The North Yorkshire Moors Railway Spring Steam Gala

LNER Class A4 4464 Bittern - photo courtesy of NYMR

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is putting on two smashing weekends in succession for its Spring Steam Gala. The first weekend is the one coming up (Friday to Monday 4-7 May) and the next one is the following weekend (Friday to Monday 11-13 May). This is the first major special event of the NYMR’s season and promises to make the Early May Bank Holiday one to remember as altogether there’ll be no less than 10 different steam locomotives visiting over the eight days.

Kids love steam trains - photo courtesy of NYMR

There are lots of highlights but two that really stand out will be appearances by the Doncaster-built LNER Class A4 4464 Bittern (for the technically-minded it’s a Pacific 4-6-2 loco built to the same design as Sir Nigel Gresley’s Mallard) and by the Britannia – another 4-6-2 Pacific, but this one was designed by Robert Riddles. The Britannia is particularly appropriate in this special year for the UK with both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games taking place. Like its sibling the Mallard, the Bittern is streamlined and will, for the first time on the NYMR, be wearing the original blue colour scheme that it had when it started life in 1937. The Bittern will be pulling a string of LNER teak coaches between Pickering and Whitby, stopping at Levisham, Newton Dale Halt, Goathland and Grosmont Stations on its 24-mile journey.

The General Manager of NYMR, Philip Benham told us that as well as the Bittern and the Britannia, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway are hoping to have the Sir Nigel Gresley A4 locomotive back in action for the weekend of 11-13 May. Sir Nigel has been undergoing significant repairs which have kept the loco out of commission for almost 12 months. Philip also pointed out that the presence of not one but two streamlined A4 Pacifics is really exciting in Olympic year when record-breaking is very much uppermost in people’s minds. Sir Nigel (75 years’ young this year) holds the post-war steam record, with a speed of 112mph. As well as these guests, the LNER’s own Green Knight Standard Class 4 No 75029 (4-6-0) will be making its reappearance after an overhaul lasting two years.

The ever popular Sir Nigel Gresley - photo courtesy of NYMR

On top of all these, the weekend will see demonstration goods trains running on both weekends, and on Bank Holiday Monday (7^th May) the Pie and Pea Pullman will be in action. On the two Sundays (6^th & 13^th May) the North Yorkshire Moors Railway will also be running steam engine services on the mainline Esk Valley Line to Battersby.

Every day of the gala the NYMR will be running trains from Pickering to Whitby, stopping at every station on the way. Fares for a day rover ticket allowing unlimited travel between these two stations are £22.50 (per adult), £19.50 (per senior citizen) and £11.50 for children. Even better value is a family ticket at £45 for two adults and up to four children. Children of five and under travel free.

And don’t forget to look out for these engines too:

Southern Railway Class S15 825 (2-cylinder 4-6-0)

LMS ‘Black 5’ No 45407 (Stanier Class 5 4-6-0) The Lancashire Fusilier (Friday 4th May only)

North Eastern Railway Q6 No 63395 (0-8-0)

North Eastern Railway design (0-6-0) J72 No 69023 ‘JOEM’

BR Standard Class 4 tank No 80072 (2-6-4)

BR Standard Class 9F No 92214 (2-10-0) Cock o’ the North

To find out more, visit the NYMR’s website or call 01751 472 508. You can also follow the NYMR on Facebook – Facebook @North Yorkshire Moors Railway – and Twitter – @NYMR.

For another very popular NYMR event, see our blog here on the War Weekend, and if you’d like to stay in Pickering during any time of year, find Pickering guest houses on Hello Yorkshire.