Robert Abel (animator)
American film director and animator
Robert Abel (March 10, 1937 – September 23, 2001) was an American pioneer in visual effects, computer animation and interactive media, best known for the work of his company, Robert Abel and Associates.
Born in Cleveland, he received degrees in Design and Film from UCLA. He began his work in computer graphics in the 1950s, as an apprentice to John Whitney.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Abel wrote or directed several films, including "The Making of the President, 1968", "Elvis on Tour" and "Let the Good Times Roll".
In 1971, Abel and Con Pederson founded Robert Abel and Associates (RA&A), creating slit-scan effects and using motion-controlled cameras for television commercials and films. RA&A began using Evans & Sutherland computers to previsualize their effects; this led to the creation of the trailer for "The Black Hole", and the development of their own software for digitally animating films (including "Tron").
Abel and Associates was contracted to provide Paramount Pictures the special effects for "", but was not able to deliver them, and its services were terminated by Paramount.
In 1984, Robert Abel and Associates produced a commercial named "Brilliance" for the Canned Food Information Council for airing during the Super Bowl XIX telecast. It featured a sexy robot with reflective environment mapping and human-like motion.
Abel & Associates closed in 1987 following an ill-fated merger with now defunct Omnibus Computer Graphics, Inc., a company which had been based in Toronto.
In the 1990s, Abel founded Synapse Technologies, an early interactive media company, which produced pioneering educational projects for IBM, including "Columbus: Discovery, Encounter and Beyond" and "Evolution/Revolution: The World from 1890-1930".
He received numerous honors, including a Golden Globe Award (for Elvis on Tour), 2 Emmy Awards, and 33 Clios.
Abel died from complications following a heart attack at the age of 64.
Abel's film "By the Sea", made with Pat O'Neill, was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2007.
References.
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Let the Good Times Roll (film)
1973 film by Robert Abel
Let the Good Times Roll is a 1973 rockumentary / concert film directed by Robert Abel and Sidney Levin. It features numerous stars from the American pop and rock music scene of the 1950s.
Summary.
The film edits together footage of two concerts from 1973, one at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, and a second at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan, during the height of a series of multi-artist tours known as the "Rock and Roll Revival," interspersed with footage of the singers from the 1950s and 60s. It also includes interviews with the singers.
Cast.
The film features performances from numerous stars from the 1950s and early 1960s, including
The film ends with a rare, and apparently impromptu, duet between Berry and Diddley, who had recorded together before, but were not often filmed on stage together.
Style.
The film uses split screen techniques to contrast the performers' appearances in the 1950s and in the 1970s (as well as clips from 1950s-era films such as "I Was a Teenage Werewolf"). Vincent Canby, writing for "The New York Times", described it as "world's-fair avant-garde".
Themes.
The film was historically significant because it was one of the earliest 1950s nostalgic themed films that inaugurated that genre.
Christine Sprengler argued that the film was an attempt to show "musical milestones" in the context of the times (both political and social), and, like "American Graffiti" and "Grease", sets rock and roll as the soundtrack to the decade.
Canby noted that the film may have a possibly unintentional social commentary, with the majority-white audience giving the black fist to the majority-African American performers. He suggests that it implied that "there are no black memories of the nineteen-fifties".
Release and reception.
"Let the Good Times Roll" premiered on May 25, 1973 in four theatres; two in New York City, one in Hicksville, New York and one in Totowa, New Jersey. It was later shown in Finland, Hungary, and Sweden. Steven Otfinoski credits its success with bolstering Bo Diddley's career, which at the time was stagnating.
Canby noted that the performers seemed much different than they were during their earlier careers, with gained weight, longer and thinner hair, and Little Richard having "openly embraced androgyny". Overall, he considered the film an "engaging, technically superior concert film that recalls music of the nineteen-fifties". A review in "Variety" stated, "Columbia's 'Let the Good Times Roll' is a smash recreation of 1950s rock 'n' roll frenzy, a moving and exciting nostalgia trip" that "could become one of the sleepers of 1973." Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film three stars out of four and wrote that it "gives us mostly the music of the late 1950s as performed 15 years later by the same artists. But it doesn’t condescend. It isn't a movie that finds anything camp about Chuck Berry singing 'Johnny B. Goode.' It understands that if the song and the singer were good then, they are both still good." Gene Siskel of the "Chicago Tribune" awarded three-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "Interspersed among the 28 songs (including Chuck Berry with his 'Johnny B. Goode,' Danny and the Juniors bubbling 'At the Hop,' and The Five Satins wailing 'In the Still of the Night,') are film clips and photographs of the persons, movies, and fads that marked the time and, seen again, bring on laughter and a wistful feeling." Kevin Thomas of the "Los Angeles Times" described the film as "an infectiously nostalgic—and therefore often amusing—entertainment that should appeal as much to the youth of today as to those of us who came of age in the 50s." Tom Zito of "The Washington Post" called it "the first film to view rock 'n' roll in its broad cultural perspective. The result may well be the best rock film yet."
