The new works at Melton Constable were initially built and brought into operation by Mr J W Mann who had been appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the Lynn and Fakenham Railway in 1880. On 10th May 1881 the first track was laid, the foundations of the various shops were put in, part of the walls put up and the framework of many houses in Melton Street erected. Although commenced by the L&FR, completion was carried out by the Eastern & Midlands Railway. The works first operated in 1883.

At first a little trouble was experienced with the foundations in the mixture of sand, clay and marl but this was later overcome and the sheds of brick with iron window frames and iron and wood roofs safely erected. The ironwork was by Everitt, Adams & Co. of Great Ryburgh.

The works were compact and well equipped. The erecting shop had two roads and there was a machine shop, boiler shop, forge, smithy and other ancillary shops. Before the erecting shop was completed, lighter work, such as wheel removal, had been carried out in the open. The layout consisted of one island providing two 800 ft platforms enabling long trains to be divided as required. Lord Hastings had his private waiting room at the Lynn end of the up platform and on the opposite side. The provision of this amenity for the nobility was one of the original conditions of land transference. Most of the platforms were roofed. Internally the erecting shop was perhaps the most impressive in the whole of Norfolk. Water was obtained from a well 7 ft dia x 30 ft deep pumped by a 6NHP Tangye steam engine into a tank 20 ft high.

 The Works were brought into operation in 1883 by the Eastern & Midlands Railway when the local locomotive shops at Yarmouth and Fakenham were closed and all heavy repairs were transferred to Melton Constable. Mr J W Mann, who had overseen the construction of the works, resigned in 1884 and William_Marriott, who had become Civil Engineer of the Eastern & Midlands in 1883, was appointed Locomotive Superintendent.

During the next few years the works were occupied in heavy repairs to locomotives; the first rebuilding proper did not take place until 1890 when No.18, one of the Cornwall Mineral Railway engines, was converted to a 2-4-0 tender locomotive. Nos 13 and 3 were modified in the same way in 1891 and No. 14 in 1892. No. 29 (re-numbered 42) was rebuilt in 1891.

New engines received during the life of Eastern & Midlands Railway comprised three 4-4-0 express engines from Beyer, Peacock & Co, in November 1886, given numbers 29-31. In May 1888 Gorton Works despatched four more 4-4-0 Peacock engine locomotives to Melton Constable, allotted Nos. 32-35.

By the time the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway was formed on 1st July 1893 the E&MR possessed thirty-six locomotives. This locomotive stock resolved itself into two main types that became the standard on the M&GNJR, viz. seven 4-4-0 side tanks and fifteen 4-4-0 tender express engines.

For some years after the M&GNJR was formed, Melton Constable was intensely occupied in general repair work to both locomotives and other rolling stock. Fifteen engines were rebuilt in the period 1895 - 1909. During this period Melton Constable also took delivery of thirty-three 4-4-0 inside cylinder passenger engines manufactured by Sharp, Stewart & Co. and in 1896 took receipt of eight 0-6-0 tender goods engines built by Neilson & Co. of Glasgow.

None of these later additions were suitable for shuttle passenger service and shunting duties. Consequently a new design of 0-6-0 side tank shunting engine was put in hand, mainly as “stock jobs”, to fill the demand for such a type in the extensive yards of Norwich, Yarmouth and South Lynn. Although classed for accountancy purposes as rebuilds these were in effect new engines utilising what parts were still serviceable from CMR engines purchased in 1880 and 1881. Altogether nine were constructed in the period 1897 - 1905; they were intended as replacements for six of the old Cornish Mineral engines, the old Black, Hawthorn saddle tank and engines purchased in 1880 and 1881. Altogether nine were constructed in the period 1897 - 1905; they were intended as replacements for six of the old Cornish Mineral engines, the old Black, Hawthorn saddle tank and two Fox, Walker engines. All nine of this class bore number-plates of E&MR design, i.e. red ground with golden gorse figures. The last of these nine engines was withdrawn from service in 1949.

