Oulton Broad North railway station signal box, an iconic piece of railway infrastructure and familiar
landmark to both rail and road users is to be preserved for future generations following a major
overnight exercise to relocate it to a nearby museum.
In the early hours of Sunday, 8 June, volunteers from Network Rail, the Wherry Lines Community Rail
Partnership, Norfolk Railway Foundation and the Lowestoft Central Project worked to lift and
transport the signal box situated on the line between Lowestoft and Norwich, relocating it to the
East Anglia Transport Museum at nearby Carlton Colville.
Built in 1905 and extended in 1927, the box was an important part of railway operation signalling
trains and also controlled the level crossing gates at the northern entrance to Oulton Broad.
Following a multi-million-pound scheme by Network Rail to modernise signalling along the route,
manually operated signal boxes became redundant and Oulton Broad North is the second signal box
to be successfully relocated from the Wherry Lines with Reedham Junction previously transported to
Holt on the North Norfolk Railway where it has now been fully restored as a signalling education
centre.
Oulton Broad North signal box, was a familiar landmark with rail and road users in the area and will
now have a new life, once restored by members of the East Anglia Transport Museum, providing
another important heritage attraction for visitors.
Funding for the relocation came from the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership, Lowestoft
Central Project, Norfolk Railway Foundation, East Anglia Transport Museum and some generous
personal donations. The museum will now look to raise further funds towards its restoration.
The relocation had been planned for several years following agreement by Network Rail to gift the
signal box to the museum and prior to the relocation substantial preparatory work had to be
undertaken including stripping the box of its equipment including the lever frame and other
components, cutting the box ‘in half’ to enable it to be lifted and conveyed by road to the museum
and a raft of permissions obtained including line possession and road closures, in addition to
arranging the craneage and transport together with a police escort.
In the coming weeks the signal box will be put back together and equipment re-installed on a
specially built plinth alongside the museums narrow gauge railway.
The project was masterminded by Matt Newman, a Network Rail Principal Technical officer in
signalling technical support for the area, who had previously successfully managed the Reedham
Junction relocation and was supported by colleagues themselves volunteering from within Network
Rail alongside volunteers from the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership, Norfolk Railway
Foundation and Lowestoft Central Project, with members of the East Anglia Transport Museum on
hand to receive their latest exhibit after its short journey by road. Lowestoft crane specialists
Wavetrade undertook the lifting with Gorleston based MDF Transport conveying the box to the
nearby museum as dawn broke, accompanied by an escort from Suffolk Police.
Following preparation of the signal box for the move, a road closure was put in place and after the
last train ran on Saturday night, the team had just a five-hour window to complete the task before
the road closure ended and the railway re-opened on time for trains to run on Sunday.
Timing of the move coincided with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Wherry Lines Community Rail
Partnership, formed on June 8 2000 to support and promote use of the railway in Norfolk and
Suffolk and comes as the rail industry nationally is marking 200 years since the first ever passenger
train.
Martin Halliday, Development Officer at Community Rail Norfolk, parent organisation of the Wherry
Lines Community Rail Partnership said; “Oulton Broad North signal box is an iconic piece of rail
infrastructure and following its decommissioning, the challenge had been to find a viable use and
new home for this much-loved historic building. “We are delighted that this has been achieved and
that the partnership was able to support the project both financially and logistically. “Our sincere
thanks and congratulations go to Matt Newman at Network Rail who organised this entire,
technically complex project and his colleagues who gave up their time to volunteer, ensuring a safe
and timely relocation.”
Over the coming weeks, the signal box will be installed on a specially constructed foundation at the
museum, overlooking their narrow-gauge railway before conservation work begins. The museum
would welcome donations to the project at www.eatm.co.uk .
A spokesperson for the museum added; “We are very pleased to confirm the safe arrival of the
Oulton Broad North signal box from its location at Oulton Broad North station on the Wherry Lines,
ready to become part of our East Suffolk Light Railway and a huge step forward for our new land
development. “A massive thank you to everyone who helped with the project, especially to those
who stayed up throughout the night to assist with the move.”
Image credit: Community Rail Norfolk / WHERRY LINES COMMUNITY RAIL PARTNERSHIP
