As the £10 million Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey project at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) draws to an end this month, the NYMR is recounting the achievements and how far the heritage railway has travelled in the last seven years. The NYMR thanks the key funder, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as the organisations and individuals who helped bring the projects to life.
Launched back in 2017 and continuing throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the monumental project involved seven large-scale initiatives. Each one was focused on helping to keep the much-loved heritage attraction steaming on for at least the next 50 years.
The project positioned the NYMR as a leader and inspiration to the sector in many areas, particularly in lineside conservation and its environmental work.
Laura Strangeway, CEO of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, said, “As the Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey project comes to an end, I am filled with pride for all we have achieved. This initiative has helped preserve our historic railway and elevate our visitor experience. Our infrastructure improvements have enhanced the safety and efficiency of our operations so we can offer a more reliable and enjoyable service to our passengers whilst ensuring our beloved railway is here for future generations.
“The success of Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our staff, volunteers, and supporters. It has been a remarkable journey of collaboration and innovation, and we are excited to build on this legacy. Although this particular project has come to an end the work involved to keep our railway steaming on will forever be ongoing.”
Here are just a few of the biggest successes delivered over the last seven years:
A brand new learning coach at Goathland was opened in 2023. It features exhibitions and displays open to schools and the public. The first exhibitions were’ 50 Years of Volunteering at the NYMR’ in 2023 and ‘Lineside Legends’ in 2024.
The new Station Stories App is helping visitors explore Goathland and Grosmont Stations in new and different ways, discovering the stories and people behind the station buildings.
A learning programme for schools and informal learning for families, including hands-on activities during key school holiday periods, was created.
Engineering has been a key focus, with the replacement of bridges 24, 25, and 27. Some of these bridges were over 150 years old and secondhand even before they were installed here, and they are now fit to carry traffic for future generations.
Bridge 27 was the first to be successfully replaced. It spanned 20 metres and is best recognised as the iconic track leading to Hogsmeade Station in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The NYMR is now even more accessible for all to enjoy and feel included. New facilities include specially adapted accessible carriages, enhanced signage and accessible maps.
A £4 million carriage care facility was opened in 2021. It provides shelter for up to 40 heritage carriages across 5 tracks with a special cantilevered roof. It also provides a much drier and more comfortable working environment for staff and volunteers undertaking servicing, cleaning, and routine inspections.
The Outstation, which opened in July 2022, was created from a former school and outdoor activity centre at Stape. The new facility can accommodate up to 20 people across 10 rooms and is important for both volunteers and residential groups.
The NYMR’s apprenticeships in Mechanical Engineering are helping to create the engineers of the future. One of the first apprentices went on to secure permanent employment with the heritage railway attraction as a Fitter, and 4 others are on track to complete their training in 2025 and 2026.
The joint initiative between the NYMR and the North York Moors National Park has funded 12 2-year Countryside Apprenticeships, offering the unique opportunity to learn about conservation within a heritage environment.
There is a strong team of 62 volunteers working in Lineside Conservation. They are out 4-5 days each week, helping with a wide range of important initiatives, including fencing and dry-stone walling, species surveys, boundary surveys and research, and bridge maintenance.
The railway has been recognised as leading the way in lineside conservation among heritage railways. It has been instrumental in sharing best practices and encouraging wider environmentally responsible thinking in the sector.
Lineside Conservation Manager Kerry Fieldhouse is Chair of the HRS Environment and Sustainability Group. She has developed a suite of Best Practice Guidelines for the Lineside, which Network Rail has peer-reviewed and is now available to all heritage railways in the Heritage Railway Association.
For visitors interested in discovering more about the YMJ project’s successes, Heritage Open Days at the NYMR is an opportunity to go behind the scenes and see many of these new developments in action.
To learn more about YMJ, visit www.nymr.co.uk/ymj. For information about the Heritage Open Days event at the NYMR from September 6th to 15th, 2024, click here.
Lead image: Carriage Stable by Charlotte Graham.