These new 0-6-0Ts had two 16” x 20” diameter wheels, boiler with round top firebox with a total heating surface of 737 sq. ft. Those which had old boilers fitted operated at 140 lb/sq in and those with new boilers 150 lb/sq in. Their total weight in working order was 37 tons 13 cwt. Grate area was 11.3 sq ft. They had the Melton third pattern chimney, MR pattern boiler mountings and injectors below the tanks for flooding should they not start at once and get overheated. Other features were a fountain point just forward of the spectacle plate from which points to the whistle and other fittings were taken, steam brakes to the driving and trailing wheels although a hand operated brake with vertical spindle was also included. The connecting rods were outside the coupling rods and had open-ended big-ends with the small-ends adjustable by screw and wedge. Lubrication to the cylinders was by a sight-feed instrument not the old bubble type. Sanding was provided for running in either direction and all had vacuum brakes.
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 The steady increase in goods traffic demanded still more locomotives and Kitson & Co. Ltd supplied eight 0-6-0 goods tender engines in 1899 identical with those of the Midland Railway pattern. Again in 1900, twelve GNR 0-6-0 tender goods locomotives built by Dübs & Co., Glasgow were sent to Melton Constable.

A corresponding increase in passenger traffic called for further passenger engines and seven 4-4-0 inside cylinder locomotives were supplied by Beyer, Peacock & Co. Ltd. in 1899, similar to those of the MR, and also known as Class C.

In 1904 Melton Constable Works again undertook production of still more passenger locomotives, in this instance 4-4-2 tank engines. They were well-proportioned locomotives with sloping side tanks, two outside cylinders 17¼” x 24”, 3’-0” diameter bogie wheels, 6’-0” diameter drivers and 3’-6½” trailing wheels. The boiler had a round top firebox and a total heating surface of 1099 sq. ft. Boiler pressure was 160 lb/sq in and the total weight in working order was 68 tons 9 cwt. The boilers were similar to the MR Type 36 Class B and the fittings (the closed dome, the Ramsbottom safety valves with the elegant tail lever and combination injector mounted on the firebox backhead) followed Derby practice, except for the chimney which was of the Melton third pattern design. There was great similarity between the cylinders, wheels and motions of these engines and the original Peacocks supplied from 1882. The tank capacity was 1650 gallons of water and 2 tons of coal. Three 4-4-2T engines were built in 1904, 1909 and 1910 and saw service until 1944.

The nine 0-6-0T and three 4-4-2T locomotives built by the M & GNR all incorporated parts of those they replaced but the large amount of work entailed could justify them being termed “new”. After the 4-4-2T engines were built no further new locomotives were built at Melton but a great many modifications were always being made. At the time of Mr._Marriott’s retirement in 1924 his last locomotive list comprised ninety-five engines and there were four blank numbers available for any additions.

Melton Constable Works not only repaired existing stock supplied to the former companies but also built a number of new vehicles. In 1902, for example, the works turned out some trucks for travelling oil-gas holders, the trucks being made and erected in the carriage and wagon shop the twin 4 ft. 0 ins. diameter x 17 ft. 2 ins. long dish ended tanks being dealt with by the boiler shop and hydraulically tested to 10 psi. During the whole of this period maintenance work at Melton covered not only railway vehicles but the large fleet of horse-drawn delivery vans and trolleys as well.
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William Newman (Mr._Marriott’s first mechanical draughtsman and Chief Assistant to the Locomotive Superintendent since 1893) succeeded William Marriott as Resident Mechanical Engineer in 1924. He, like his predecessor, was faced with the ever-present demand for greater motive power to deal with the heavier trains, especially the summer excursions. No new engines were forthcoming and he tackled the problem by maintaining a rigidly high standard of maintenance of both locomotives and passenger stock. Mr. Newman retired in 1932.

He in turn was succeeded by Mr. A.H. Nash from Derby works. Apart from blast nozzle and chimney modifications, no fundamental changes were made to the engines in general during his period in charge and no new type of locomotive or new design was undertaken at Melton up to its closure. Mr. Nash left Melton in 1937 after the L&NER took charge.
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