Pickering is an attractive market town on the fringe of the North York Moors some 25 miles north-east of York.
Pickering railway station, along with the entire railway line from Malton to Grosmont was closed by British Railways in March 1965, but unlike many closed stations, that was the beginning of a new chapter in it's story.
In 1967, a group of local residents set up the North Yorkshire Moors Railway Society with the aim of preserving some of the line. Services began in 1970 on a short section of the route, and on 22 April 1973 the line from Grosmont to Pickering was reopened.
Over the years much hard work has gone into developments along the route, and one of the major recent developments has been the building of a roof over Pickering railway station, along with authentic platform fittings. The original roof was removed in 1952, so this shot is the kind of scene that would have existed before then.
Thank you Graham - as well as being a great line to ride on, its also great for photos, because there are footpaths and tracks beside much of the route.
Thank you Pat - one of my strongest childhood memories is being on a steam hauled train and going through a tunnel and seeing the sparks and steam pass the window.
Thank you Helen - I'm sure you will enjoy Pickering and it's surroundings. Some trains on this railway now run all the way to the coast at Whitby, so it's a very interesting and varied ride.
Thank you Bob - there were several hundred of these locomotives built and used all over the country. They would have pulled many of the steam hauled services that I remember from childhood.
Thank you Padlock, glad you like it.
Ian
Thank you Lee, glad you like it
Ian
Thank you Graham - as well as being a great line to ride on, its also great for photos, because there are footpaths and tracks beside much of the route.
Ian
Thank you Lynne - the smell of steam really brought back childhood memories!
Ian
Thank you Pat - one of my strongest childhood memories is being on a steam hauled train and going through a tunnel and seeing the sparks and steam pass the window.
Ian
Thank you Ivan, and thank you for the fav! This railway is a great location for steam shots.
Ian
Thank you Cindy - the locomotive used in the Harry Potter film is here in the railway museum in York at the moment
Ian
Thank you Lizzy, and thank you for the fav!
Ian
Thank you Helen - I'm sure you will enjoy Pickering and it's surroundings. Some trains on this railway now run all the way to the coast at Whitby, so it's a very interesting and varied ride.
Ian
Thank you Molly - a steam train has a magnetic attraction for me!
Ian
Thank you Berni - the preservation society has done well to save as much of the route as it has. Only 8 miles remains closed.
Ian
Thank you Ferry, and thank you for the link. I've enjoyed looking at the photos of the steam locomotives in your country!
Ian
Thank you Shepherdman - it's a wonderful journey, especially now the route has been extended into Whitby for some services.
Ian
Thank you Therese, glad you like it!
Ian
Thank you Steve and Pam - it's a wonderful journey through some lovely countryside and pretty villages.
Ian
Thank you Tony, I agree - steam locomotives really do seem to be alive!
Ian
Thank you Cathie - it's a really realistic historic recreation.
Ian
Thank you Brian, glad you like it.
Ian
Thank you Pete - this is a really good railway for photos, with paths and tracks beside much of the route.
Ian
Thank you Bob - there were several hundred of these locomotives built and used all over the country. They would have pulled many of the steam hauled services that I remember from childhood.
Ian