Steam railway seeks memories of the past
People with a recollection of two of Yorkshire’s oldest railway lines are being sought to take part in a project to capture their reminiscences.
Mark Sissons, archivist with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NMYR), is on the lookout for anyone who may have worked on or had an association with the Malton to Whitby line, or the Whitby to Scarborough line before the lines were closed in 1965. Only one of those has survived in part as a railway line.
The Pickering to Grosmont section of the Malton to Whitby line is now run by NYMR as a preserved line. It was reopened in 1973 and has steadily grown to become the most popular heritage steam railway in Britain, attracting more than 300,000 visitors per year.
More recently, NYMR has been able to run services beyond Grosmont to Whitby on the main line, thanks to permissions having been obtained from Network Rail. A second platform was built and opened last year in Whitby to accommodate the growth in both train services and passengers.
Mark said: “It is 50 years since these lines were removed from Britain’s national network and to commemorate this milestone I’m keen to hear from anyone with memories of these lines, either because they worked on them or they had a family member involved.”
His aim is to compile as many recordings as possible of people who remember in order to create an oral history for future generations.
Anyone who can provide information should email Mark at archive@nymr.co.uk or contact Mark Sissons on 01751 475784 or 07801 657910.