Retro Un-gated Crossing: Sheringham (Sweet Briar Lane) Level Crossing, North Norfolk Railway

Date filmed: 14/08/2023
Videos filmed between 10:17 and 11:28

Route: North Norfolk Railway
Sheringham is the closest station

Crossing type: Automatic Open Crossing Locally-monitored by traincrew (AOCL)

Location: Sweetbrair Lane, Sheringham
Trains featured:
Intro - 0:00
-
Activation 1 (1:11):
British Railways Cass 7F 2-8-0 No. 53809 - 2:04
Sheringham ➡ Holt
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Activation 2 (2:45):
British Railways Class 101 Diesel Multiple Unit - 3:15
Holt ➡ Sheringham
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Activation 3 (3:50):
Great Eastern Railways Y14 0-6-0 Class No. 564 - 4:15
Sheringham ➡ Holt
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Lowering 4 (5:19):
British Railways Cass 7F 2-8-0 No. 53809 - 5:55
Holt ➡ Sheringham

For more information about the railway: https://www.nnrailway.co.uk/

A selection of morning railway action during a running day of the North Norfolk Railway's busy peak timetable is seen passing this quirky un-gated level crossing at the entrance to a Golf Course in Sheringham, right at the top of Norfolk on the North Sea Coast. This is also known as 'The Poppy Line', and runs approximately 5.25 miles from the seaside resort of Sheringham to just outside the Georgian town of Holt slightly further inland. One side of the train boasts views out onto the North Sea until the line turns inland, with the other boasting views of gentle green hills and pine forests. It's a very enjoyable ride.

This level crossing still has halogen bulb-type wigwags and is vastly un-changed since it was originally commissioned in its current form, though sighting here is good and the road speed into the golf course is very slow and enforced by speed humps, with a fairly low line speed across it too, posing much less of a risk to the railway's operations compared to those in Dereham on the Mid Norfolk Railway. One alarm here is barely audible, with nearly all of the audible warning coming from the other one loud and clear, and this much quieter alarm is also curiously one of only a small handful of remaining examples of a very early type of 'Yodalarm' and is distinguishable by its 'squished' looking front. However, both of these alarms have since been replaced, with this rare alarm believed to have been donated, and very sadly subsequently broken.

The 'St. Andrew's Crosses' here are mounted quite high above each wigwag / road traffic light, suggesting they may have once had the (now-defunct) 'chevrons' underneath them to indicate a second track is present. This isn't the case here, and the chevrons are no longer in place. The steam train in the red triangular warning sign above the 'Stop when lights show' approach sign indicates that the crossing is un-gated. It's accurate on more levels than that here, though, as it legitimately warns of steam trains too.

Two different steam locomotives, one British Rail 7F 2-8-0 class and one Great Eastern Railways Y14 0-6-0 Class, and one Class 101 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) were running on this day, each of which are seen making their first trips of the day along the line, with the first seen returning from Holt in the fourth activation. The DMU's diagram is usually run by a diesel locomotive on the 'high peak (maroon) timetable' which wasn't running on this day. Overlooking the level crossing is the last signal a driver sees before entering the single-line block section towards Weybourne (also known as the Advance Starter / Section Signal), the un track circuited portion of line which needs a token to be travelled on, and only one train is authorised to use it at any one time during normal operation. Sheringham and Weybourne Signal Boxes communicate by bells when either wants to send a train into it. It's protected by an upper-quadrant semaphore signal which was caught clearing by me before activation three. Enjoy!

Thanks for watching!