Yorkshire Wolds Railway

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Yorkshire Wolds Railway
Locomotive at Yorkshire Wolds Railway.jpg
Sir Tatton Skyes on the running line at Fimber Halt in May 2015
Locale East Riding of Yorkshire, England
TerminusFimber Halt ( SE91146077 )
Coordinates 54°02′06″N0°36′36″W / 54.0350°N 0.6100°W / 54.0350; -0.6100
Commercial operations
NameYorkshire Wolds Railway
Built by Malton and Driffield Junction Company
Original gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Operated byMalton Dodger Ltd
StationsOne, at Fimber Halt
Lengthnearly 1,000 feet (300 m)
Preserved gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened19 May 1853
Closed20 October 1958
Preservation history
October 2008Project established
2012Start on site
24 May 2015Opens to the public
HeadquartersFimber Halt
Website
www.yorkshirewoldsrailway.org.uk

The Yorkshire Wolds Railway is a preserved railway in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is located on a section of the Malton and Driffield Junction Railway near the village of Fimber. The railway has a short demonstration line and an operational industrial diesel locomotive that provides cab rides to visitors. The railway has plans for expansion, work on which has been underway since April 2019.

Contents

History

The line was built as part of a scheme supported by George Hudson to create a line of communication from Hull to Newcastle. [1] The line opened on 19 May 1853; its traffic was almost exclusively local passenger trains and freight traffic from the quarries at Burdale and Wharram, with the occasional summer Sunday services to the coast. The quarries, however, suffered a boom and bust existence and their business dried up by the 1950s [2] [3] leading to the line's final closure on 20 October 1958. [4]

Heritage operation

Malton and
Driffield Junction Railway
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Malton
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Settrington
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North Grimston
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Wharram
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1747 yd
1597 m
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Burdale
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Sledmere and Fimber
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Fimber Halt
(opened 2015)
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Wetwang
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Garton
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Driffield
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In October 2008 the Yorkshire Wolds Railway Restoration Project was formed with the aim to restore at least part of the Malton and Driffield railway line as a heritage attraction.

In 2012 the group gained planning permission to build a visitors centre near to the site of the former Fimber and Sledmere station. [5] [6] The land required for all of the current project is owned by the Sledmere Estate who are supportive of the railway. As a tourist attraction, the railway is intended to be an interesting stop-off on the route to the Yorkshire coast, becoming part of a range of tourist attractions in the Yorkshire Wolds including Sledmere House and Wharram Percy deserted medieval village. [7]

In September 2012 the project acquired its first vehicle, an ex-BR Mark 1 full brake coach (or 'BG'). [8] In 2013 the charity obtained its first locomotive, a GEC diesel shunter GEC Traction 5576 [9] built in 1979 at the English Electric Vulcan foundry works. It was originally operated by British Steel Corporation at Shotton, and later by Trackwork Ltd of Doncaster as a training vehicle in the rail engineering unit at HM Prison Lindholme. The locomotive was repainted in BR green, a two-tone livery similar to that seen on BR Class 14 shunters, and was named Sir Tatton Sykes.

In 2018 the railway acquired another piece of rolling stock: BR 20T Brake Van B955043. The brake van arrived on site via low loader in September in the same year. [10] As of 20 October 2020, the brake van is being restored and has been painted BR freight grey; it is partway through being re-roofed.

The Yorkshire Wolds Railway first opened to the public on 24 May 2015, with the official opening by Sir Tatton Sykes, on 25 May 2015. Currently it has a visitors centre and nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) of demonstration track with a turnout connecting the running line with the track upon which the Mk 1 BG stands. [11]

The Yorkshire Wolds Railway is the only heritage railway in the East Riding of Yorkshire. [12]

Extension

The railway has plans to extend its operational length to 2 miles; this would involve running between the Fimber Halt site, opened when the project commenced, and the original Wetwang railway station. The railway has also had success bidding for funding from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council's LEADER programme and has received donations of track from local industrial railways including Drax Power Station. [13] [14]

Planning consent was granted on 17 May 2012 for the laying of 0.9 miles (72 chains) of track from Fimber Halt to the edge of a field. Further tracklaying would immediately involve crossing a green lane. [15] A platform at Fimber Halt has been built which allows for easier boarding of trains, particularly when the brake van is ready for use. [16]

Rolling stock

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkshire Wolds</span> Area of East Riding of Yorkshire, England

The Yorkshire Wolds are hills in the counties of the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in Northern England. They are the northernmost chalk hills in the UK and within lies the northernmost chalk stream in Europe, the Gypsey Race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetwang</span> Village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Wetwang is a Yorkshire Wolds village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, 6 miles west of Driffield on the A166 road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sledmere House</span> Grade I listed Georgian country house

Sledmere House is a Grade I listed Georgian country house, containing Chippendale, Sheraton and French furnishings and many fine pictures, set within a park designed by Capability Brown. It is the ancetral home of the Sykes family and is located in the village of Sledmere, between Driffield and Malton, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The present house was begun in 1751, extended in the 1790s, and rebuilt after a fire in 1911. It was once the home of Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet, noted English traveller and diplomatic advisor, and is now the home of Sir Tatton Sykes, 8th Baronet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garton on the Wolds</span> Village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Garton on the Wolds is a village and a civil parish on the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately 3 miles (5 km) north-west of Driffield town centre and lies on the A166 road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sledmere</span> Village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Sledmere is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, about 7 miles (11 km) north-west of Driffield on the B1253 road.

