Oscar Christmas Engine

[Brian]

Took our usual trip to the coast at Salthouse on Boxing Day for a walk along what is left of the coastal defenses. It was later in the afternoon so the sun was lower and it gave some interesting colours and shadows.





The sea is only just behind a slight rise that used to be the bank and is higher than the surrounding land. We walked up from the car park to see people fishing on the beach.



Then we took our usual trip further down the coast to Sheringham and the North Norfolk Railway to watch the train, take some pictures and use the loos after our walk.



This was the engine being used this year.

As the train drew into the station, in the window of one of the carriages was a little boy in a red hat and grey coat. He was with his parents and grand parents and was waving like mad to all the people on the platform as the train drew in at the end of the line.

The family got out and were trying to make their way to the carpark which is on the other side of the line but he would not let them pass the engine! He was so impressed and excited by the steam and the noise as the driver and fireman have to uncouple it and drive it round to hitch on the other end of the train for the next trip. He stood open-mouthed as the engine steamed forwards and backwards, not letting the family move to their car until the engine was out of sight.

Another rail enthusiast in the making. He will not forget that day for many years. You can just see him on the left of this picture.

[Bensdexta]

Brian,
What's the position re sea defences on your part of the coast?
Managed retreat or not?
Quite an issue in parts of the country these days.
Thanks,
Ben

[Brian]

We have the so called Managed Retreat with the sea being let in to vast areas. In Essex they breached the sea banks deliberately and let the sea flood hundreds of acres of top class wheat growing land. The plan is to let the sea in at the Wash and back up the Ouse to Peterborough flooding all the Fens down to Cambridge. At least that is what the proposals are according to their published maps.

Oh and then we have to make room for another 500000 homes in the area too.

No wonder the government wants to import all our food as there will soon be no land to grow it on.

In my working life time we have gone from land reclamation from the sea to letting the sea back in to take back all we have reclaimed.

The Dutch can teach us so much!

[henk]

Don’t listen to much to the Dutch fellows these day’s Brian, because in my aria they want to do the same thing. Because of the next deepening from the river Schelde to provide larger ships coming in to Antwerpen, Brussels has the idea that nature has to be compensated, and a few polders with good farming land has to be giving back to the water. Something that is completely against the will of all people living over here.
Are there going nuts in Brussels?
There are a few other way’s of compensating, but Belgium is willing to pay millions of Euro’s to the Dutch when they flood the nearest polder to the border close to Antwerp. That way the harbours of Antwerp can grow in the future. For all the other plans Belgium will not pay.
Also in the ijselmeer polders in the north there are flooding plans because of the global warming and the expected rising of the sea.
So where getting mad also over here.

[Bensdexta]

I'm not sure our UK farmers necessarily get compensated when their land is flooded.
Also I've heard that farmers may not be allowed to maintain their dykes at their own expense. They have to watch their land get flooded whilst nothing is done.

As Brian points out the cost of infrastructure lost in some of these do-nothing schemes will be huge.

All the best,
Ben

[Oscar]

Britain seems to be riddled with lovely museum railroads - awesome! Thanks for the pics and the story, Brian!

[essex pete]

Brian is absolutely right. 2000 acres of wheat growing land Wallasea Island going under. It is claimed that the managed retreat will aid flood defences. It will allow flood waters to disperse and newly developing saltings will protect remaining sea defences. Land further upstream will have less pressure. Apparently it is all worked out on models but just how 2000 acres at a few feet depth will help with a massive north sea flood is beyond me. You cannot blame the Farming company for taking advantage of the RSPB 's offer to turn it into a reserve with no prospect of long term defence repairs.
It is going to cost a lot of money to create but it will come from a charity whereas the defence repairs would be tax payer. It does seem wrong when in the future we may be crying out for land.
Part of the scheme will involve creating islands by raising the existing land. Even more galling to some locals.

[henk]

Don’t listen to much to the Dutch fellows these day’s Brian, because in my aria they want to do the same thing. Because of the next deepening from the river Schelde to provide larger ships coming in to Antwerpen, Brussels has the idea that nature has to be compensated, and a few polders with good farming land has to be giving back to the water.

Victory for common sense.
They have decided not to flood the polder. They will compensate nature in another way. Now Brussels has to agree with it.

Tonight there was an article on the eight o clock news in Holland about the fact that the coast at Happisburgh is going down. I think you will know all about it Brian?

[Brian]

Great news Henk!

The Happisburgh (pronounced Haze-borough) issue has been going on ever since they started dredging hardcore from the sea about a couple of miles or shore. Everyone keeps saying is destroying the coast but our government says "Rubbish". Wonder why a lot of other countries don't allow it.

On another subject, I have a choice of two TS59's for you but calamity!! The Golden Tulip is FULL!!! We shall have to find another hotel when we bring one over in September!

[The Swanndri Guy]

Hi Brian,with steam engines in the UK, are they run on diesel or coal?It just doesn't seem right to run a steam engine on diesel! If you like steam engines, if you ever get to New Zealand , I would reccomend the "Kingston Flyer",and "TSS Earnslaw" on Lake Wakatipu at Queenstown.Cheers TSG.

[henk]

Brian,

What's the best way to contact you, through the mailbox from this site or my own mailbox?

[Brian]

TSG,
All are coal fired that run locally. The best coal used to be Welsh Steam Coal but since the pits have been closed you cannot get it anymore. Oil-firing a steam engine is sacralige. Does away with that beautiful smell and thats what is the best bit.

Henk,
Anyway you like but I cannot seem to get back to you at your home e-mail. It tells me I do not have permission to send you a mail even if it is in reply to yours.