North Yorkshire Moors Railway full steam ahead for winter work

For Tim Bruce, Director of Civil Engineering, one of the first tasks for his team is at Grosmont, where the team is currently replacing siding No.7 into the Shed.

Next month, engineers will head to Kingsthorpe, near Pickering, to complete last winter’s relay work.

This will start with offloading sleepers and materials during December – between the railway’s Santa Specials – ready for work starting on January 1.

To complete this work, they must weld up the track, ballast and tamp it during February, and then stress the rails at the beginning of March ahead of the new season.

In the new year, the team will ballast and tamp Bridges 24 and 25, which were replaced earlier this year as part of Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey Project - this process lifts the rails up and levels the track out.

Kerry Fieldhouse and her team of Lineside Conservation Volunteers will be clearing and cutting back vegetation, repairing and building dry-stone walls and managing quite considerable ash dieback along the line - they have around 100 trees to either remove or make safe.

At NYMR’s Motive Power Department, a considerable amount of maintenance work has already been carried out in November, making locomotives ready for Santa Specials and Christmas Diners.

In terms of overhauls and restoration, D7628, the Class 25 diesel locomotive, is having a top end engine rebuild and main generator overhaul; Black 5 No. 44806’s overhaul is on track with the frame rebuild on schedule, and attention will next turn to the tender and machining up the new chimney.

Steam locomotive No. 34101 Hartland is in the boiler shop where all the large sections of the boiler are now welded back together - a huge step forward in the project.

For 3672, Vera’s new tender tank and frame overhaul is progressing well.

The new tank design is complete and steel ordering is about to begin.

You can help restore this locomotive by donating to the appeal via the NYMR website.