Trainspotters’ dream home: Couple live in former railway ticket office in North Yorkshire with trains stopping outside their bedroom 12 times a day

Tim Hill, 58, his wife Elly, 54, and their three children moved to the £280,000 converted four-bedroom bungalow at Battersby station on the Esk Valley Line in North Yorkshire.

The Victorian railway line serves trains running on the Northern railway line between Middlesbrough and the popular seaside resort of Whitby.

The station was formerly known as Ingleby Junction when it opened in 1858 and became a major hub with three-road engine shed and railway turntable.

However the closure of the line west out of Battersby in 1954 meant a third platform was closed and all services have to reverse out.

Tim and Elly, whose three daughters have left home, have fond memories of walking just a few steps from their front door to the platform for days out.

They don't even need an alarm clock thanks to the train timetables and can see the platform from their kitchen, office and bedroom.

Tim, the retired former chief scientist at Natural England, said: "We have our own level crossing to get into the village.

"I found the trains coming in and going out were surprisingly useful of keeping track of the time of the day when I worked in London.

"Now they punctuate our day and you become familiar with them.

"I don't need to set an alarm as I'm subconsciously aware the first train has come in and I need to wake up.

"We've taken advantage of trains by going to York or London on the train via Middlesborough.

"It's good family fun, when you've got toddlers and young children, to be able to jump on the train on a sunny day. We've spent many days in Whitby.

"We’re surrounded by fields and footpaths, so the girls had the run of the place, and would often be playing outside with friends for hours on end."

Battersby was a busy through station in the 19th century, used by freight trains transporting ironstone and ferrying Victorian holidaymakers to Whitby.

Train drivers have to exchange a physical token from a machine on the platform before they can reverse out on the single-line track.

The system ensures only one train is on the track - preventing any collisions and informing the signaller they are on the move.

Tim and Elly moved with their three young daughters, Katie, now 22 and twins Emma and Zoe, 20, from Bourne in Lincolnshire after wanting a break from the busy market town.

Their two criteria were to find somewhere near the sea and the mountains and found Battersby station - and the North Yorkshire Moors - ticked both boxes.

They purchased the four-bedroom converted bungalow in November 2007 for £280,000 and said they fell in love with it.

Tim explained: "We wanted to find somewhere that was a bit more rural and safer where our kids could go tearing about and have a proper childhood.

"We went to view the house and even before we'd stepped inside it, we just knew it was the right one for us. We fell in love with it.

"Our garden was horribly overgrown and the house had been empty for ages.

"One of the biggest jobs was to switch the sitting room and kitchen around. We put solar panels on the roof and installed an electric car charge point.

"We've always liked houses that are a little bit quirky and we've never been shy of rolling our sleeves up."

Tim said the prospect of living in an old ticket office never put him off owing to the quiet railway line and small trains.

He admitted National Rail works "occasionally" keep them up but the benefits far outweighed any noise.

Tim said that while the station was safe for his children, he laughed: "Our girls grew up with the platform out the front of the house and it was great for them learning to ride a bike.

"Once I was brushing my teeth and my daughter cycled past the window. As she did, she waved, and fell off the platform onto the track.

"I do stress there were no trains due for another two hours."

Tim's family have seen the Flying Scotsman on visits to the King and said he can always tell when something "interesting" is happening as enthusiasts flock to the platform on otherwise quiet days.

There are two buildings at the station, with the Hill's living in the old ticket office, and the old station master's property.

A few years after moving in, Tim and a few other locals decided to form the Friends of Battersby Station adoption group, who volunteer to look after the station throughout the year.

He explained: "It wasn’t just the house that looked a bit sad and unloved - the station itself did too.

“I wanted to do something about it so started out picking up litter and clearing back overgrown vegetation.

“We bought new benches, picnic tables and installed planters which we tend to year-round.

"The watering of plants in summer takes quite some effort. We’re also working to help support the local wildlife.

“I’ve installed bat and bird boxes on the mature pine trees, sown wildflower seeds, and we even have a bug hotel on the platform."