Mark Deming of Allmovie wrote that the artists are in "fine shape" and that "Let the Good Times Roll" is one of the "few movies about '50s rock that well and truly rocks".
The film has been shown on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) with an introductory analysis by host Ben Mankiewicz. The film has not been released on DVD.
Soundtrack album.
The Bell Records label released a 2-disc soundtrack album featuring performances from the film, including complete versions of songs truncated in the film (such as Bill Haley's 'Shake, Rattle and Roll'). Omitted from the album, however, are any of Chuck Berry's performances due to Berry being under contract to Chess Records at the time; this includes his jam session with Bo Diddley, although Diddley's other two performances are retained on the album.
References.
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Gold Hill, North Carolina
Gold Hill is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Rowan County, North Carolina, United States near the Cabarrus County line. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 372. It is situated near the Yadkin River and is served by U.S. Highway 52 and Old Beatty Ford Road.
Mining.
Gold was first discovered in what would become the town of Gold Hill in southeastern Rowan County in 1824. $6 million in gold was mined here prior to the Civil War and a mint was located in Charlotte as a result. In the 1840s, Gold Hill was "a raucous mining camp town with a considerable number of saloons and brothels." The Barnhardt shaft, named for Col. George Barnhardt of the Reed Mine (NC State Historic Site) family, was opened in 1842 and reached a depth of 435 feet. The Earnhardt/Randolph Mine Shaft was opened in 1843 across the street from the Barnhardt Mine and reached a depth of 850 feet becoming the deepest gold mine in the United States. The Barnhardt and Randolph mines together were described as "the richest and most productive gold mines east of the Mississippi". Gold Hill was incorporated in 1843 and had a population of 3000 people and a total of 23 mines in the Gold Hill Mining District. The California Gold Rush and the American Civil War significantly reduced the mining activity. Although some mining occurred in the years following the Civil War a greater resurgence of mining began with the purchase of the Gold Hill Mines and the establishment of 'The New Gold Hill Mining Company' based in London, England. Considerable profits were realized with gold being shipped to England during the period of 1880-1900. Production came to an end by 1915.
Tourist attraction.
The town's first Founders' Day, which was not called by that name, took place in 1989 and was not intended to become an annual event, but it ended up being so popular that a steering committee was formed for the purpose of starting a foundation to find and preserve the town's heritage. The Historic Gold Hill and Mines Foundation, Inc. began in 1992, and that year, a second Founders' Day took place. Gold Hill Mines Historic Park began with a donation of 16 acres by Billie Johnson and was dedicated in 1993; by the 25th Founders' Day it was 70 acres. Founders' Day became an annual event on the fourth Saturday in September, and they were moved from the fire department to the park located at 735 St. Stephens Church Road.
E.H. Montgomery General Store, Mauney’s Store, the jail and a rock wall date back to the 1840s. Several buildings were moved to and restored for what has been described as a "re-creation" of a historic village. A gas station built in 1928 was moved from U.S. 52 in 1998. The File Store from Craven, North Carolina near Salisbury was built in 1906 and moved to Gold Hill in 2001. A miner's cabin was moved to Gold Hill in 2011 and became a bakery.
The Daniel Isenhour House and Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Demographics.
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2020 census.
"Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race."

Cleveland, North Carolina
Cleveland is a town in the Cleveland Township of Rowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 871 at the 2010 census.
History.
