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Bridge Road Carriage Sheds.
The new carriage sheds at Holt known as
Bridge Road Carriage Sheds, have been built to provide
covered storage for our historic rolling stock both restored
and un-restored. The North Norfolk coast is not the ideal
location to store old vehicles and the sheds will protect
them from damage caused by sun and rain.
There are two sheds, each having two sidings. The shorter,
western, shed is 63m/207' long and the longer, eastern, shed
is 100m/308' long. These have the capacity to store 14
carriages or 11 carriages plus the
Quadart
set. The sidings in the shed and in the yard have a combined
length of 540m/1770'
The cost of the scheme was £419,000 and was constructed with
the help of a substantial grant of £308,000 from the
Heritage Lottery Fund. . We were awarded the grant in
April 2006, construction began in October 2006 and was
substantially complete by May 2007. The external works
including a lineside path from Holt Station were completed
in January 2008.
Click here
for a plan of the BRCS. (All photos by Bob
Wright except where stated)
 21
October 2006
The 1 in 53 entrance ramp was excavated by the permanent way
department to enable them to start installation of the
entrance turnout before the main earthworks were carried
out. The visiting Standard tank 80135 passes the site
The beginning of the excavation works on 10th November 2006.
The excavator's first task was to remove the tree roots from
the shed site.
 The
site on 25th November 2006. 1200m3 of excavation and 1500m3
of filling were required to create the flat site ready for
the building works to commence
 The
building was designed and constructed by Milne Partnership.
The first foundations were cast on 14th December 2006 and
were all completed by Christmas.
Around 100m3 of concrete were used, delivered in 18 loads.
We were fortunate that the weather stayed dry and allowed
these to cross the field to the site without mishap
 20
December 2006. The project benefited from the generous donation of 900 yards
redundant track panels from Network Rail's relaying site at nearby West
Runton.
Balfour Beatty Rail Infrastructure Services brought the
panels by rail to the unloading point at West Runton Church. Thanks to the
co-operation of Beeston Regis Caravan Park and the Church we were able to
use their access to load our lorries. Our permanent way gang helped with the
loading and cast envious eyes at the modern equipment available to the 'big
railway'.
 20
December 2006. Over a three day period just before Christmas special long
trailered lorries from SC Fabrications, escorted by the Police, carried the
track through very foggy conditions to Holt Station where they were unloaded
in the entrance area using a Hiab crane on their tractor unit.
8th January 2007.
The steel frame was quickly erected. Here on 8th January
2007, the frame of the shorter shed is almost completed
 To
squeeze the track layout into the site we had to construct a retaining wall
between the 1:53 access ramp and the mainline. The Building department used
Gabion baskets filled with flint to build the wall. The DRB railbus passes
the works on 4th February 2007
 The
cladding is near completion as the J15 passes the site on 17th February 2007
(Photo: Richard Gausden)
 25th
February 2007
With the cladding complete the length of the sheds became apparent. Vent
strips have been provided at ground level and at the ridge to allow
ventilation and prevent condensation on the carriages to be stored inside
11 March 2007
The permanent way department started laying the new
trackwork in March. Here
the first sleepers have been laid towards the distant sheds.
 The
TRAMM was the first vehicle to enter the new carriage yard, it is seen here
on 7th April at end of the sidings.
 11
May 2007
By early May siding 2 was also complete. Sidings 3 and 4
within the longer shed were also laid awaiting completion of
two sets of points
 With
the doors fitted the sheds were complete on 16th June 2007.
The last siding into the longer shed was laid later in the
summer
 December
2007-all four roads have now been laid. The sheds and
showing how have been constructed to be as unobtrusive as
possible amongst the surrounding trees.
.
 Aerial
shot taken in February 2008 showing the completed sheds and
again demonstrating how they have been constructed to be as
unobtrusive as possible amongst the trees.
The lineside path from Holt Station was finished in January
2008
(Photo by John Durrant)
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