Thetford and Watton Railway

 

The Thetford and Watton act was passed on 16th July 1866. The line was built from Roudham Junction on the GER line between Thetford and East Harling and opened between Thetford (using running powers over the GER) and Watton on 28th January 1869 for goods (run by the contractors) and 18th October 1869 for passengers. The Watton and Swaffham act was passed on 20th July 1869. The line from Swaffham to Watton opened for goods on 20th September 1875 and for passengers on 15th November 1875. At this time the engine shed at Watton was closed and a new one was opened at Swaffham. The Thetford and Watton Railway Co. operated the line from Watton to Swaffham with the whole sometimes known as the Thetford and Swaffham Railway. From 1876 the Thetford and Watton also operated trains between Bury St. Edmunds and Swaffham. These services were short-lived however as the GER took over the Bury St. Edmunds to Thetford line on 1st August 1879 and on March 1st 1880, entered into a lease of the other two railways, and the seven locomotives with which the Thetford and Watton Co. had hitherto conducted the service henceforth passed into the hands of the GER. In 1897 the GER acquired the undertakings of the Thetford and Watton Railway and the Watton and Swaffham Railway. At that time it was known as the Bury, Thetford and Swaffham Branch of the Great Eastern Railway according to an 1888-1913 map. By 1922 the working timetable for the GER shows the two lines separately as Bury and Thetford and Thetford and Swaffham. Brief details of the 5 relevant Acts appear below the locomotive data table.

 

 

Copied from an original print now held by Tony Hisgett who found them while house clearing for a deceased friend “John”. Dehazed, contrast enhanced and converted to black & white from sepia by myself.

 

I have yet to find any early photographs but I do have the following illustrations which were published in the Locomotive Review over 100 years ago.

 

Above: 2-4-0T GER 802, formerly Thetford and Watton No 1.

   Below: 2-4-0T GER 804, formerly Thetford & Watton No 4.

 

Above: 0-4-2 GER 807, as running between 1880 and 1886, formerly Thetford and Watton No 7 for use on Swaffham to Bury St. Edmunds trains.

 

Below: GER 0806, as running from 1886, formerly Thetford and Watton No 6 for use on Swaffham to Bury St. Edmunds trains. The 0 prefix means the locomotive has been transferred to a duplicate list as the numbers 800 upwards were being applied to the new Y14 class, Later LNER J-15 class. All former Thetford and Watton locomotives were so treated in 1886.

 

 

Thetford and Watton Railway locomotive list

T&W No.

Maker

No

Year

Wh. Arr.

Cylinders

Dr. Wh. Dia

GER No

Scrapped

Notes

1

Manning Wardle & Co.

298

1870

2-4-0T

13 x 20 OC

4' 6"

802

10/1887

Thetford and Watton Railway

2

Manning Wardle & Co.

299

1870

2-4-0T

13 x 20 OC

4' 6"

803

5/1888

Thetford and Watton Railway

3

Stother & Slaughter

?

1850

0-6-0ST

13 x 20

4' 0"

801

6/1884

Purchased 4/1874

4

Sharp Stewart

2474

1875

2-4-0T

15 x 20

4' 6˝"

804

8/1887

For Watton & Swaffham services

5

Sharp Stewart

2475

1875

2-4-0T

15 x 20

4' 6˝"

805

8/1887

For Watton & Swaffham services

6

Sharp Stewart

2595

1876

0-4-2

15 x 22

5' 0"

806

12/1891

For Bury to Swaffham services

7

Sharp Stewart

2596

1876

0-4-2

15 x 22

5' 0"

807

12/1890

For Bury to Swaffham services

Leased to GER from 1st March 1880 before being acquired by another Act in 1897.

Ref: SLS list ref: L4156 with edits from Locomotive Review Vol 17, 1911.

The Stratford-built J-15 class of 1886 onwards were given numbers from 801 upwards and the above locomotives were  placed on the duplicate list and given a 0 prefix in 1886, becoming 0801-0807.

The Journal of the Historical Model Railway Society Volume 18 page 426 (December 2005) mentions the Thetford and Watton Railway coaching stock.

The Stother and Slaughter locomotive was sold new to the Monmouthshire railway and canal in 1850 and was purchased from Budd & Holt in 1874.

 

 

Thetford and Watton Railway Acts

Local Act, 29 & 30 Victoria I, c. cxcviii

House of Lords.Records of the Parliament Office, House of Lords.Records of the Private Bill Office, House of Lords.House of Lords: Private Bill Office: Original Acts.Local,... An Act for making a Railway from the Great Eastern Railway to Watton in the County of Norfolk, to be called "The Thetford and Watton Railway."

Held by:

Parliamentary Archives

Date:

1866

Reference:

HL/PO/PB/1/1866/29& 30V1n253

 

Local Act, 32 & 33 Victoria I, c. cxxi

House of Lords.Records of the Parliament Office, House of Lords.Records of the Private Bill Office, House of Lords.House of Lords: Private Bill Office: Original Acts.Local,... An Act to incorporate a Company for extending the Thetford and Watton Railway to the Great Eastern Railway at Swaffham in Norfolk.

Held by:

Parliamentary Archives

Date:

1869

Reference:

HL/PO/PB/1/1869/32& 33V1n155

 

Local Act, 36 & 37 Victoria I, c. cviii

House of Lords.Records of the Parliament Office, House of Lords.Records of the Private Bill Office, House of Lords.House of Lords: Private Bill Office: Original Acts.Local,... An Act to enable the Thetford and Watton Railway Company to extend their Railway to join the Bury Saint Edmunds and Thetford Railway; and for other purposes.

Held by:

Parliamentary Archives

Date:

1873

Reference:

HL/PO/PB/1/1873/36& 37V1n149

 

Local Act, 60 & 61 Victoria I, c. xcv

House of Lords.Records of the Parliament Office, House of Lords.Records of the Private Bill Office, House of Lords.House of Lords: Private Bill Office: Original Acts.Local,... An Act to confer further powers upon the Great Eastern Railway Company to authorise them to acquire the Undertakings of the Downham and Stoke Ferry, Thetford and Watton and Watton and Swaffham Railways

Held by:

Parliamentary Archives

Date:

1897

Reference:

HL/PO/PB/1/1897/60& 61V1n120

 

Great Eastern Railway

Norfolk Quarter Sessions.ENROLMENT, REGISTRATION, DEPOSIT.Parliamentary Acts.Railways. To confer further powers upon the same to authorise them to acquire undertakings of Downham and Stoke Ferry, Thetford and Watton and Watton and Swaffham Railway Companies; etc.

Held by:

Norfolk Record Office

Date:

15 July 1897

Reference:

C/Scf 2/1/34