained open for freight initially with Welnetham closing on 13 July 1964). However, a society wedding took place on 2 June 1962 and two special passenger trains
417:
In the late 1850s a new company known as the
Sudbury & Clare Railway Company was formed and by act of Parliament of July 1860, they were empowered to build a line from Sudbury to Clare via Melford. Almost immediately the ECR took over and immediately sought extended powers in their act of
464:
which was one of a class that runs unsteadily when the chimney is in front and it is desirable and that there the balance weights on the leading and driving wheels must be restored. Drivers must be specially cautious and not to run at high speed when the chimney is in front.
558:
In the
Northbound direction departures (from Long Melford) were 7.36 (through train from Sudbury), 10.03, 12.05 (pm) (Start Long Melford connecting from Colchester to Cambridge trains, 2.41 (from Colchester), 4.36 (start Long Melford) and 7.42 (from Colchester).
432:
Work on the line begun in May 1863 and work progressed rapidly with a number of injuries to navvies and a death in July 1865. In
January 1865 a contractors locomotive was delivered to Lavenham to assist with ballasting work.
504:
Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s the train was used by excursion traffic from the Midlands for Clacton and Walton (likely route March, Ely, Bury St Edmunds, Lavenham, Long Melford, Sudbury, Colchester, Clacton).
41:
508:
Diesel railcar working was introduced from July 1959 in an effort to reduce costs. However with infrequent and lightly used services operating over the line the writing was on the wall.
904:
34:
645:
At Rodbridge level crossing between Long Melford and Lavenham the level crossing keeper was a dispossessed Polish Princess (who was a trade union member) during the early 1960s.
350:
with intermediate stations at Lavenham, Cockfield, Welnetham and Bury St Edmunds Eastgate. The surrounding land was agricultural and generally the villages it served were small.
1083:
441:
The line opened on 9 August 1865 along with the extended Stour Valley Railway route from Sudbury to Shelford. Some of the station buildings were not finished on opening.
27:
418:
Parliament of 1861 to build from Sudbury (via Melford) to Shelford on the London-Cambridge main line, as well as the branch from Melford to Bury St. Edmunds.
1073:
154:
648:
There was a railway convalescent home for railway women and the wives of railwaymen located at the Wool Hall in Lavenham between 1921 and 1961.
389:
The line was single track with passing loops at Lavenham which had two platforms whilst Eastgate, Welnetham and Cockfield had single platforms.
1063:
1058:
887:
474:
The line never enjoyed anything but the most rudimentary of services although in 1915 a reasonably healthy seven trains per day operated.
1078:
998:
498:
973:
740:
347:
132:
1068:
617:
425:(ECR). Although they wished to amalgamate formally, they could not obtain government agreement for this until 1862, when the
459:
The subsequent enquiry by the Board of Trade was reported again by the Bury and Norwich Post newspaper on 26 January 1892.
343:
267:
61:
468:
In 1894 the minute book of the GER recorded the appointment of contractors to undertake bridge renewals on the route.
905:"The ghost trains . . . the rise and fall of the Stour Valley Railway in Suffolk and Essex, captured in old pictures"
1015:
471:
Bury Eastgate station closed in 1909 although it temporarily opened in July 1914 for the Suffolk Agricultural Show.
527:
to pay the staff at Lavenham so the train promptly reversed direction and arrived in Lavenham running backwards.
406:
198:
176:
422:
220:
482:
By the mid-1920s Eastgate station had been demolished and the siding removed. The signal box remained in use.
860:
410:
334:. The line opened on 9 August 1865 and closed to passengers on 10 April 1961 and freight on 19 April 1965.
637:
Some footage of diesel workings can be found by following the link on the Polish Princess reference below.
627:
622:
606:
600:
523:
516:
426:
795:
83:
633:
A short film showing some train operating the line in early British Rail steam days can be found here
323:
284:
331:
533:
489:
was constructed with construction building materials and later personnel using Lavenham station.
930:
Robertson, Alic (October 1996). "The Great Eastern Railway links Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds".
775:
Robertson, Alic (October 1996). "The Great Eastern Railway links Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds".
756:
Robertson, Alic (October 1996). "The Great Eastern Railway links Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds".
712:
Robertson, Alic (October 1996). "The Great Eastern Railway links Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds".
421:
By the 1860s the railways in East Anglia were in financial trouble and most were leased to the
994:
969:
883:
736:
555:
All trains called at all stations on the line (noting Bury Eastgate had closed by this date).
814:
664:
No 169 was an 0-4-4T built by Neilson in 1873 to Samuel Johnson design and rebuilt by Adams
327:
1052:
580:
574:
511:
The line closed to passengers on 10 April 1961 and a special train ran on that date.
686:
593:
Coaching stock was generally ex GER and LNER stock cascaded from mainline workings.
586:
486:
450:
A press report in the Bury and Norwich Post newspaper on 20 October 1891 reported:
319:
613:
The line saw a number of early DMU types operate services on the line including:
562:
Journey time was generally around 34 minutes between Long Melford and Lavenham.
949:
Scotchman, Iain (February 2020). "Lavenham:A story of happiness and disaster".
447:
There was a derailment between Long Melford and Lavenham on 17 October 1891.
405:
The 1847 act of Parliament that resulted in the opening of the line between
20:
634:
522:
The very last freight train ran on 15 April 1965 and was formed of a
1033:
Tanner, Frank (October 1981). "Rail convalescent home, Lavenham".
