the objective sought by many railway interests. At this time the Railway Mania was at its height, and several schemes to reach Norwich were deposited for the 1846 session of Parliament, including projects in which the Eastern Counties Railway had an interest. The Ipswich and Bury Railway promoted a line from a triangular junction north of Stowmarket (at Haughley) to Norwich by way of Diss, and it was this that gained the Royal Assent on 27 July 1846. A branch from Bentley to Hadleigh was also authorised. The I&BR was authorised to take additional capital of £550,000, and the Act permitted amalgamation with the Eastern Union Railway. Shareholders' meetings of both companies were held on 8 December 1846, and the amalgamation was approved, to take practical effect on 1 January 1847. The combined company would be called the Eastern Union Railway. The authorised capital of the I&BR was £1,266,666 and that of the (old) EUR was £400,000. However most of the I&BR capital had not yet been subscribed, so a complex capital structure in the new company had to be formulated. The arrangements were ratified by Act of 9 July 1847, and, after considerable delay, by the railway commissioners in February 1848. The Railway Mania had expired suddenly, and in the slump that followed money was extremely difficult to come by, so that construction to Norwich was slow, not beginning until 1848. Extension to Norwich The building of the line on to Norwich provided a number of technical challenges, in particular another marshy stretch known as Thrandeston Bog, which was eventually overcome by the sinking of weighted faggots. The contractor's engine (probably "Skylark") reached Diss on 19 January 1849, amid considerable rejoicing: it was the first railway locomotive in Norfolk. Samuel Bignold, Mayor of Norwich, gave much practical and financial help to the construction. The line was opened in stages: from Haughley to Finningham on 7 June 1848; Finningham to Burston on 2 July 1849, and a passenger service throughout to Burston started that day. On 3 November 1849 a special train for the directors reached Norwich, and on 7 November a full ceremonial opening run took place. Goods traffic throughout the line started on 3 December 1849, and full passenger operation followed on 12 December 1849. The Norwich station was known as Norwich Victoria from the outset: the Eastern Counties Railway already had a major station, "Thorpe," in Norwich