Mid-Norfolk Railway launches signal box appeal

The Mid-Norfolk Railway needs your help to raise funds so it can restore and equip a former Network Rail Spooner Row signal box that will be used by the railway at Wymondham Abbey.

The signal box had been provided as a gift by Network Rail to Mid-Norfolk Railway nine years ago when it became redundant, and it has taken until now to be released. Accordingly, the appeal needs £12,000 to fund transportation, refurbishment and the equipping of the box so that work can then commence to reintroduce signalling to the Wymondham Abbey part of the line.

Launching the appeal, Charlie Robinson, the chairman of The Mid-Norfolk Railway, said: “The arrival and then commissioning of the signal box at Wymondham will mark the first stage in a long-held aspiration of the railway to create a new station for the railway at Wymondham. This new appeal is designed to raise the funds to begin turning that aspiration into a reality, and I encourage all who support our efforts to donate as much or as little as they can; every pound will help.”

The signal box is currently being stored at Spooner Row following the lifting of the wooden half of the box and the demolition and site clearance of the locking room in 2021.

Sponsorship opportunities are also being made available. A £200 sponsorship is available for a signal lever and will be recorded by a plaque that will be mounted on the signal box wall with the name of the sponsor. The sponsor will also receive a pair of tickets for a standard operating day of their choice and will be invited to visit the box on commissioning to operate the signal lever they have sponsored.

A donation of £100 will be recognised by a name plaque on the signal box wall and a pair of tickets for a standard operating day during the 2022 operating season. The tickets can be redeemed by the donor on a day of their choice.

There is also a sponsor package to cater for larger donations. Details of this package are available from the railway’s press officer and project manager for the refurbishment of the signal box at Peter.Singlehurst@mnr.org.uk

All donations will be eligible to receive an occasional electronic update via email on the progress of the project from the project manager.

Donations can be made online via the MNR website here, or directly by bank transfer to MNRPT at NatWest Bank, Sort Code: 60-07-47, Account Number: 52109003 using the reference ‘Wymondham SB Appeal’ or by cheque made payable to MNRPT to: Mid-Norfolk Railway Kimberley Appeal, The Railway Station, Station Road, Dereham, NR19 1DF.

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