Editing North Yorkshire Moors Railway (section)

==History==
{{North Yorkshire Moors Railway}}
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway was first opened in 1836 as the [[Whitby and Pickering Railway]]. The railway was planned in 1831 by [[George Stephenson]] as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of [[Whitby]]. The initial railway was designed and built to be used by horse-drawn carriages. Construction was carried out by [[navvies]] and coordinated by top engineers. Their three main achievements were cutting a {{convert|120|yd}} [[Grosmont Tunnel|tunnel]] through rock at [[Grosmont, North Yorkshire|Grosmont]], constructing a rope-worked incline system at [[Beckhole Incline|Beck Hole]] and traversing the marshy and deep [[Fen Bog]] using a bed of timber and sheep fleeces.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Potter |first1=G.&nbsp;W.&nbsp;J. |title=A History of the Whitby and Pickering Railway |date=1969 |publisher=SR Publisher |location=East Ardsley |orig-year=1906 |page=25 |edition=2nd |oclc=931366101}}</ref> The tunnel is believed to be one of the oldest railway tunnels in England.<ref>{{cite book| editor1-last=Rennison| editor1-first=R.&nbsp;W.| title=Civil engineering heritage| date=1996| publisher=T. Telford| location=London| isbn=07277-2518-1| pages=139–140| edition=2nd}}</ref>

In its first year of operation, the railway carried {{convert|10,000|tonne}} of stone from Grosmont to Whitby, as well as 6,000 passengers, who paid a fare of 1&nbsp;[[shilling]] to sit on the roof of a coach, or 1&nbsp;[[shilling]] and 3&nbsp;pence to sit inside.{{sfn|Tomlinson|1915|p=270}} It took two and a half hours to travel from Whitby to Pickering.{{sfn|Suggitt|2007|p=87}}

In 1845, the railway was acquired by the [[York and North Midland Railway]] who re-engineered the line to allow the use of [[steam locomotives]].{{sfn|Bairstow|2008|p=17}} They also constructed the permanent stations and other structures along the line which still remain today. The Beck Hole incline was re-equipped with a steam powered stationary engine and iron rope.  They also added the line south from Pickering so that the line had a connection to [[York]] and beyond.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chapman |first1=Stephen |title=York to Scarborough, Whitby & Ryedale |date=2008 |publisher=Bellcode Books |location=Todmorden |isbn=9781871233193 |page=4}}</ref>

In 1854 the [[York and North Midland Railway]] became part of the [[North Eastern Railway (UK)|North Eastern Railway]]. Steam locomotives could not operate on the Beck Hole incline; so in the early 1860s the [[North Eastern Railway (UK)|North Eastern Railway]] started construction of an alternative route which opened in 1865 – this is the route which is still in use today. The original route is now a {{convert|3.5|mi|adj=on}} [[rail trail]] named the ''Rail Trail''.{{sfn|Holland|Spaven|2015|p=176}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Sally Ann |title=National Park focus: North York Moors |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/yorkshire/articles/National-Park-focus-North-York-Moors/ |access-date=24 March 2019 |work=The Telegraph |date=3 October 2017}}</ref>

In 1923 the [[North Eastern Railway (UK)|North Eastern Railway]] was absorbed into the [[London and North Eastern Railway]] as a result of the [[Railways Act 1921]]. In 1948 nationalisation meant that [[British Railways]] took control. During this time, little changed on the line. However, in his controversial report [[Dr Beeching]] declared that the Whitby-Pickering line was uneconomic and listed it for closure; the last passenger service ran on 6 March 1965 with freight continuing until July 1966.{{sfn|Bairstow|2008|p=111}}  The line was used in June 1965 to house the Royal Train for the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to the [[RAF Fylingdales]] early warning station.
[[File:N YORKS MOORS preservation society 1968.jpg|thumb|North Yorkshire Moors Railway Preservation Society, 1968]]
In 1967, the NYMR Preservation Society was formed, and negotiations began for the purchase of the line. After running various open weekends and steam galas during the early 1970s (by permission of [[British Railways]]) the NYMRPS transformed itself into a [[Charitable Trust|charitable trust]] to ensure the future of the railway, and became The North York Moors Historical Railway Trust Ltd in 1972.{{sfn|Vanns|2017|p=8}} Purchase of the line was completed and the necessary [[Light Railway Order]] obtained, giving powers to operate the railway.  The railway was able to reopen for running in 1973 as the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, with much of the traction provided by the [[North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group]].{{sfn|Vanns|2017|p=60}}

