North York Moors Railway

While the main aim of my trip to Yorkshire was to see the Flying Scotsman, I enjoyed seeing the regular traffic on the North York Moors railway.

The 18 mile heritage railway runs from Pickering to Grosmont through a beautiful scenery which I had not expected.

Along the route we stopped at Levisham and Goathland stations, the latter being famous for TV and film appearances as Aidensfield and Hogsmeade.

I look forward to visiting the area again in the future to visit locations which I did not fit into my tight schedule.

Class 37 diesel loco passing a signal near Levisham Station

Looking dead ahead

45428 steam loco "Eric Treacy" taking up the rear

Levisham Station

A happy carriage in a siding at Levisham

Firebox glowing on 76079 at Goathland Station

Please can I have some coal mister?

76079 waiting at Goathland

Back home at Grosmont and the embers have been dumped in the pit

Evening DMU ready to depart from Grosmont

A busy scene at Goathland Station

Goods wagons in one of Goathland's sidings

Not a great photograph but a reminder of where my dad spent most of his working life

Class 101 DMU

Getting 45428 ready for next day

Diesel loco 7628 "Sybilla" parked outside of Grosmont

Class 28 loco 3814 awaiting restoration

The Flying Scotsman

It may seem ironic that a Scotsman should travel to England to see The Flying Scotsman but I did, and had a very enjoyable visit to the North York Moors Railway.

The record breaking steam loco has just completed a ten year overhaul at a cost of £4.2 million and the public came out in their masses, both to travel on the train and also to see her along the entire length of the heritage line from Grosmont to Pickering.

The Flying Scotsman is due to come to Scotland in May and I'm sure the crowds will come out to see her when she comes north of the border.

Bo'ness Steam Gala

October started with a visit to see 60009 on the borders railway, and ended with a visit to Bo'ness Heritage Railway for their Autumn Steam Gala.

Along with the resident locos we were hoping to see Ian Riley's Black 5, 44871 and a special visitor from Furness.

The day did not disappoint with 44871 hauling along with 62712 Morayshire, which is due to go out of service for overhaul.

The star of the day was No 20, a beautiful 0-4-0 tender engine built in 1863.No 20 is Britain's oldest working standard gauge steam loco.

Bo'ness Diesel Gala

My last photo outing of 2014 took me back to Bo'ness, a place I have visited several times throughout the past year.

While I have a preference for steam, I thoroughly enjoyed my day out even though the temperature struggled to raise itself much above freezing point all day.

There were several classes of engines going back and forwards from Bo'ness station to Manuel, near Linlithgow.

Manuel halt on the Bo'ness & Kinneil railway

47643 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Class 37 diesel loco passes Kinneil Halt on a frosty afternoon

GB Railfreight diesel loco 66721 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

47643 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

66721 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Deltic loco 55022 and her admirers at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

66721 at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Deltic loco 55022 Royal Scots Grey at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Close-up of Deltic loco 55022 Royal Scots Grey at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala

Festive lights on Bo'ness station patform

Bo'ness station platform

Bo'ness Diesel Gala drawing to a close