Yorkshire Wolds Railway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yorkshire Wolds Railway |
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Sir Tatton Skyes on the running line at Fimber Halt
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| Locale | East Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Terminus | Fimber Halt |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Yorkshire Wolds Railway |
| Built by | Malton and Driffield Junction Company |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Operated by | Malton Dodger Ltd |
| Stations | One, at Fimber Halt |
| Length | 110 yards (100 m) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1853 |
| Closed | 1958 |
| Preservation history | |
| 2008 | Project established |
| 2012 | Start on site |
| Headquarters | Fimber Halt |
The Yorkshire Wolds Railway is a special heritage railway in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It's built on a part of the old Malton and Driffield Junction Railway line, close to the village of Fimber. This railway has a short track where they show off trains. You can even take a ride in the driver's cab of their working diesel engine! The railway is always growing, with plans to make it even bigger.
Contents
Railway History
The original railway line was built a long time ago, opening in 1853. It was meant to connect places like Hull and Newcastle. However, most of the trains on this line carried local passengers. They also moved freight, like stone from quarries in Burdale and Wharram. Sometimes, on summer Sundays, special trains would even go to the coast!
The quarries had good times and bad times. By the 1950s, their business had almost stopped. This led to the railway line closing down for good on October 20, 1958.
Bringing the Railway Back
In October 2008, a group called the Yorkshire Wolds Railway Restoration Project started. Their goal was to bring part of the old Malton and Driffield railway line back to life. They wanted to create a fun heritage attraction called the Yorkshire Wolds Railway. If they succeed, it will be the only heritage railway in the whole East Riding of Yorkshire!
In 2012, the group got permission to build a visitor centre. This centre is near where the old Fimber and Sledmere station used to be. The land for the railway project is owned by the Sledmere Estate, and they are very supportive. The railway aims to be a great stop for tourists heading to the coast. It will also be part of other cool places to visit in the Yorkshire Wolds, like Sledmere House and the old Wharram Percy deserted medieval village.
Our First Trains
In September 2012, the project got its very first train car. It was an old Mark 1 coach Brake Gangwayed. Then, in 2013, the charity got its first locomotive! This was a GEC diesel shunter, built in 1979. It used to work for a steel company and later helped train people in railway engineering. This locomotive has been painted green, like some famous old British Rail trains. It's named Sir Tatton Sykes!
In 2018, the railway got another piece of rolling stock: a BR 20T Brake Van. This brake van arrived in September of that year. As of October 2020, the brake van was being fixed up. It was painted grey, and its roof was being repaired.
The Yorkshire Wolds Railway first opened its doors to visitors on May 24, 2015. The official opening, with Sir Tatton Sykes leading the way, happened on May 25, 2015. Today, the railway has a visitor centre. It also has about 1,000 feet (300 m) of track for demonstrations. There's a special switch that connects the track where the Mark 1 coach sits to the main running line.
Future Plans
The railway has exciting plans to make its track longer, up to 2 miles! This would mean trains could run between the current Fimber Halt site and the original Wetwang railway station. The railway has also received money from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. They've also been given track from local industrial railways, like the one at Drax Power Station.
On May 17, 2012, they received permission to lay about 0.9 miles of track. This track would go from Fimber Halt to the edge of a field. After that, it would need to cross a Green Lane. Work is also happening to build a platform at Fimber Halt. This will make it much easier for people to get on and off the trains, especially when the brake van is ready to use.
Our Train Collection
Here are the trains and vehicles you can find at the Yorkshire Wolds Railway:
