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NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILROAD
Steam Heritage Railway in England’s Northeast

The English moors, those forlorn nearly barren lands of scruffy brush and bogs evoked in Sherlock Holmes stories of hounds and Dickens’ escaping criminals are the stuff of moody color and mystery. In North Yorkshire a national park is dedicated to preserving this natural native English landscape and one of England’s most popular heritage railway runs right through the heart of it, steam locomotives chugging through the low rolling hills. The North Yorkshire Moors Railroad runs from a station in Pickering, about an hour from the city of York (see Walking York Walls) to the coastal port town of Whitby, where the somber haunting ruins of Whitby Abbey help inspire Bram Stoker to conjure a vampire named Dracula, and from whence Captain Cook sailed for his round the world sailing discoveries (see Whitby Abbey - Bram Stoker and Captain Cook).

The NYMR line travels for 18 miles through the beautiful national park country side, with stops at historic stations evoking days past, with opportunities for nature walks, sight-seeing, lunches and dining experiences. Pickering Station has been restored to how it stood in 1937, a step back in time, with a tea room and booking & parcels office with original furnishings and features. Levisham Station is a stop in the Newton Dale Valley, which remains much as it was in 1912, perfect for wildlife and flower walks. Goathland village was used as the location for a British television series made famous as “Aidenfield”. The Grosmont station has been the principal terminus of the line, refurbished as a classic English railway station of the 1950’s where a look into the locomotive sheds is a musty for enthusiasts. The line has been extended to Whitby, though not all trains make the full run. In Whitby, take a trip to the abbey ruins or visit Captain Cook’s house and museum, and have some authentic English Fish and Chips.

On weekend and holidays, the North Yorkshire Moors Railroad offers luxury dining and Sunday brunch trains, with “Orient Express” style dinner service. In summer the line runs a Murder Mystery Train and in winter months December to New Year, a unique Christmast Moorlander Diner Train presents an opportunity to enjoy the moors in winter from the cozy comfort of a first class dining coach. For steam rail enthusiasts, the NYMR also offers an opportunity to learn how to operate a restored steam locomotive, through its Taster, Sampler and Meal learning course. The eating references are a bit odd, but represent 1 to 5 day courses, ranging from a one day lunch and behind the scenes tour and workshop talks on railroading, to a full course of hands-on instruction on all aspects of locomotive and railway operation, including signaling, boiler management, braking and lubrication, with participants taking turns firing and driving the engines on passenger runs. So if you’ve ever wanted to be a steam rail engineer motorman, this is the place. The courses are open to anyone from age 16 to 70 who is physically fit. And if you just want to ride on the footplate a special ticket is available for that, too.

Standard Tickets Range from £14 for adults, £12 for seniors and £7 for children for all day travel between Pickering and Grosmont, A Family Ticket is available for £30 for two adults and up to four kids. From Pickering to Whitby is £20 for adults and £12 for kids. The line runs daily from March to the end of October and weekends in the winter. Pickering can be reached by car from the A170 between Scarborough and Thirsk. Whitby can reached along the Whitby Coast Road. There are no British national rail connections to Pickering, though Whitby can be reached by rail from Middlesborough on the Esk Valley line. By bus, the Coastline Bus Service runs from Leeds and York to Pickering and Whitby (phone 0113 244 8976). © Bargain Travel Europe

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Stay in Pickering
200 Year Old Georgian Manor House
Best Western Forest & Vale Hotel

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North Yorkshire Moors Railroad
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See Also:

DIDCOT RAILWAY CENTRE OXFORDSHIRE

YORKSHIRE AIR MUSEUM

LOCOMOTION NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM SHILDON

YORK NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM
Steam Locomotives and other Great Wheels

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