Framlingham Branch

Framlingham Branch
Legend East Suffolk Line Wickham Market Marlesford Hacheston Halt Parham Framlingham

The Framlingham Branch was a six mile long single track branch railway line that ran from Wickham Market railway station on the East Suffolk Line to Framlingham via three intermediate stations, Parham, Hacheston Halt, and Marlesford.

Opening

The Framlingham branch was authorised in 1854 and was built with several other railway lines by the East Suffolk Railway. These included the lines from Halesworth to Woodbridge (now part of the East Suffolk Line), Saxmundham to Leiston and the Snape Branch Line. The building of the branch was reasonably straightforward as the countryside of East Suffolk is relatively flat. Flooding at Parham meant that the river had to be diverted in order to protect the line of the railway.

The Framlingham Branch started from a junction at Wickham Market station and was officially opened on 1 June 1859 by the East Suffolk Railway.^[1] The East Suffolk Railway promptly was incorporated into the Eastern Counties Railway who at that time were the dominant railway company on East Anglia.

However a special train was however recorded as running in February 1859 from Woodbridge. The line south of Woodbridge was being built by the Eastern Union Railway which was not at this time finished.^[2]

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  The former railway station at Framlingham

The Ipswich Journal of 4 June 1859 reported on the opening of the line on the 1st. According to the journal "The bells rang merrily throughout the day, a cricket match was played, and tea was provided by Mr John Pipe of the Crown Inn, in his usual style, of which 40 of the gentry and inhabitants of the town partook; appropriate speeches were made, songs sung, and a merry and convivial evening spent." Unfortunately an evening concert at the Corn Exchange was cancelled as the band leader Edward Plantin was involved in a serious accident at the station and died of his injuries a few days later.

Early traffic

The service began with five passenger trains and a goods train. So successful was the coming of the railway to Framlingham that within months this had doubled to two goods trains a day. Passenger business came from trips to the developing seaside resorts, not just easy access to Ipswich and London. For instance in June 1865, a schools excursion was run from Framlingham to Aldeburgh at a cost of six shillings (£0.30). From the outset, Framlingham College made use of the railway both for college outings and at the beginning and end of terms. These trains continued running until March 1954.

As can be expected, most of the goods traffic was agricultural in nature, although photographs indicate some inward domestic coal was received.^[3]

Later history

The branch became part of the Great Eastern Railway in 1862, the London & North Eastern Railway in 1923 and British Railways from 1948.

In 1922 Hacheston Halt was opened in an attempt to improve the line's poor passenger receipts.^[4]

Well used until the 1930s when passenger numbers fell due to the increased popularity of road transport, the line closed to passenger services on 1 November 1952, and to freight on 19 April 1963.^[5] The Royal Train overnighted on the branch in May 1956 headed by B1 4-6-0s 61252 and 61399.

The branch was often operated by mixed passenger/freight trains in latter years.^[6]

Timetable

Bradshaws 1922 timetable (Table 316) showed 5 departures from Framlingham at 0720, 0830, 1240, 1625 and 1830. All services had connections to London Liverpool Street.

Journey times were 6 minutes from Framlingham to Parham, 6 minutes from Parham to Marlesford and 6 minutes to Wickham Market giving a total of 18 minutes.

From Wickham Market the trains departed at 0756, 0935, 1314, 1752 and 1910. All services except the 0935 departure had a connection from London Liverpool Street

Locomotives

The line was operated by the Great Eastern Railway from 1862 until 1923 and it is locomotives from that company that predominantly operated the branch in London & North Eastern Railway and indeed up to closure under British Railways. Most locomotives would have been based at Ipswich engine shed which supplied branch line motive power for most branch lines in this area.

Steam locomotives included (numbers of specific locos recorded under BR 1948 numbering scheme unless stated). Unless stated otherwise these locomotives were all photographed by Dr Ian C Allen. His collection is listed at http://www.transporttreasury.co.uk/ianallencollection.html :

Diesel locomotives operated freight over the line but as the passenger service had been withdrawn in 1952 only one diesel hauled passenger train is believed to have worked the branch. This was a Ramblers special and was hauled by BR Class 31 no D5587.

Doctor Ian C Allen

Many of the last years of the branch were photographed by Doctor Ian Cameron Allen (b1910 d1989) a local GP who was by all accounts blessed with some very understanding patients when he turned up late for an appointment.^[12] Allen compiled a number of photographic books about railways in East Anglia and the Framlingham branch often featured.

References