The town dates from 1831 but was not incorporated until 1833. The first post office in Cleveland—which was named Cowansville at that time—was established on 18 March 1831 with John Cowan the first postmaster. On 7 January 1856, prior to the US Civil War and the completion of the Western Carolina Railroad, the town was renamed to Rowan Mills. Rowan Mills was the name the nearby plantation owned by Osborn Giles Foard. Foard was also the first postmaster of the Rowan Mills Post Office. The Rowan Mills Post Office served the area until 25 February 1884 when it was renamed to Third Creek. In the 1880 U.S. Census, there were 17 families and 89 persons living in the Third Creek community. It was not until 2 March 1887 that the townspeople renamed the town after Grover Cleveland, who is supposed to have visited the town during his presidential campaign. William L. Allison was the first postmaster of both the Third Creek Post Office and the Cleveland Post Office.
Geography.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
Demographics.
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2020 census.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 846 people, 392 households, and 283 families residing in the town.
2010 census.
As of the census of 2010, there were 871 people, 328 households, and 236 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 377 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 66.9% White, 24.1% African American, 5.4% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5% of the population.
There were 328 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $39,474, and the median income for a family was $58,000. Males had a median income of $51,000 versus $29,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,506. About 13.1% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Town twinning / sister city.
Since February 8, 2008, Cleveland has been twinned with Killyleagh, Northern Ireland.

Border Counties Railway
Former railway line serving England and Scotland
The Border Counties Railway was a railway line connecting Hexham in Northumberland, with Riccarton Junction on the Waverley Route in Roxburghshire.
Its promoter had hopes of exploiting mineral resources in the area, and it was taken up by the North British Railway, which hoped to develop it as a through main line between Edinburgh and Newcastle upon Tyne.
The railway opened in stages between 1858 and 1862, but the anticipated level of commercial traffic did not materialise, and the sparse population produced very little local passenger traffic. The line closed to passengers in 1956 and completely in 1963.
History.
Linking Central Scotland with England.
When the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was under construction between 1838 and 1842, thoughts turned to the construction of longer distance railways in Scotland, and in particular to connecting central Scotland to the developing English network. For some time it was assumed that only one route was commercially viable, and vast controversy took place over what that should be, with a large number of candidate routes being put forward. The Southern Uplands and the Cheviot Hills presented a considerable topographical obstacle to many of the options, especially because at that date the power of steam locomotives, and their ability to climb steep and lengthy gradients was very limited.
Many of the proposals were motivated by sectional interests. The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway (N&CR) had opened the main part of its route in 1836, and a line running north from Hexham, following the River North Tyne, appeared to some to suggest a convenient approach from the south.
The "Tyne, Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway" proposed in 1836 by Stephen Reed of Newcastle would have left the N&CR at Hexham and run north through Carter Bar; altitude . to reach Melrose and thence Edinburgh and Glasgow, but this was modified in 1838 as the proposed "Hexham and Edinburgh Railway" to run from Hexham via Kielder and Note o' the Gate to Melrose. This scheme was encouraged by the N&CR (to which it would bring traffic) and the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, which would acquire commercial advantage from being on the main line.
As the debate about an Anglo-Scottish route continued over some years, the capabilities of steam locomotives improved, and the increasing availability of money moved the issue away from a single route determined by political considerations, to simple economics. In 1844 the North British Railway (NBR) was authorised to build a line from Edinburgh to Berwick to join an English line there. The NBR line ran close to the coast avoiding most high ground and opened in 1846. In 1845 the Caledonian Railway was authorised to construct a line from both Glasgow and Edinburgh to Carlisle, crossing the Southern Uplands at Beattock Summit, above sea level.
North from Hexham: first steps.
United Kingdom legislation
The notion of the only Anglo-Scottish main line running through Hexham was now finished. If the area north of Hexham was not to be on a main line, then the sparse population and meagre mineral resources made it difficult to justify a railway line, and for some years none was proposed. In 1853 a scheme was put forward on the unproven assumption that a known four-feet coal seam was widespread in the region, based on Plashetts. A meeting at Bellingham in March 1854 attracted considerable support, and Robert Nicholson was engaged to survey a route. His line was to run from Hexham (on the N&CR) through Reedsmouth to Bellingham, and on to the coal deposits at Falstone. His work was remarkably quickly done, for a bill for the "Border Counties Railway" was submitted to Parliament for the 1854 session. The proposal was attacked on the grounds of the doubts about the mineral reserves, and also Nicholson's proposed laminated timber bridges, but in fact the scheme was authorised when the <templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />Border Counties Railway (North Tyne Section) Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict. c. ccxii) was given royal assent on 31 July 1854. The capital was to be £250,000.
