Melton Constable Railway Works
The works are known by many as the 'Crewe of North Norfolk' as Crewe was similar to Melton Constable, although on a much larger scale.
Since the loss of the works and rail links the village has never recovered to pre World War I levels.
Later in the year, the line to North Walsham was opened (linking King's Lynn with Great Yarmouth).
William Marriott noted in his reminiscences that he had given up on the thought of going to America because he was offered a permanent post and salary to stay with the contractors Messrs Wilkinson & Jarvis.
The result was that Melton Constable, a small village that began as a parish with 19 houses, became a junction of four new railways lines connecting Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.
[2] The site was also served by a small miniature railway like the one at Horwich and Crewe.
There was also a wooden engine shed and turntable next to Melton Constable railway station.
The GNR looked after the track and buildings, while the MR sorted locomotives and rolling stock.
At one time, the LMS was the biggest commercial operation in the Empire and second largest employer in Britain.
However, the works did not close completely and visually change little, with simple repairs still being conducted there.
Like any other railway motive power depot or works site, Melton Constable used stationary boilers to raise steam needed for machinery.
In the late 1950s most of the former M&GN was closed and lifted, the line from Sheringham to Melton Constable surviving until the Beeching Axe of 1964.
William Marriott (Chief Engineer and manager of the M&GN) noted that troop traffic was heavy and in some instances over 20 trains went through Melton Constable in one day.
As the railway was in M&GN ownership it was agreed that Melton would do the maintenance for the parent companies while their workshops did more war work.
Vast sums were spent on roof blinds to protect from Zeppelin raids.
The water tower at the back of the site has repair work from damage caused from bombs that hit the area.
The war also affected Marriott himself; he lost his youngest son (of 3) along with some M&GN drivers.
[5] During World War I, Marriott was asked by the Government to develop building blocks for postwar housing (as there has been bombing).
There were many patents produced relating to developments in concrete sleepers, chairs and signal posts.
After 1916, the M&GN used the concrete blocks for box construction, however only Cromer Beach was built to this design.
[8] The only surviving M&GN signal in original position is Melton concrete (outside the village of Sheringham).
The old works buildings (the longshops, erecting shop and engine shed) are used for potato storage.
[15][16] The free event on 12 February 2009 attracted over 100 people and much media attention as 44222 travelled though the station when it was based at Leicester from 1935 to 1940.
