Guest Post: North Yorkshire Moors Railway Part Two

Here is Part Two of Quintin Plane's guest post on his trip to the Yorkshire Moors Railway. If you missed Part One you can see it here.

In the North Yorkshire Moors – Part 2

In this part, my discovery focused around Grosmont and the surrounding area. Home to a rail station restored and preserved in the 1960s style, much of the village shares that ‘60s style, including the oldest independent Co-operative society. Grosmont also houses the majority of the locomotives owned and run by NYMR.

 To access the engine sheds, visitors must head south alongside the tracks through a 250 yard tunnel. However, just before reaching that, there was the perfect opportunity to get a wonderful photo of the train hauled by LNER Class K4 2-6-0 steam loco I had just vacated.

 The engine sheds lie in a secluded spot at the end of the tunnel. With time a limiting factor, there was only time for a quick look at the locos in the sheds on that day. First up, a LMS 5MT ‘Black 5′ 4-6-0 stood proudly at the entrance of the sheds.

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 ​And almost a full-length shot:

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 Also present on that side of the sheds was Sir Nigel Gresley, a LNER A4 4-6-2 (60007). Some may recognise that its sister, 60022 Mallard, is the world speed record for a steam-hauled train. However, 60007 has a record of its own. It holds the record for the fastest steam passenger service (Mallard’s record was a special attempt).

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 On the other side of the shed (split up by the NYMR model shop, lies the restoration section. Currently undergoing restoration is D5032, a BR Class 24 given the name Helen Turner. Built at Crewe in 1959, the locomotive saw most of its working life in the London Midland Region until its withdrawal in 1976.

With the day drawing to a close and the clouds closing, there was time for just one more surprise. Those remembering back to part 1 will remember the Bedford SB5 in Whitby. Well to my surprise, I thought it had suddenly turned up in Grosmont (considering both were dressed with white bows along the windows, it’s an easy mistake). Only later did I realise it was in fact a second preserved bus from Coastal and Country Coaches in Whitby. This time it was a 1958 Bedford SB3 (smaller engine) with Duple Vega bodywork. What a way to finish off the day and finish this series with.