KING’S OF NORWICH
A NORFOLK SCRAPYARD
JEFFERY GRAYER
IMAGES FROM THE TRANSPORT TREASURY ARCHIVE
INTRODUCTION
East Anglia is perhaps not the first location one thinks of when talking of private yards that dealt with the scrapping of BR stock as one naturally recalls the many yards to be found in South Wales, the Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East of England and in Scotland. However, the firm of R A King did handle an interesting variety of locomotives, both steam and diesel, and many multiple units including large numbers of SR electric stock.
King’s yard in Norwich is featured here together with his site located at Hethel on a two mile stub of the former line from Wymondham to Forncett, closed to passengers in 1939 and to goods in 1951, where much of the wooden coaching stock handled by the firm was burnt prior to the frames being returned to Norwich for cutting. King’s also acquired a site at Snailwell near Newmarket in 1974 which latterly traded under the name of Mayer Newman where hundreds of multiple unit coaches were scrapped utilising the facility of their infamous ‘firing tunnel’ incinerator. Limited by considerations of space this volume is concerned solely with the Norwich and Wymondham operations, Snailwell being left for another day and another book although several images of this yard were contained in one of the author’s previous volumes for the Transport Treasury published in 2023 and entitled ‘Colin Garratt’s Scrapbook’.
Considering the fact that King’s scrapyard dealt with only just over 100 steam locomotives there was
considerable variety in the classes handled from four of the BR regions including some prestigious types such as Castles, Counties and Gresley Pacifics. Whilst locomotives from the Eastern region might have been expected to be handled in Norfolk there was a surprising number from far off sheds in the Western and Southern regions. Diesel locomotives were few but a considerable number of multiple units of both diesel and electric types were dealt with in addition to an eclectic mix of coaching stock including many Pullman cars which were handled at King’s site near Wymondham.
One of the more bizarre vehicles dealt with here, under conditions of great secrecy with a police and Post Office presence to deter souvenir hunters, was the burning of the Royal Mail HVP (High Value Packages) vehicle which was involved in the Great Train Robbery of 1963. This vehicle had been kept for 7 years as evidence following the robbery but was put to the torch by King’s staff. King’s scrapyard site in Norwich was located in Hall Road and nearby sidings accessed from the main London line at Trowse held stock awaiting entry to the yard. By the time Archie King set up his yard steam had largely disappeared from East Anglia and by the early 1960s he had retired with his business continuing under the King name having been taken over by Dutchman Harry Seruys. Much of the resultant scrap metal was exported to Spain through the ports of Yarmouth and Lowestoft where the now vanished quay sidings at Lowestoft were often full of trucks loaded with steam locomotive scrap which was then disgorged
onto the quayside in great heaps awaiting the arrival of a ship.
Whilst Victoria sidings remain today, of the scrapyard in Norwich there is now no trace and the line to Hethel has long since been removed but the following images capture something of the work of just one scrap merchant who assisted in the mammoth task of ridding BR of unwanted stock when their own capacity at various works was under great strain.
