Wensleydale Railway Rail Link Photos

Wensleydale Railway - Photo Archive

April 2020

Photographs

Due to the Coronavirus epidemic the railway has been closed and most volunteer work has also stopped. However the contractor who is restoring Leeming Bar station house has been able to continue with their work funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. There are a few photos of the restoration here.

I am also grateful to a number of volunteers/members, who have supplied various unusual and some older photos to help fill this month's photo gallery. I hope that you enjoy them.

This month we have:-
1. The restoration of Leeming Bar Station House. For more photos see the dedicated restoration photo gallery.
2. Photos taken during a track inspection walk (these are essential and need to continue as normal).
3. Reindeer sculpture with mouth coverings and a thankyou to the NHS.
4. Various photos over the last few years taken by Roger Griffiths who has kindly allowed me to use them.
5. Some older photos of Aysgarth taken by the TasP Group.
6. Kev Burnitt having a DMU driving day back in 2011.
7. Some old photos from 1995 of the early days of the WRA by Alan Graham.
8. Angus Turner submitted an article, drawing and photo taken from an old 1947 LNER book showing the wartime Northallerton avoiding line and the arrangement where it crossed the Wensleydale railway. This can also be downloaded as a PDF document here.

There is also a dedicated photo gallery that shows more photos of the progress of the restoration here

Ref - 5979

Photo - Andy Glendinning
Leeming Bar Station House work in progress. (31/03/2020)
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Ref - 5979

Photo - Andy Glendinning
Leeming Bar Station House work in progress. (31/03/2020)
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Ref - 5980

Photo - Andy Glendinning
Leeming Bar Station House work in progress. (31/03/2020)
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Ref - 5981

Photo - Wensleydale Railway
Leeming Bar Station House Refurbishment - Room 3 floor joists are in a bad way (30/03/2020)
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Ref - 5982

Photo - Wensleydale Railway
Leeming Bar Station House Refurbishment - Room 1 void below the floor (01/04/2020)
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Ref - 5983

Photo - Wensleydale Railway
Leeming Bar Station House Refurbishment - Room 1 now has a new floor (14/04/2020)
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Ref - 5984

Photo - Wensleydale Railway
Leeming Bar Station House Refurbishment - Working on the roof (20/04/2020)
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Ref - 5985

Photo - Andy Glendinning
If you've ever wondered what the sign trackside near Bedale Beck says and haven't been able to read it at speed from the train now's your chance. Taken on a track patrol between Bedale and Crakehall. (09/04/2020)
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Ref - 5986

Photo - Andy Glendinning
The view down the bank looking up the dale towards Redmire from my lunching position while on a track walk between Wensley and Redmire. (15/04/2020)
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Ref - 5987

Photo - Andy Glendinning
The view up the bank looking down the dale towards Redmire from my lunching position while on a track walk between Wensley and Redmire. (15/04/2020)
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Ref - 5988

Photo - Andy Glendinning
One of many things I've missed this year is seeing the progress of the sheep and lambs in the fields as I've travelled from Leyburn to Redmire. These were in the field by my lunch location. (15/04/2020)
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Ref - 5989

Photo - Andy Glendinning
According to an item in the Darlington and Stockton Times this is probably a C-130 Hercules at low level flying up Wensleydale. (15/04/2020)
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Ref - 5990

Photo - Andy Glendinning
Wensley to Leyburn track patrol. This cockerel was crowing away even though it was lunchtime at Bridge 29 Ord and Maddison. (24/04/2020)
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Ref - 5991

Photo - Andy Glendinning
Discovered trackside, how I won't mention suffice to say they didn't get wet. I'm no botanist so they are some pretty yellow ones and a little blue one. (24/04/2020)
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Ref - 5992

Photo - Richard Phelby
Richard Phelby said - I had to laugh when I saw the reindeer sculpture at Bedale adorned with face masks. (16/04/2020)
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Ref - 5993

Photo - Richard Phelby
In this time of the coronavirus lockdown, it was nice to see a farmer supporting the NHS (16/04/2020)
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Ref - 5994

Photo - Roger Griffith
The rear of Scruton station (31/03/2019)
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Ref - 5995

Photo - Roger Griffith
The ticket office window at Scruton station (17/09/2016)
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Ref - 5996

Photo - Roger Griffith
The Tornado locomotive at Leeming Bar (31/05/2019)
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Ref - 5997

Photo - Roger Griffith
Joem Filling up with water at Finghall (21/07/2017)
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Ref - 5998

Photo - Roger Griffith
The site of the old Constable Burton station platform. the old name board is still there (25/11/2018)
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Ref - 5999

Photo - Roger Griffith
The end of the passing loop at Constable Burton (25/11/2018)
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Ref - 6000

Photo - Roger Griffith
The old Spennithorne station building is now a house (22/07/2017)
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Ref - 6001

Photo - Roger Griffith
Leyburn station. You can just see construction of the passing loop on the left. (21/07/2017)
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Ref - 6002

Photo - Roger Griffith
Joem filling with water at Leyburn (21/07/2017)
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Ref - 6003