Services to Whitby were also mooted as a possibility; one of the first was in 1987 when ''[[92220 Evening Star]]'' worked a service between Pickering and Whitby. Since then, services ran sporadically with third party operators (such as the West Coast Railway Company in the early 2000s) as the NYMR was not a licensed company authorised to operate over Network Rail metals.{{sfn|Bairstow|2008|p=103}} From 2007, regular trains operated over the Esk Valley Line from Grosmont to Whitby, thus providing a service over the entire length of the original Whitby and Pickering Railway.{{sfn|Bairstow|2008|p=104}} Services were further improved in 2014 by the re-opening of a second platform at Whitby to enable services to increase from three out and back workings a day to five. After a year of operation, the NMYR stated that 120,000 people had travelled over the new operating section to Whitby and that overall in 2014, the railway had attracted nearly 350,000 visitors.<ref>{{cite news |title=Full steam ahead as new platform sees major increase in passengers |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&page=1&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=North%20Yorkshire%20Moors%20Railway%20passenger%20numbers&docref=news/157979C7C728A440 |access-date=20 June 2019 |work=infoweb.newsbank.com |date=1 September 2015|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The preserved line is now a tourist attraction and has been awarded several tourist industry and heritage accolades.<ref name="NRHA1">{{cite web |title=Winners 2006: {{!}} National Railway Heritage Awards |url=http://nrha.org.uk/winners-2006/ |website=nrha.org.uk |access-date=2 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="NRHA2"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Tourism Awards Ceremony – Yorkshire Coast Oscars |url=https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/tourism-awards-ceremony-yorkshire-coast-oscars-1-1400908 |url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502211603/https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/tourism-awards-ceremony-yorkshire-coast-oscars-1-1400908| archive-date=2 May 2019 |access-date=2 May 2019 |work=The Scarborough News |date=19 November 2007}}</ref><ref name="GAA"/>

In 2017, the NYMR received one half of a planned £9.2&nbsp;million grant from the [[National Lottery Heritage Fund]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-40861785|title=North Yorkshire Moors Railway awarded £4.6m lottery grant|date=8 August 2017|accessdate=27 February 2021|work=BBC News}}</ref> The balance was paid in May 2019 and was to be used towards the renewal of iron bridges at {{rws|Goathland}} railway station and a new carriage shed at {{rws|Pickering}}.<ref>{{cite magazine |editor1-last=Bickerdyke |editor1-first=Paul |title=NYMR wins lottery grant |magazine=Rail Express |date=June 2019 |issue=277 |page=8 |publisher=Mortons Media |location=Horncastle |issn=1362-234X}}</ref> A report in February 2021 said that the railway had received a £1.9&nbsp;million grant from the government's Culture Recovery Fund.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nymr.co.uk/news/repair-restore-replace-behind-the-scenes-at-nymr|title=REPAIR, RESTORE, REPLACE: Behind the scenes at NYMR|website=North York Moors Historical Railway Trust – NYMR|accessdate=27 February 2021}}</ref>

The restrictions and lockdowns necessitated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in 2020, and into 2021, required the railway to cease operations for months. A crisis appeal was successful in raising over £400,000 in donations by September; that had increased to £440,000 by January 2021.<ref name="North Yorkshire Moors Railway"/> The 2020 season was postponed by four months and events were cancelled due to the pandemic. The railway has received £295,000 in support funding from the Culture Recovery Fund.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/north-yorkshire-moors-railway-to-receive-grant-from-governments-culture-recovery-fund-3140052|title=North Yorkshire Moors Railway to receive grant from government's Culture Recovery Fund|work=The Yorkshire Post|accessdate=27 February 2021}}</ref>

A new carriage stabling facility was opened in September 2021, with space for 40 carriages.<ref>{{cite web|last=White|first=Chloe|date=29 September 2021|title=£4m NYMR Carriage Stable officially opened with Tornado steam locomotive in Pickering|url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2021/09/4m-nymr-carriage-stable-officially-opened-with-tornado-steam-locomotive-in-pickering.html|access-date=30 September 2021|website=RailAdvent}}</ref>

On 12 June 2023, King [[Charles III]] arrived at the Pickering station on the [[British Royal Train]], pulled by the [[LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman]] locomotive, "after a trip through the countryside on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway", according to a news report. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/yorkshire-king-charles-flying-scotsman-b2356746.html |title=King Charles climbs aboard Flying Scotsman as he visits North Yorkshire Moors Railway |date=12 June 2023 |work=The Independent |access-date=13 July 2023 |quote=}}</ref>
The visit marked the 100th anniversary of the locomotive and the 50th anniversary of the current version of the railway being operated by volunteers. The driver of the Flying Scotsman made this comment at the time: "He's a regular because he has been here before when he opened the station in 2000".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-65876753 |title=King Charles takes to Flying Scotsman's footplate on North Yorkshire visit |date=12 June 2023 |work=BBC News|access-date=13 July 2023 |quote=The volunteer-run heritage railway is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.}}</ref>