532:
519:
locomotives, bringing guests visited the remnants of the branch.
497:
Following nationalisation in 1948 the line became part of the
968:. Headington,UK: Oxford Publishing Co. p. Fiig 53.
993:. Newton Abbot,UK: David & Charles. p. 290.
392:
Lavenham, Welnetham, Cockfield all had goods yards.
815:"1890-1892 Bury and Norwich Post newspaper archive"
1022:. The Foxearth and District Local History Society.
596:Diesel locomotives that worked the line included:
821:. The Foxearth and District Local History Society
693:. The Foxearth and District Local History Society
570:Steam locomotives that worked the line included:
530:The line closed to all traffic on 19 April 1965.
1020:The Foxearth and District Local History Society
819:The Foxearth and District Local History Society
691:The Foxearth and District Local History Society
478:London & North Eastern Railway (1923-1947)
35:
8:
257:
249:
1084:Closed railway lines in the East of England
882:. Midhurst,UK: Middelton Press. p. 3.
840:Taylor, Dave (July 1991). "just a minute".
444:Cockfield station opened 14 November 1870.
735:. London: John Murray. pp. 134, 135.
69:
42:
28:
687:"The building of the railway to Sudbury"
493:British Railways and closure (1948-1965)
352:
316:Long Melford–Bury St Edmunds branch line
108:
100:
677:
657:
25:
429:(GER) was formed by the amalgamation.
635:http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/1021
7:
1016:"The Princess level-crossing keeper"
589:4-4-2T (later became LNER Class C12)
577:0-6-0 (later became LNER Class J15)
16:Defunct railway in Suffolk, England
583:2-4-0 (later became LNER Class E4)
499:Eastern Region of British Railways
14:
437:Great Eastern Railway (1865-1922)
1074:London and North Eastern Railway
256:
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233:
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210:
188:
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144:
122:
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991:Bradshaw's July 1922 (reprint)
989:St John Thomas, David (1985).
733:Railwaymen, Politics and Money
618:British Rail Derby Lightweight
123:
1:
1035:Great Eastern Society Journal
566:Locomotives and rolling stock
211:
189:
167:
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1064:Railway lines closed in 1965
1059:Railway lines opened in 1865
53:Bury St Edmunds branch line
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1079:Rail transport in Suffolk
537:Cockfield station in 2020
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909:East Anglian Daily Times
731:Vaughan, Adrian (1997).
423:Eastern Counties Railway
155:Bury St Edmunds Eastgate
880:Branch lines to Sudbury
966:Diesels in East Anglia
964:Allen, Dr Ian (1980).
878:Mitchell, Vic (2012).
628:British Rail Class 109
623:British Rail Class 105
538:
318:was a railway between
1069:Great Eastern Railway
932:Great Eastern Journal
842:Great Eastern Journal
777:Great Eastern Journal
758:Great Eastern Journal
714:Great Eastern Journal
607:British Rail Class 31
601:British Rail Class 15
536:
427:Great Eastern Railway
324:Stour Valley Railway
285:Stour Valley Railway
861:"Cockfield station"
796:"Cockfield station"
552:5.50 (Colchester).
547:Timetable July 1922
485:During World War 2
332:Ipswich to Ely Line
951:Great Eastern News
539:
342:The line ran from
889:978-1-908174-19-2
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1014:Clarke, Andrew.
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903:Russel, Steven.
900:
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867:. Steve Catford.
865:Disused stations
859:Catford, Steve.
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813:Clarke, Andrew.
810:
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802:. Steve Catford.
800:Disused stations
794:Catford, Steve.
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685:Calrke, Andrew.
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359:Population 1903
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346:in the south to
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84:Ely-Ipswich line
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133:Bury St Edmunds
127:
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87:
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55:
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51:Long Melford to
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1000:978-0715387085
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742:0-7195-5150-1
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582:
581:GER Class T26
579:
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575:GER Class Y14
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935:
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913:. Retrieved
908:
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845:
841:
835:
823:. Retrieved
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808:
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717:
713:
707:
695:. Retrieved
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612:
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592:
587:GNR Class C2
569:
561:
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487:RAF Lavenham
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401:Construction
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344:Long Melford
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320:Long Melford
315:
313:
283:
268:Long Melford
82:
18:
915:16 February
825:18 February
697:16 February
641:Miscellanea
338:Description
1053:Categories
672:References
542:Operations
515:headed by
911:. Archant
407:Marks Tey
372:Cockfield
364:Welnetham
199:Cockfield
177:Welnetham
764:: 18,19.
524:Class 15
517:Class 31
380:Lavenham
221:Lavenham
609:A1A-A1A
411:Sudbury
396:History
356:Village
330:on the
322:on the
997:
972:
886:
739:
62:Legend
1041:: 22.
938:: 24.
848:: 31.
783:: 20.
720:: 13.
652:Notes
603:Bo-Bo
383:2018
995:ISBN
970:ISBN
917:2020
884:ISBN
827:2020
737:ISBN
699:2020
409:and
375:854
326:and
314:The
367:73
1055::
1039:66
1037:.
1018:.
936:88
934:.
907:.
863:.
846:79
844:.
817:.
798:.
781:88
779:.
762:88
760:.
718:88
716:.
689:.
501:.
1003:.
978:.
953:.
919:.
892:.
829:.
745:.
701:.
43:e
36:t
29:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