Raising the capital proved to be difficult, and the first shareholders' meeting was not held until 20 March 1855. Robert Nicholson died in 1855 and the position of engineer to the company was assumed by his nephew J. F. Tone. Tone decided that the bridge over the River Tyne at Hexham (sometimes referred to as the Border Counties Bridge) should be in iron girders on stone piers instead of Nicholson's timber. In October 1855 contracts were let for part of the work to William Hutchinson.
At the ceremony of cutting the first sod on 11 December 1855, W. H. Charlton, the company's chairman, stated that Hutchinson would build the line for £180,000 and that the line would be extended to Scotland, making Hexham one of the great railway centres. Hutchinson immediately started work on the piling for the Hexham bridge and but the first pile broke at and doubts about the strata caused Tone to redesign the bridge. Hutchinson had in fact tendered for the work without seeing a design, and he now had to stop work (on 10 January 1856). Scour was a serious issue at this location, and redesign was necessary on that account. Eventually, on 2 April 1858, the first section of line was opened, about in length, over the bridge and as far as Dunkirk Farm, a short distance north of Chollerford. The bridge had cost twice the originally estimated sum. Hutchinson had got into serious financial difficulty on completing the contract, largely because he had priced the work without seeing designs and without certainty of the ground conditions. The Border Counties Railway appears to have given him some considerable extra-contractual relief, putting their own financial position at risk.
The line was built as a single line, but land was acquired for later doubling, and all the bridges except the Hexham bridge, were built for double-track.
A public train service started on 5 April 1858; there were four passenger trains each way Monday to Saturday, and two on Sunday. They ran from Hexham to Chollerford, with an intermediate station at Wall.
Completing the first authorised line.
The train service paid surprisingly well and encouraged a feeling of optimism among the Directors.
Notwithstanding Hutchinson's contractual difficulties, he accepted a contract for completing the authorised line from Dunkirk Farm to Falstone.
During the 1858 parliamentary session, the company presented a bill for a northward extension of the line into Scotland, and to authorise financial support from the North British Railway (NBR). This was opposed by the Caledonian Railway and the promoters of the Border Union Railway, which had not yet presented its own bill, and was supposedly friendly to the NBR. The bill failed in Parliament.
United Kingdom legislation
The climate had changed the following year, and the Border Union got its own act of Parliament. The Border Counties presented a fresh bill for an extension from Bellingham to a junction with the BUR, at Lees Bog. The location later became better known under the name "Riccarton Junction". This time around the BUR was friendly, and although there was some opposition, the BCR got its act: the <templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />Border Counties Railway (Liddesdale Section and Deviations) Act 1859 (22 & 23 Vict. c. xliii) got royal assent on 11 August. The act of Parliament authorised an extension of time for construction of the earlier part of the line; the powers had in fact run out eleven days previously. The authorised capital was increased by £100,000. The North British Railway, by now overt sponsors of the BUR, were authorised to guarantee interest on BCR loans, and to make a working arrangement with the BCR.
From Wark, the line approached Reedsmouth, and there was a temporary goods terminus at Countess Park there while the river bridge was completed. The passenger service terminated at Wark. There was a demonstration train from Newcastle to Countess Park run on 1 December 1859. Public opening was expected "within the week" but this proved to be inaccurate, and the opening throughout to Falstone was delayed until 2 September 1861.
Amalgamation with the North British Railway.
United Kingdom legislation
By 1860 the company was seriously short of cash; the authorised capital had never been fully raised and the hoped-for coal reserves at Plashetts were disappointing. There seemed little chance of raising more capital now. The North British Railway was expansive, and was happy to take over the local line, and the result was the <templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />North British and Border Counties Railways Amalgamation Act 1860 (23 & 24 Vict. c. cxcv), passed on 13 August 1860; the capital for the BCR lines was increased to £350,000, and the act regularised the use by BCR trains of Hexham station of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. The BCR network was known now as the NBR (Border Counties Section).
Completion of the line.
The construction of the line throughout to Riccarton was completed by mid-April 1862, and it was satisfactorily inspected by Captain Tyler of the Board of Trade. As that location was simply a remote junction with (at the time) no actual settlement, there was no point in opening the extension until the Border Union Railway opened its main line there. Accordingly, the opening throughout of the BCR was on 24 June 1862 for goods trains, and on 1 July 1862 for passengers.
