North Bay Railway facts for kids
The North Bay Railway (NBR) is a fun, small railway in Scarborough, England. It's a type of miniature railway or minimum-gauge railway. This railway was built in 1931. Its tracks are [convert: invalid number] wide. The train travels for about 7⁄8 mile (1.4 km) between Peasholm Park and Scalby Mills. These two spots are in the North Bay area of the town.
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The Grand Opening of the Railway
The North Bay Railway officially opened at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, 1931. The first train engine, named Neptune, was given to the Mayor of Scarborough, Alderman J.W. Butler. This was done by Alderman Whitehead, who was in charge of the North Side Development Committee.
Alderman Whitehead gave a short speech. He presented the Mayor with a special peaked cap, an oil can, and a rag. These were like the tools for a train driver. The Mayor then drove the train himself! He drove it from Peasholm Station all the way to Scalby Mills without stopping. At Scalby Mills, the engine was moved to the other end of the train for the trip back.
The Railway During Wartime
During the Second World War, the railway had to close down. This was because it was in a special "Coastal Defence Area." This area was important for protecting the coast. The last train ran on July 6, 1940. The railway stayed closed until the Easter weekend in 1945.
For security reasons, the station signs at Peasholm and Scalby Mills were taken down. The sign on the Peasholm signal box was also removed. The tunnel in Northstead Manor Gardens was used to store large boxes. These boxes held musical instruments from the Royal Naval School of Music. This school was based in the Norbreck Hotel at that time.
Meet the Locomotives
The North Bay Railway has several special trains called locomotives. Four of them are Diesel-Hydraulic engines. This means they run on diesel fuel and use a hydraulic system to move. They were all built by the same company, Hudswell Clarke.
The first two engines, Neptune and Triton, have been on the North Bay Railway since it opened. They are owned by the local council. The other two engines, Poseidon and Robin Hood, are owned by the company that runs the railway. They used to work at other parks before coming to Scarborough in 2006.
In 2016, the railway got its first real steam locomotive named Georgina. She is strong enough to pull a train with five full coaches up the steep hill to Scalby Mills Station!
| Number | Name | Color | Locomotive type | Wheel arrangement |
Builder | Year built | Running? | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | Neptune | Brunswick Green | Diesel Hydraulic (looks like steam) | 4-6-2DH | Hudswell Clarke | 1931 | Yes | ||
| 1932 | Triton | Apple Green | Diesel Hydraulic (looks like steam) | 4-6-2DH | Hudswell Clarke | 1932 | Yes | ||
| 1933 | Poseidon | BR Experimental Blue | Diesel Hydraulic (looks like steam) | 4-6-2DH | Hudswell Clarke | 1933 | Yes | Used to be called May Thompson. | |
| 570 | Robin Hood | Metropolitan Red | Diesel Hydraulic (looks like steam) | 4-6-4DH | Hudswell Clarke | 1932 | Yes | ||
| - | Georgina | Apple Green | Steam | 0-4-0ST | North Bay Railway Engineering Services | 2016 | Yes |
The Passenger Coaches
When the railway first opened in 1931, it had special passenger coaches. These coaches were built by Robert Hudson Ltd. All ten of the original coach frames are still used today! Their outer parts have been rebuilt many times.
In 1960, they were rebuilt into "toast-rack" coaches. These coaches have open sides, like a toast rack. In 1998, all ten coaches were rebuilt again. This time, they got fiberglass bodies. They became "semi-open saloons" with roofs and partial sides. They don't have doors or windows. This lets passengers enjoy the open air while still being protected from bad weather.
Eight of these ten coaches are still running today (as of 2010). One coach is now a service vehicle. Another is used for display at Scalby Mills. In 2007, two more coaches were added. These were built using old frames from the 1930s. They are fully enclosed, so passengers can ride comfortably even in bad weather.
The railway also has other vehicles. These include a flat wagon, a hopper wagon, and a parcels van. These are used for carrying tools and supplies for maintaining the tracks.
The Stations
There are three stations along the North Bay Railway line:
- Peasholm - This is the starting point. It has one platform and is near the Burniston Road entrance to Northstead Manor Gardens.
- Beach - This station has two platforms that are not directly opposite each other. It also has a passing loop for trains. It is not used much now. It was a temporary end point when the Yorkshire Water pumping station and Scarborough Sealife Centre were being built.
- Scalby Mills - This is the other end of the line. It has a platform in the middle. It serves the Scarborough Sealife Centre. Trains turn around here using a special turntable.
New Ownership
On March 30, 2007, the North Bay Railway changed how it was run. The North Bay Railway Company Limited took over its operations. David Humphreys led this new company. Before this, the railway was owned and run by the Scarborough Borough Council.
North Bay Railway Engineering Services
A separate company called North Bay Railway Engineering Services was started on March 21, 2013. It is based in Burniston. This company helps the railway with engineering work. David Humphreys founded it, and Mark Ashton joined him in 2014.
In 2017, the company moved to Darlington. This company is very good at building new steam locomotives. They also offer many other engineering services. They work for the North Bay Railway and other old railways in the UK. By May 2019, they had built three steam locomotives. They were also working on smaller miniature locomotives and a larger one for the Southwold Railway.
