Later in the afternoon at Pickering station, and this locomotive has just been uncoupled from it's coaches, and moved into the headshunt. One of the crew climbs down to ring the signal box to get the points changed so it can run round to the opposite end of it's train for it's next journey north.
Before the closure of the route in the Beaching cuts of the 1960s, there was a double track line here heading south towards Malton. A short section of the route (about 100 metres long) immediately behind the locomotive was converted into a road.
For many years it was an ambition of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to extend the line back towards Malton, but sadly the presence of the road has made this an unrealistic prospect.
However at the opposite end of the route, this railway has reached agreement with Network Rail to operate trains beyond Grosmont into Whitby, with great success.
The building in the background here was once a bank. It is now a Costa Coffee shop. Other buildings which were once railway buildings beside the railway converted to a road still exist and they have been converted to other uses as well.
The locomotive in this shot was built in June 1957, and is of the same type as the very last steam locomotive built for British Railways and delivered in 1960. It was designed as a heavy freight locomotive, and was successful in that role. It was also discovered that these locomotives had quite a turn of speed, despite their small driving wheels, and on some routes they were used for passenger services.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
Some years ago a local travel agent organised day trips from York to Pickering, train through to Whitby and later a coach over the moor tops back to York, enabling people to enjoy the dramatic journey through Newtondale on the train and seeing the contrast of the wide open spaces of heather moorland on the return by road. Sadly that trip is no longer available.
Thank you Paul - this was one of the main reasins for the time I spent on Pickering station. I didn't have any photos of this engine, and it is the only survivor to be fitted with a single chimney.
Ian
July 17th, 2022
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Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
Some years ago a local travel agent organised day trips from York to Pickering, train through to Whitby and later a coach over the moor tops back to York, enabling people to enjoy the dramatic journey through Newtondale on the train and seeing the contrast of the wide open spaces of heather moorland on the return by road. Sadly that trip is no longer available.
Ian
Thank you Vesna, I'm pleased you like it.
Ian
Thank you Paul - this was one of the main reasins for the time I spent on Pickering station. I didn't have any photos of this engine, and it is the only survivor to be fitted with a single chimney.
Ian