The line was operated on the train-staff and ticket system.
Poor Hutchinson had been ill-used by the BCR and his contractual position had been taken advantage of. After completion of the line he was still placed at an unfair disadvantage and he was declared bankrupt on 5 December 1862.
Running powers.
The North Eastern Railway and the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway now proposed to amalgamate, under the name North Eastern Railway. The NBR and several other competing lines opposed the parliamentary bill. The NBR was persuaded to withdraw its opposition in return for an exchange of running powers: the NBR was to get running powers from Hexham to Newcastle, and from Sprouston to Kelso. The NER obtained running powers between Berwick and Edinburgh, including all facilities at and between those places, except for the running of local trains and fish trains.
The Wansbeck line, which connected Morpeth and Reedsmouth, had been planned as an NBR route to Newcastle, using the Blyth and Tyne Railway east of Morpeth. This was a very circuitous way to reach Newcastle, and the North British now believed it had a more direct route to the city, which it had long sought. The junction at Reedsmouth had been aligned to face northwards, to allow direct running from Hawick to Morpeth, but in the changed circumstances, it was modified to face south.
It is plain that the NER got a huge advantage from this arrangement, in fact running all east coast express trains throughout to Edinburgh. The NBR appear to have anticipated making the BCR route an alternative main line from Edinburgh via Hawick to Newcastle, but although through passenger trains did run, they were never of an "express" character. Three passenger trains made the journey each way daily in 1862; the journey time was nearly five hours. Much later some of the Newcastle and Hexham trains terminated at Hawick or Galashiels, but some through trips were maintained until 1922.
The NBR acquired land in Newcastle in 1862 for station accommodation at Tyneside Terrace and in March 1863 land for a goods station was purchased for £16,166. The NBR now calculated that the Border Counties line had cost £457,153 "after deduction of the £94,000 of its paid-up share capital".
The Wansbeck Railway.
On 1 May 1865, the Wansbeck Railway was opened, between Morpeth and Reedsmouth. The Wansbeck Railway had been promoted independently but was taken over by the North British Railway in 1863. It joined the BCR route at Reedsmouth facing south.
Wark accident of 1889.
A northbound passenger train collided with a goods train at Wark station on 16 October 1889. The passenger train had only six people aboard, and five of them were injured. A southbound goods train had arrived at the passing station, and in contravention of the rules was allowed to occupy the loop connection to collect three wagons from the goods yard, even though the passenger train was expected. The passenger train arrived and struck the engine, having passed the distant signal at caution and not slackened speed enough; the driver was expecting to run directly into the station.
The twentieth century.
Although there were occasional changes to the passenger timetable through the years, the general pace of the Border Counties line changed little. The considerable expansion of the Kielder Forest from 1946 brought some additional services for the workers there.
In 1923 the mainline railways of Great Britain were "grouped" under the Railways Act 1921 and the North British Railway was a constituent of the new London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). In turn, this was subject to the nationalisation of the railways in 1948.
In the period following World War II, both passenger and goods traffic had declined substantially, and closure of the line began to be considered. The Tyne Bridge at Hexham had deteriorated and was in poor condition. The line was scheduled for closure to passengers on 15 October 1956. The line remained open for the time being for goods trains, and some special inward passenger excursions ran during this period. However total closure was soon considered, and the line closed to all traffic on 1 September 1958, except that a Ramblers' special excursion probably traversed the line from Newcastle to Hawick on 7 September 1958.
The line from Morpeth to Reedsmouth remained open and the short section of the BCR route from Reedsmouth to Bellingham was retained, enabling a weekly goods service and passenger excursions to Bellingham to be run. That section too closed on 11 November 1963.
The present day.
As the line ran through remote and undeveloped terrain, much of the course of it can be traced today. Many of the station houses have been converted to private residences.
The establishment of the reservoir called Kielder Water submerged part of the line in the early 1980s. None of the route is in railway use. However, in 2006, there were plans to re-open a small part of the line as a tourist attraction, to be called the Green Dragon Railway. The proposal was for a narrow gauge railway from a new water ferry landing stage at Gowanburn to Kielder Castle, a distance of about two miles. It would be a biofuel railway, using a wood-burning steam locomotive and a passenger coach heated by a wood-burning stove. The coach has been built and was on display at Leaplish Waterside Park on Kielder Water in November 2007. The project appears to have stalled and the locomotive, 0-4-2T "Saccharine" (Fowler 13355 of 1914), was moved to the Statfold Barn Railway in November 2008.