Jeffery Grayer, Devon 2025
Below Left & Right: Little did I realise when taking these photographs at Brighton shed in 1962 that both this Maunsell N Class No. 31400 and K Class mogul No. 32340 would end their days at King’s scrapyard many miles from Sussex in far off Norfolk. (Author)
Right: Just two of the 30 strong County class made it to Norwich and here we see No. 1007 County of Brecknock and No. 1018 County of Leicester about to meet their end. Both had been in store at Didcot for twelve months since September/October 1962 until October 1963 when they arrived at King’s yard being promptly scrapped the following month. (Ian Allen, GW 437)
STEAM LOCOMOTIVES WESTERN REGION
It did not take long for work to begin on No. 31851 seen here in a partially dismembered state in May 1964. Constructed at Ashford Works in 1925 this 2-6-0 had performed stints in the West Country based at Exmouth Junction although latterly it was to be found on the Central division at Redhill having had a service life of just over 38 years. (Rail Photoprints)
Work stained N class Nos. 31827 together with 31400 occupy a siding with Q1 class 0-6-0s Nos. 33003, 33030 and 33040 with a further mogul at the end of the line in the shape of No. 31413. Whilst Nos. 31827 and 31400 were Redhill based No. 31413 was one of a number of these 2-6-0s to be based at Guildford shed being withdrawn from there in June 1964. (Rail Photoprints)
No. 60065 Knight of Thistle appears to have travelled to Norwich unusually with all its linkage intact. As a rule connecting rods were generally left in place, even if other rods were removed for transit, as having all driving wheels rotating together made for an easier move when locomotives were hauled ‘dead’ reducing the hammer blow of individual wheels. What of the apparently missing ‘the’ in the nameplate? The original name of LNER No. 2564 was Knight of the Thistle but when replacements were cast in December 1932 a mistake led to the dropping of the definite article. It has always been a moot point as to whether this was in fact named after a racehorse, as so many of the class were, for no winner of any of the five classic races was so named although one with that name did win the less prestigious 1897 Royal Hunt Cup. (Ian Allen, E 4248)
Seen from the field adjoining the line which, judging by the water trough, was sometimes used for grazing animals, a line up of ER motive power is apparent the other side of the fence. On the left is A3 Pacific No. 60063 Isinglass situated next to class B1 No. 61109 behind which are two further A3s. The impressive tree on the right, seen in previous images with bare branches, is now in leaf attesting to the springtime date of this image taken in 1965 although a rain shower seems to have occurred recently judging by the tops of the locomotive boilers. Another New England locomotive No. 60063 had been withdrawn some six months prior to the withdrawal date of the other A3s that ended up here. (Ian Allen, E4223)
The two A3s featured on page 50 are seen again but from the other side and remain parked next to the 12ton covered van featuring the Portland Blue Circle cement label. They are Nos. 60106 and 60062. (Ian Allen, E2484)
No. 80013 seen here was the only one of its class to be dealt with by King’s having been withdrawn from Bournemouth shed in September 1966. It reached Norwich in November that year and was promptly despatched. The mobile crane seen in this view had the usual attachment to be found in scrapyards ie a large magnet for lifting up metal without the need for chains or any other attachment. The proximity of houses to the scrapyard is very apparent in this view and there must have been much relief when the yard closed. (Ian Allen, BR 193)
Another view of the same locomotive reveals that the crane being used in the yard was a Jones KL66 model. This was introduced in 1951 by K & L Steelfounders & Engineers Ltd. of Letchworth who were a member of the 600 group of companies, which also included the firm of George Cohen famous for its role in the scrapping of BR stock at several sites in the UK. Indeed the following year Cohen’s published their own glossy brochure extolling the virtues of this crane. It was a 6 tonner and the standard model was priced at £3,500 + 12.5% ex works. Equipped with a Lister engine it had two winches, a hoist winch and one to adjust the boom. Incidentally the manufacturers sponsored a competition with Meccano Ltd. to produce the best model of this crane and some older readers may even remember constructing this model. One wonders how many of the computer obsessed present generation could manage it! (Ian Allen, BR 254)
King’s of Norwich was one of the many outside scrap contractors who assisted BR in dealing with the increasing numbers of withdrawn locomotives when their own resources were struggling to cope with the volume of work. Although only handling just over 100 steam locomotives and a handful of diesel locomotives, that did include a surprising variety of classes including some prestigious types such as Castles and Gresley Pacifics.
King’s separate facility near Wymondham is also covered being the location where much coaching stock was burnt before the resulting underframes were towed back to Norwich. The destruction of one particular vehicle under conditions of great secrecy is worthy of mention namely the Royal Mail coach which was the scene of the theft of some £2.6 million pounds, £69 million at today’s prices, during the Great Train Robbery of 1963.
ISBN 978-1-913893-70-5
£13.50
