Making history on the Yorkshire Wolds Railway

The team at the Yorkshire Wolds Railway celebrated a significant milestone as they continue their preparations for the 2022 season.

For the first time in more than 60 years, actual shunting took place on part of the former Malton and Driffield Junction Railway.

Operations manager Martyn Jones, said: “As we prepare for reopening on Easter Sunday, work is continuing on restoration and painting of the coach roof which forms our visitor centre.

“We managed to complete one side working from the platform, but struggled to reach the other due to the height.

“The obvious solution was to temporarily move the coach from its location on one side of the platform to the other.

“We have had to move the coach slightly before, but never had the siding connected to the mainline at that point so had to use other methods for power.

“Thanks to the fantastic work done by our volunteers, the track is now all connected meaning that we could use our locomotive Sir Tatton Sykes to handle the movement.”

Many of the YWR team were on site to watch the spectacle which went by without a hitch.

Martyn continued: “As we have never been able to perform this type of movement before, a lot of preparation, along with compiling operational standards, had to be completed.

“As this is now done, it means that any such move required in the future will be much easier to perform.
“We can’t wait to show our visitors the improvements to the site when we reopen after the winter break at 10am on Sunday 17th April.”

It’s not just the visitor centre that is receiving attention at the YWR, which was established in 2008, exactly 50 years after the closure of the Malton and Driffield Junction Railway.

Restoration work is also continuing on the BR20T brake van which is hoped to be brought into service later in 2022.

Additionally, work on Patricia, a 424 series 0-6-0 Fowler shunter that was delivered to the YWR in June 2021, keeps moving forward, the initial job being to ensure the cab is weather sealed.

All this effort is in addition to painting, track laying, cleaning and administration work required to keep the railway operational by the volunteers.

Anyone wishing to support the YWR by becoming a member, or donating can do so at yorkshirewoldsrailway.org.uk/support/