The Eastern and Midlands Railway was formed by the amalgamation under the (45 & 46 Vict. c. ccxxvii) of several small railways in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, England, including the Yarmouth and North Norfolk Railway, the Lynn and Fakenham Railway and the Yarmouth Union Railway. Many of these lines were built by contractors Wilkinson and Jarvis. In 1893 the Eastern and Midlands Railway became part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway.
Constituents The constituents of the Eastern and Midlands Railway were: Peterborough, Wisbeach and Sutton Railway, opened 1866 Midland and Eastern Railway (incorporating the Lynn and Sutton Bridge Railway, the Norwich and Spalding Railway, and the Spalding and Bourn Railway) Lynn and Fakenham Railway Yarmouth and North Norfolk Light Railway (incorporating the Great Yarmouth and Stalham Light Railway) Yarmouth Union Railway
Spelling variations The spellings of some place names have changed since the 19th century (e.g. Wisbeach/Wisbech and Bourn/Bourne).
Routes Westbound from Kings Lynn Sutton Bridge - Wisbech North - Peterborough Sutton Bridge - Spalding - Bourne
Eastbound from Kings Lynn Fakenham West - Melton Constable - Norwich City Fakenham West - Melton Constable - Yarmouth Beach
Locomotives In 1884, William Marriott became the locomotive superintendent at the company's Melton Constable Railway Works. The railway's stock included:
Two Fox, Walker 0-6-0ST locomotives (works numbers 338 and 339) which had been built for the Great Yarmouth and Stalham Light Railway in 1877. Seven 4-4-0T locomotives built by Hudswell Clarke for the Lynn and Fakenham Railway between 1878 and 1881. Fifteen Beyer Peacock 4-4-0 locomotives built 1882-1888 Four built for the Lynn & Fakenham Railway Eleven built for the Eastern and Midlands Railway Eight Sharp Stewart 0-6-0T (Later 0-6-0T+T and 0-6-0) locomotives (ex-Cornwall Minerals Railway) Three Black, Hawthorn 0-6-0ST locomotives named 'Ida', 'Holt' (number 6) & 'Aylsham' built for the GY&SLR.Book - Scenes from the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway by Ronald H. Clark, page 8.
To the M&GN The Eastern and Midlands Railway became a part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in 1893.
References
External links A 2-4-0 locomotive of the Eastern and Midlands Railway A 4-4-0T locomotive of the Eastern and Midlands Railway