Bressingham Steam and Gardens

Bressingham Steam & Gardens is a steam museum and gardens located at Bressingham (adjacent to a garden centre), west of Diss in Norfolk, England. The site has several narrow gauge rail lines and a number of types of steam engines and vehicles in its collection and is also the home of a Dad's Army exhibition. The gardens The gardens were established by Alan Bloom MBE at Bressingham Hall. He moved to Bressingham in 1946, after selling his previous 36-acre (15 ha) site at Oakington in Cambridgeshire to raise the capital for the 220 acres (89 ha) in Norfolk, where he hoped to be both a farmer and a nurseryman. He was a plant expert of international renown, particularly in the field of hardy perennials. He laid out the Dell Garden at Bressingham, with its well-known island beds. His son, Adrian Bloom, laid out five additional gardens for year-round interest, starting with Foggy Bottom in 1963. He is still largely in charge of the Bressingham Gardens, which are not part of the charity but are privately owned by the Bloom family business. The Dell Garden is curated by Alan Bloom's son-in-law, Jaime Blake. Much of the site is given over to commercial horticulture. The nurseries are not open to the public, but there is a garden centre on the site, which is independent from the Steam Museum and the Bloom Nurseries and Gardens. Bressingham Steam Museum is an independent charitable trust. Alan Bloom had wanted to create his own trust in 1967, to ensure that the collection would not be dispersed to pay for death duties, but the laws of the time made this difficult and after five years of negotiation, the museum was close to being handed over to the Transport Trust. However, the legislation governing private museums was relaxed just before the proposed handover in 1971. Consequently, Bloom was able to create his own trust and thus retain control of it, because the collection was of historical and educational importance. The Gallopers The three-abreast Gallopers, purchased by Alan Bloom in 1967, are the centrepiece of the site. They were built by Frederick Savage in Kings Lynn in 1897 and were owned and operated by the Thurston family of Norfolk until 1934. The Gallopers later operated at Whitley Bay and later in Scotland before finding a home at Bressingham. They are currently powered by electricity, but were previously steam-powered. The engine used, "Victoria", was originally built by Tidmans of Norwich. The organ – a Bruder-built, 48 keyless Chiappa – which was built from two organs in 1954, accompanies the Gallopers. Miniature gauge railways There exists a short loop of dual gauge, 5" and 7.25", track complete with turntable and locomotive shed. This along with a 7.25" Stafford steam locomotive, built by Station Road Steam, which was funded by the Young Steamers club at the Museum. The Young Steamers and this track has lain unused for a number of years. The Garden Railway This 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) gauge miniature railway runs through the Dell Garden, giving passengers clear views of the flower beds. The journey begins in a terminus station within the museum grounds before heading into the Dell Garden. At the far end of the garden, the train is turned in a balloon loop, before returning to the station. A turntable is located at the end of the platform road to facilitate the turning of the locomotive with minimal movements required. The points located at the balloon loop and the entrance to the platform road are spring operated so there is no requirement for a signalman. The coloured light aspect signal protecting the platform is interlocked with the lie of the points being set for the platform road and the turntable also being set to the platform road. Locomotives Narrow gauge railways There are two railway lines which take visitors around the gardens: The Fen Railway The Fen Railway (formerly the Nursery Railway) is a 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm) narrow gauge railway. It was the second railway to be completed at Bressingham, first opening in 1966. The railway is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long and crosses the Waveney Valley Railway, running parallel to it for a short distance. It also runs through meadows and passes the now-defunct plant nurseries. The Railway was extended twice following initial completion to become the length it is today. Locomotives: The Waveney Valley Railway 15 in (381 mm) gauge miniature railway. The line was first opened in 1973 and is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length. It crosses the 1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm) Fen Railway and also runs parallel to the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge line for a time. Locomotives: Standard gauge railway Standard gauge locomotives Broad gauge steam locomotives Steam vehicles A variety of steam vehicles are in the collection. Steam Engines Portable and others Burrell No. 2363 of 1901 Portable. Operational. Youngs Portable of 1910. Manufactured locally in Diss. On display. Tidman Centre Engine (fairground) No. 1891 Victoria. Usually resides in the centre section of Gallopers. Withdrawn 2015 pending replacement of Boiler Barrel - Expected to re-enter service late 2019 Merryweather Fire Engine no. 3702. Merryweather Fire Pump of 1914. Steam Rollers Burrell No. 3962 Boxer of 1923 reg no. PW 1714. On display. Burrell No. 3993 Buster of 1924 reg no. CF 5646. Operational. Robey 4 ton Tandem Steam Roller No. 42520 Barkis built in 1925 reg No. FE 7632. On display. Steam Tractors / Traction Garrett 5 ton Steam Tractor No. 34641 Bunty, built in 1924 reg no. CF 5913. On display. Burrell Traction engine No. 3112 Bertha of 1909 reg no. CF 3440. On display. Foster Traction engine No. 2821 Beryl of 1903 reg. no. BE 7448. Operational. Fowler Traction engine No. 6188 Beulah of 1890 reg no. MA 8528. On display. Gallery Dad's Army Collection The museum is the home of the national Dad's Army collection of vintage vehicles. These are located on a reconstruction of the High Street in the fictional Walmington-on-Sea, beside the butcher's shop of Lance Corporal Jones, Private Frazer's undertaker's shop, and Captain Mainwaring's bank office. The vehicles include Jones's van and the dust cart from the 1971 Dad's Army film, Mainwaring's Austin 8 staff car used in the episode "The Making of Private Pike", the vintage fire engine used in "Brain Versus Brawn" and the steamroller "Boxer" and traction engine "Bertha", which appeared in other episodes. See also Index of steam energy articles References External links Official website The Bressingham Gardens website