MID-NORFOLK RAILWAY PRESERVATION TRUST
The Wymondham-Dereham-North Elmham-County School Line
Big Visitors for May events at the Mid-Norfolk Railway
Two rare locomotives will be visiting the Mid-Norfolk Railway during May for it’s tack-to-back weekends of bumper special events.

The first weekend over May 14th and 15th 2011 is titled ‘Drags and Rescues’ and will see not only a High Speed Train visiting but we are pleased to announce that courtesy of Electric Traction Ltd, British Rail Blue 86101 will be in attendance.

Normally powered from the overhead lines, during diversions these locomotives were often dragged around complete with their set of carriages and it is this that the MNR will be recreating. This will be the first occasion that a class 86 has been dragged in preservation. During the summer of 2004, they were passing the southern end of the MNR at Wymondham, being diesel-hauled to London, whilst Ipswich tunnel was closed for upgrade works.

Class 86s are a firm favourite in the Anglia region having hauled Norwich-London express trains for over 20 years in the recent past.

A second visitor will be electro-diesel 73109 courtesy of Transmart Rail Company. This locomotive spent many years as the South West Trains rescue engine so it is fitting that it will take part in the ‘Drags and Recues’ weekend.

73109 will remain at the MNR to take part in the second major event the following weekend. 21st and 22nd May will see the Southern Region Weekend and 73109 will be working alongside our resident ‘ED’ 73210 and will be doing what it did best, dragging a southern region EMU unit around.

It is understood that this is the first passenger working of this 73109 for many years. The two events together should prove a big hit for the MNR this May.

Further details of the MNR may be found on our website www.mnr.org.uk.