Autumn... and the new golden age of steam

IT is a glorious image that could have come from a bygone age.

A steam locomotive snakes through some of Britain’s most stunning countryside with fabulous autumn colours in full display.

Far from being historic, this scene was captured yesterday as a ‘Black Five’ loco operated by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway took passengers along the 18-mile route from Pickering to Grosmont, with clear blue skies showing this beauty spot at its best.

The popular railway – mainly run by volunteers – carries around 350,000 passengers across the North York Moors National Park each year.

Families pack the trains in summer, but the colours currently on show are difficult to beat.

The Black Five running yesterday – named Eric Treacy after a former Bishop of Wakefield, an eminent railway photographer – was built in 1937 and taken out of service 30 years later when steam was abandoned in the area.

The railway – run by a trust that was set up at that time – has featured in the Harry Potter films, as well TV series such as Dad’s Army and Heartbeat.