The Sykes Churches Trail is a tour of East Yorkshire churches which were built, rebuilt or restored by the Sykes family of Sledmere House in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The tour was devised by the East Yorkshire Historic Churches Group and is divided into a southern circuit and a planned northern circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Towthorpe, East Riding of Yorkshire</span> Hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Towthorpe is a hamlet and former civil parish, now in the parish of Fimber, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the Yorkshire Wolds just north of the B1248 road, approximately 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Driffield and 2 miles (3 km) south-west of Sledmere. In 1931 the parish had a population of 66. The deserted medieval village is a scheduled monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malton and Driffield Junction Railway</span> Disused railway in Yorkshire, England

The Malton and Driffield Junction Railway, later known as the Malton and Driffield branch was a railway line in Yorkshire that ran between the towns of Malton, North Yorkshire and Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wharram railway station</span> Disused railway station in North Yorkshire, England

Wharram railway station was opened by the Malton and Driffield Railway in May 1853, serving the village of Wharram-le-Street in North Yorkshire, England, although the area was in the East Riding of Yorkshire at the time. The station was also near the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy and adjacent to Wharram chalk quarry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sledmere and Fimber railway station</span> Disused railway station in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Sledmere and Fimber railway station was a railway station on the Malton & Driffield Railway in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetwang railway station</span> Disused railway station in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Wetwang railway station was a railway station on the Malton & Driffield Railway in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It served the village of Wetwang, opened on 19 May 1853, and closed for passengers on 5 June 1950 and goods on 20 October 1958. For passenger traffic, Wetwang was the busiest station on the MDR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fimber</span> Village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Fimber is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately 8 miles (13 km) north-west of Driffield town centre and 3 miles (5 km) south-west of the village of Sledmere. It lies on the B1248 road. The civil parish is formed by the village of Fimber and the hamlet of Towthorpe. According to the 2001 UK Census, Fimber parish had a population of 91.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burdale Tunnel</span>

Burdale Tunnel is a former railway tunnel on the abandoned Malton and Driffield Junction Railway (MDR) in North Yorkshire, England. Construction of the tunnel began in 1847, but suffered financial difficulties and building was not complete until 1853. The line was closed completely a hundred years later in 1958, but the tunnel was still being used by members of the public, so the portals were bricked up in 1961. During 1970s and 1980s, there were collapses inside the tunnel and in 2009 the restoration of the passenger line could not continue due to the damage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowlam</span> Hamlet in East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Cowlam is a hamlet in the civil parish of Cottam, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and in the Yorkshire Wolds. The hamlet is on the B1253 Bridlington to North Grimston road, 17 miles (30 km) north from the county town of Beverley, 2 miles (3 km) east from the village of Sledmere, and 2.5 miles (4 km) north-west from the parish hamlet of Cottam. The hamlet contains eight houses and two farms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helperthorpe</span> Village in North Yorkshire, England

Helperthorpe is a village in the civil parish of Luttons, in North Yorkshire, England. The village lies in the Great Wold Valley and the course of the winterbourne stream the Gypsey Race passes through it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A166 road</span> A-road in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

The A166 road is a trunk road between the outskirts of York and Driffield in the historic county of Yorkshire. The road used to terminate at the seaside town of Bridlington, until the opening of the Driffield by-pass caused the final section to be renumbered as the A614.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Tatton Sykes, 4th Baronet</span> English landowner and stock breeder

Sir Tatton Sykes, 4th Baronet (1772–1863) was an English landowner and stock breeder, known as a patron of horse racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thirsk and Malton line</span> Former railway line in Yorkshire, England

The Thirsk and Malton line was a railway line that ran from a triangular junction on what is now the East Coast Main Line and served eight villages between Thirsk and Malton in North Yorkshire, England. The line was built after a protracted process due to inefficiencies and financial problems suffered by the then York and North Midland Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wharram</span> Civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Wharram is a civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Yorkshire Wolds, 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Malton. The principal settlement is the village of Wharram-le-Street, and the parish also includes the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy and the deserted medieval villages of Raisthorpe and Burdale, some 3 miles (5 km) south of Wharram-le-Street. The population of the parish was estimated at 120 in 2016.

Burdale is a hamlet in North Yorkshire, England, 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Malton. It lies in a deep valley, also known as Burdale, in the Yorkshire Wolds. It is the site of a deserted medieval village.

References

  1. Tomlinson 1915, pp. 467, 480.
  2. Hoole 1984, p. 76.
  3. Burton 1997, pp. 60–66.
  4. Cooke 1958, p. 801.
  5. "Full steam ahead for railway plans". Hull Daily Mail. 25 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  6. "(12/00434/STPLF) Creation of a short heritage railway line and visitor facilities on part of the former Malton and Driffield Junction Railway, Fimber". East Riding of Yorkshire Council. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  7. "Planning Design and Access Statement 12/00434/STPLF". East Riding of Yorkshire Public Access. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  8. "Railway buys first attraction". Malton Mercury. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  9. "Yorkshire Wolds Railway gains its first locomotive". Railways Illustrated. Vol. 11. August 2013. p. 62. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  10. "BR 20t brake van livery". RMweb. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  11. "Site Plans". Yorkshire Wolds Railway. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  12. "Yorkshire Wolds Railway". Yorkshire Wolds Railway Restoration Project. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  13. "Getting rail line back on track". The Yorkshire Post. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  14. "Yorkshire Wolds Railway in track gift". Unseen Steam. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  15. "Planning Design and Access Statement 12/00434/STPLF". East Riding of Yorkshire Public Access. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  16. "Yorkshire railway team win EU cash to help extend the line". The Yorkshire Evening Post. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  17. "Work in Progress". Yorkshire Wolds Railway. Retrieved 21 May 2024.

Sources