North Yorkshire Moors Railway announces free Heritage Open Day events

A free national festival celebrating history and culture, Heritage Open Days will take place from September 6 to 15 and will feature exclusive events and opportunities that aren’t usually available to public access at the NYMR.

This year, there are some new activities on offer including:

Volunteer Voices Exhibition, September 6 to 15

Unearth the stories behind the heritage railway, spanning five decades of camaraderie, dedication, and shared passion for preserving a bygone era.

Goathland Station Tour, September 6, 11

Accompanied by an NYMR volunteer, you’ll learn about the history of this beautiful country station.

LNERCA Atkins Building Tour - September 6, 8, 10, 13

Visit the NLHF Atkins Building, home to the detailed carriage restoration of the London & North Eastern Railway Coach Association.

Carriage Stable Walking Tour - September 6, 10, 12, 13

Take a short tour of the new carriage care facility at Trout Farm Carriage Stable in Pickering and see how this new facility enables them to care for the heritage carriages.

Wagon Group Talk & Demo - September 7

Take a short tour of the Atkins shed in Pickering, see progress on current projects and watch the turntable in operation. The tour will explain what is involved in carrying out routine maintenance, right through to full overhauls.

Motive Power Department Walking Tour - September 7, 8, 14, 15

See what happens behind the scenes at the locomotive sheds in Grosmont, the operating hub of the railway.

Guided Rail Trail Walk - September 9, 10

The ‘Rail Trail’ from Goathland to Grosmont via Beck Hole is a 5.5km walk along the original horse drawn Stephenson’s line.

Grosmont Station Tour - September 9, 12

Explore Grosmont 1952-themed heritage station, the home to the operating and engineering world of the NYMR.

Carriage & Wagon Tour with Lift Demonstration - September 9, 11

The tour will explain what is involved in carrying out routine heritage carriage maintenance right through to full overhauls.

Archives Open Day - September 10, 12

Find out more about the wide-ranging collection of over 8,000 objects covering rolling stock, signs, notices, signals, maps, drawings and artefacts.

Pickering Station Tour - September 11

Explore Pickering 1930s-themed heritage station to transport yourself back in time to the steam era.

All A-Board Games Night - September 13

The All A-board Games Night, is an innovative event developed by young adults from the Heritage Open Days' New Wave programme.

History of the Line Talk - September 15

The talk explores the development of the original Whitby to Pickering line through to Beechings cuts and the start of the NYMR.

Signal Box Demo & Victorian Games - September 15

Explore the role of the Signaller and how important they are in ensuring safety on the railway.

​Macey Palmer, Learning and Interpretation Officer at the NYMR said: “Heritage Open Days is a great opportunity to showcase some of the behind the scenes elements at our heritage railway. We have some favourite tours and talks returning this year and we've also opened up even more locations for people to explore and learn about our charitable aims.”

Visit www.nymr.co.uk/heritage-open-days for more.