Topography.
The line left the Newcastle and Carlisle main line just west of Hexham:
The line climbed more or less continuously from Hexham to Riccarton; the ruling gradient was 1 in 100. The most consistent climb was from Hexham to Wark, and again from Plashetts to Riccarton; the summit of the line was at , close to Riccarton.
Notes.
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References.
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Further reading.
Darsley, Roger; Lovett, Dennis (2011). "Hexham to Hawick: The Border Counties Railway". Midhurst:Middleton Press. .
Perkins, Roy G; Macintosh, Iain (2014). "The Border Counties Railway Through Time". Stroud:Amberley Publishing. .

Norfolk Railway
Railway company in Norfolk, England operating from 1845 to 1862
The Norfolk Railway was an early railway company that controlled a network of 94 miles around Norwich, England. It was formed in 1845 by the amalgamation of the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway opened in 1844, and the Norwich and Brandon Railway, not yet opened. These lines were built out of frustration that the Eastern Counties Railway line that was expected to connect Norwich to London failed to be completed. The Norfolk Railway also leased the Lowestoft Railway and Harbour Company, and built a branch to Dereham and Fakenham, opened in 1846 and 1849 respectively.
It was successful in connecting Norwich to the emerging railway network, by connecting at Brandon with a line from London via Cambridge and also a line from the Midlands through Peterborough. However as a local line it was dependent on bigger partners, and it was threatened by new competing lines, so that its independence was always at risk. In 1848 it agreed with the larger Eastern Counties Railway that the ECR would operate its line, reducing the Norfolk Railway to a financial company only. In 1862 it amalgamated with other companies to form the Great Eastern Railway.
Its first lines, from Great Yarmouth to Norwich and Norwich to Brandon, continue in use at the present day as important regional routes, and although the Dereham and Fakenham branch closed to passengers in the 1960s, the majority of this line remains open as the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
Yarmouth and Norwich Railway.
The merchants of Norwich had been gratified when the Eastern Counties Railway got its authorising act of Parliament, the Eastern Counties Railway Act 1836 (6 & 7 Will. 4. c. cvi), to build a line from London to their city and on to Great Yarmouth. The capital for the construction was £1.6 million, a huge amount at the time. The Eastern Counties Railway had grossly underestimated the cost of building its line, and it was running out of money. The people of Norwich were dismayed in April 1839, when the ECR announced that it would be unable to build any further than Colchester for the time being.
Throughout the remainder of that year and in 1840, a number of schemes were put forward and discussed; there were alternative routes, but they all met with the suspicion that large sums of money might be subscribed without the lines being completed. By now the Northern and Eastern Railway was in financial difficulty too; its original intention of connecting London to York was eventually reduced to a line from Stratford to Newport, Essex. Ambitious railway schemes in East Anglia were not held in high esteem, especially when their projected cost was quoted in millions of pounds.
On 21 January 1841, a meeting was held in Norwich to determine how to improve the transport links of Norwich. As a first step, a link to Yarmouth was planned. Yarmouth was the port for the City of Norwich, and at the same time a fashionable watering place, and would be useful, as coastwise shipping was an important transport medium for heavy materials, particularly coal, and the railway would enable minerals to be brought to Norwich from the harbour at Yarmouth. The ECR powers to build between Norwich and Yarmouth had lapsed by this time, but at a meeting on 19 March 1841 a proposal was tabled, prepared by Robert Stephenson, for a line. It was to be routed indirectly, via Reedham, to minimise the cost by avoiding certain river crossings and keeping to low-lying ground: it became known as the Valley Line. It would cost a little under £200,000 including land acquisition and rolling stock.
The project went to the 1842 session of Parliament, and in the face of Eastern Counties Railway opposition, the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway Act 1842 (5 & 6 Vict. c. lxxxii) passed on 18 June 1842. George Stephenson was the chairman of the company and Robert Stephenson the engineer. Share capital was £150,000.
Grissell and Peto were appointed as the contractors; they had agreed to take £30,000 of their fee in shares; they started work in late March 1843. There proved to be a difficulty over the Yarmouth terminus, which was planned to be on an island owned by Robert Cory. The only access was over a primitive and narrow suspension toll