Scale replica model railway marks 60 years since the last train from Scarborough to Whitby

The exhibition, held in the Community Space at Scarborough Library on Thursday March 6 and Friday March 7, showcased different art forms including a working model railway of the Gallows Close goods yard.

The exhibition was run by Christopher Martin, who has had an interest in model railways for 50 years.

Mr Martin moved to Scarborough in 2015, and in 2018 he found out about the Gallows Close Goods Yard site – when he then built a scale replica of the yard.

He said: “It’s great to share with others this bit of local history, the layout depicts an area many will not have seen, for others a bit of nostalgia.”

The Gallows Close Good Yard site was a freight transfer yard that opened on the Scarborough to Whitby railway line in 1902.

In 1961, a new Chairman was appointed for the British Transport Commission and was tasked with making the UK railway system efficient and profitable.

In 1963, this report was published and the plans for the passenger traffic trains became controversial, and in 1964 a closure notice was posted for the Scarborough to Whitby line.

The last passenger train operated from Scarborough to Whitby on the March 6 1965, and a few years later, the track was removed and became the Cinder Track.

After the railway closed down, the goods yard remained open until 1985, when it too was closed.