North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Pickering to Whitby, North
Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Moors Railway is currently the
second longest heritage railway in the UK with 18 miles of standard gauge line.
It runs across the North York Moors from Pickering via Levisham, Newton Dale,
Goathland, Grosmont, to Whitby. It is the end section of the former
Whitby, Pickering and Malton line which was closed in 1965.
I think the link from Grosmont to Whitby, is
over part of the Esk Valley line. On the website and PDF timetable it says that
steam trains operate on the Esk Valley line as far as Batterby, two
stations up away from Whitby, during gala weekends.
Trains are mostly steam-hauled, but heritage diesels are also used. At the height of the running timetable, trains
depart hourly from each station. As well as the normal passenger running, there
are dining services on some evenings and weekends. The recent extension of steam
operated services to the seaside town of Whitby have proved extremely popular.
The railway was planned in 1831 by George
Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important
seaport of Whitby and opened in 1836. The initial railway was designed and built
to be used by horse-drawn carriages. Their three main achievements were cutting
a 110m tunnel through rock at Grosmont, constructing a rope-worked incline
system at Beck Hole and traversing the marshy and deep Fen Bog using a bed of
timber and sheep fleeces. The tunnel is believed to be one of the oldest railway
tunnels in the world. In 1845 it changed hands and shortly after steam engines
were introduced, stations and other permanent structures were added. At first it
was very successful but as time went on it became uneconomic and was closed in
1965.
The railway was able to reopen for running in
1973 as the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, with much of the traction provided by
the North East Locomotive Preservation Group.
An interesting feature of this line is that the
stations are set in different periods, allowing time as well as steam travel to
occur.
- Pickering Station is the southern
terminus of the railway. The station has recently been restored to its
1937 condition. Original fixtures and fittings have been installed in the
Booking Office and Parcels Office, as well as in the Tea Room. The station
is home to the railway's carriage workshops, and there is also a
turntable.
- Levisham Station is a small
countryside station set in the scenic Newton Dale valley. The location of
the station is notable, as it is nearly two miles from the village which
it serves, and whose name it takes. The area is ideal for walking and a
wide variety of wildlife and flowers can be found within a short distance
of the station. Levisham Station has been renovated and preserved to
represent a small NER country station, circa 1912. The station has a
traditional camping coach, which is let for holidays. Since 2007 the North
Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Artist in Residence
Christopher Ware
 can be seen at work in an open studio at the station which is open every
day when trains are running, and often when they are not .
- Newton Dale Halt is a remote
walkers' request stop. There are excellent walks and beautiful scenery
within easy reach.
- Goathland Station is another
typical countryside station, almost unchanged since its construction in
1865. The station has been restored to represent an NER country station
post World War 1 circa 1922. The station is popular with tourists due to
its appearances in Yorkshire TV's Heartbeat (Goathland is
Aidensfield in the TV drama and shops, pubs and more are easily
recognisable). This station also featured in the Harry Potter films as Hogsmeade Station. The station has a newly refurbished Tea Room which is
inside a Goods Warehouse. The station also has a traditional camping
coach, which is let for holidays.
- Grosmont Station is the old
northern terminus, and houses the locomotive sheds. The station itself has
been restored to the British Railways style circa 1955. The shed area has
facilities to provide water and coal for the engines, as well as stabling.
The sheds are also used for the maintenance and overhaul of the engines.
At Grosmont, the line connects with the Network Rail operated Esk Valley
Line. Platform one of the station is served by Northern Rail services,
whilst platforms two, three and four are used by the NYMR.
- Whitby Railway Station is the new
northern terminus of the NYMR as of 2007. There will now be regular trains
to Whitby from Pickering throughout the year. (Note that not all trains go
to Whitby).
They have a wide range of resident locomotives,
as well as others visiting for gala events. You can see the .Locomotives
operating today.
For photographers this line is attractive,
running through a national park. Stations set in different periods and a number
of features like a level crossing at Grosmont station adds to the appeal.
Getting good shots of the line in open moorland is not difficult but in other
areas it is more difficult to get ideal views than on many others. The website
is not as informative as some others and timetable difficult due to the type
size. However this line wins many national awards, has been selected for many
films and TV series, although being quite a long way from most places.
Further information Grid
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Planning Grid
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Location: |
North Yorkshire Moors Railway |
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Grid Reference: |
SE797841 |
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Getting there: |
Pickering Station is just off the A170 between
Scarborough and Thirsk and lies just off the A169, 9 miles from Malton and
the A64.
Goathland and Grosmont
Stations can be reached from the A169 Pickering–Whitby road or the A171
Whitby–Guisborough road and are well signposted. |
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Access: |
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Parking: |
Available at Pickering, Levisham, Goathland
and Grosmont Stations. Parking is limited. |
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Facilities: |
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Things To Do,
See and Photograph: |
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What to take: |
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Nature highlights: |
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Address: |
NYMR
12 Park St
Pickering
North Yorkshire |
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Postcode: |
YO18 7AJ |
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Telephone: |
01751 472508 Talking Timetable:
01751 473535
Grosmont Station: 01947
895359 |
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Opening times: |
Beginning of April to end of October,
plus selected dates through the winter.
Timetable is on the website
but
type is difficult to read due to its small size. You may be able to use the
browser magnifier to read it. The bottom right also allows you to download
the timetable.
TimetableLeaflet2008.pdf
Events are shown on the website. |
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Charges: |
A range of single/return/one station tickets
are available.
Typical Fares
Pickering-Grosmont Day Rover: Adult £14.50; Child £7.30; Over 60 £12; Family (2 Adults & up to 4 Children) £31
Pickering-Whitby Day Rover Adult £20; Child £12; Over 60 £17;
Family (2 Adults & up to 4 Children) £45
Its
likely although not stated that event costs are higher.
Full prices are not on the website as at
01/07/08 |
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Photo Restrictions: |
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Other Restrictions: |
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Special Needs Access: |
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Special Needs Facilities: |
Click here
or call 01751 472508 |
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Children Facilities: |
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Dogs Allowed: |
Allowed charge £2 fee |
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CIN Page Ref: |
North_Yorkshire_Moors_Railway |
Date Updated: 07/2008 |
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Please let us know any other information that we
can add to the Further information and Planning Grids or page and any errors that you discover. Before making a long trip to any location it is always
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