Photo - Roger Griffith
At train ready to leave Leyburn for Redmire (25/11/2018)
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Ref - 6004

Photo - Roger Griffith
On old Victorian crane at Leyburn station (03/10/2013)
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Ref - 6005

Photo - Roger Griffith
The old Wensley station platform (02/07/2017)
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Ref - 6006

Photo - TasP Group
Unknown volunteer decorating the Aysgarth Cottage (23/03/2014)
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Ref - 6007

Photo - TasP Group
"Wensley" stands awaiting its recall at Aysgarth's horse dock (22/03/2014)
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Ref - 6008

Photo - TasP Group
View of the inside modifications to Aysgarth goods shed (03/04/2014)
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Ref - 6009

Photo - TasP Group
Another view of Aysgarth goods shed (15/04/2015)
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Ref - 6010

Photo - TasP Group
Members of the Leyburn infrastructure group inspect the ex Redmire Mark 2 following its arrival at Aysgarth (29/04/2015)
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Ref - 6011

Photo - TasP Group
The refurbished Mark 2 at Aysgarth (13/09/2015)
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Ref - 6012

Photo - Kev Burnitt
A Fun Day Out With Wensleydale Railway.
For my 2010 Christmas present Jean (my wife) bought me a driver experience with Wensleydale Railway, this was some 6 years before I got chance to volunteer for the organisation.
The day started as I was later to learn about Wensleydale Railway with the mandatory cuppa, then myself and the two other "trainees" were walked around the unit where all the different parts of the DMU were pointed out, up to then I thought a DMU was a university in Leicester! (16/05/2011)
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Ref - 6013

Photo - Kev Burnitt
A Fun Day Out With Wensleydale Railway.
For my 2010 Christmas present Jean (my wife) bought me a driver experience with Wensleydale Railway, this was some 6 years before I got chance to volunteer for the organisation.
After the introduction we were then escorted inside the DMU cab where we were given the safety brief, very informative and fun. It was then the time to get behind the…whatever it’s called with all the dials and levers! So, armed with a "Casey Jones" hat given to me by a friend as a joke, we were off, reaching the nose-bleed speed of 25MPH.
Her I am bedside the DMU. (16/05/2011)
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Ref - 6014

Photo - Kev Burnitt
A Fun Day Out With Wensleydale Railway.
For my 2010 Christmas present Jean (my wife) bought me a driver experience with Wensleydale Railway, this was some 6 years before I got chance to volunteer for the organisation.
Passing Crakehall Crossing, the keeper gave a welcoming smile (16/05/2011)
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Ref - 6015

Photo - Kev Burnitt
A Fun Day Out With Wensleydale Railway.
For my 2010 Christmas present Jean (my wife) bought me a driver experience with Wensleydale Railway, this was some 6 years before I got chance to volunteer for the organisation.
A view from the DMU cab. (16/05/2011)
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Ref - 6016

Photo - Kev Burnitt
A Fun Day Out With Wensleydale Railway.
For my 2010 Christmas present Jean (my wife) bought me a driver experience with Wensleydale Railway, this was some 6 years before I got chance to volunteer for the organisation.
A view from the DMU cab, showing some. of the controls (16/05/2011)
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Ref - 6017

Photo - Kev Burnitt
A Fun Day Out With Wensleydale Railway.
For my 2010 Christmas present Jean (my wife) bought me a driver experience with Wensleydale Railway, this was some 6 years before I got chance to volunteer for the organisation.
Here I am looking happy as a bunny, driving a DMU (16/05/2011)
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Ref - 6018

Photo - Alan Graham
No veg gang pics this month due to Covid, so here's my own pictures from when the railway was in another form of lockdown; i.e.closure. This is Primrose Crossing 28/5/95, no trains since 1992. (28/05/1995)
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Ref - 6019

Photo - Alan Graham
Still in lockdown, this is Finghall station early on 28/12/95. A version of this image was used as the WRA's annual Christmas card. These pictures were taken on traditional 135 film. (28/12/1995)
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Ref - 6020

Photo - Alan Graham
The early WRA had plenty of enthusiasm and little else. Here we are at Hunton Steam Gathering in 1995 with little more than a paste table, a collecting churn and a model railway. (1995)
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Ref - 6021

Photo - Alan Graham
The WRA setting up at Hunton in 1995. I remember making the banner in my garage. As now, the message then was to spread the word, educate, inform and hopefully influence new members to join. (1995)
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Ref - 6022

Photo - Alan Graham
WRA volunteers manning the Hunton Steam Rally in 1995. There's plenty more where these pictures came from so all being well I'll include some others from the archives next month. (1995)
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Ref - 6025

Photo - LNER
The story of the wartime avoiding line at Northallerton which necessitated a very low level bridge for the line to Wensleydale (1940s)
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Ref - 6023

Photo - LNER
A map showing the arrangement of lines at Northallerton during the war (1940s)
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Ref - 6024

Photo - LNER
Showing the temporary bridge that was built to take the Wensleydale line over the temporary wartime Northallerton avoiding line (1940s)
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