Work to re-lay a quarter of a mile of track on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway has been completed in just 8 weeks while trains have not been running.
The new season on the heritage railway starts next weekend (5th March), and while there have been no trains running for the past two months the volunteers and staff have been working behind the scenes on major renovations.
The biggest task successfully undertaken was the complete relay of a quarter of a mile of track using new rails and sleepers at Skibeden, between Embsay and Holywell Halt, which was undertaken by a relatively small but dedicated ‘in-house’ team in just eight weeks.
Work has also been progressing well on laying and burying cable between the railway’s two operational signal boxes at Embsay and Stoneacre to enable Electric Key Token working to be introduced for the first time. The necessary signalling regulations have been written, and the charity's signalmen are currently in the process of being trained on the new system, which will bring considerably enhanced flexibility to future train operations.
Meanwhile, work is nearing completion of a further extension to the carriage shelter at Embsay, which will enable the railway team to store a further four carriages undercover and away from the worst of the Yorkshire weather.
In the workshop, work on the carriages has involved ensuring the carriage fleet is checked, serviced and all ready for the start of the season, whilst work continues on completing the extensive overhaul of former Mark 1 ‘BG’ No 81517 (YDR No 15), which has been converted into a further catering vehicle for the Dales Dining operation, and the comprehensive restoration of a genuine Midland Railway bogie carriage No 3300 to, as far as possible, ‘as-built’ condition. Work on the Great Eastern Railway No 8 Prince of Wales six-wheel saloon is also progressing well.
The railway expects to start the season with three serviceable steam locomotives – Cumbria, Beatrice and No 401 (Vulcan) – whilst Class 37 No 37294 has recently returned to service after engine repairs and sundry other work.
Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust, the owner and operator of the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, has also purchased an English Electric Type 1 (later Class 20) diesel locomotive. The train, which was retired by British Rail in 1990 is now being checked over, cleaned and serviced in readiness for entering service, after initial staff training has been completed.
Press officer Richard Jones says: “We have made terrific progress during the past two months but none of this work over the winter could have been achieved without the tremendous contribution made by our volunteers and staff, who have all pulled together to ensure success. It has been a great whole team effort.”
Passenger trains start running for the 2023 season on Sunday 5th March.
Richard added: “We are very much looking forward to the new season and further building on the great progress we have made over recent years.”
Not long until we start running trains again… We’re busy behind the scenes getting everything ready for that first day...
Posted by Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway on Wednesday, February 15, 2023
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