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North Yorkshire Moors Railway - Recordings from 2011
An incomplete year of recordings, I'm afraid. I couldn't get to the
175th Anniversary Gala. Recordings begin in May, but not all are presented in
date order. Instead, recordings of evening Pullman workings are grouped
together
Sunday 22nd May
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 45212 restarts
from Levisham with the 10:00 from Pickering. It slips briefly as it pulls out
of the station and again as it passes the Down siding. 2:24, 2.7MB
Monday 30th May
'LNER' A1 Pacific Class 4-6-2 No 60163
'Tornado' climbing around the foot of Skelton Tower in heavy rain with the
14:00 from Pickering. The loco whistle is heard in the distance as it
approaches the footpath crossing at Yorfalls. After the pass, the loco slips as
it begins the 1 in 68 gradient towards Newtondale Halt. 1:54, 2.2MB
An hour later, 'Black 5' 45407 climbs past
the same spot with the returning Moorlander diner - the 15:00 from Pickering.
2:54, 3.3MB
BR Standard Class 2-6-0 76079 restarts the
16:00 from Pickering away from Levisham station. 2:58, 3.4MB. Later in the season
76079 was restricted to light duties due to a mechanical defect.
Saturday 11th June
BR Class 25 Bo-Bo D7628 climbing from Esk
Valley, south of Grosmont, with the 18:00 service from Whitby. The loco can be
heard to Green End and beyond. 3:53, 4.5MB.
Tuesday 5th July
Two recordings made from the slope of Huggitt's Scar, overlooking
Newtondale south of Newtondale Halt on the east side of the line.
With some distant jet rumble on the approach, Stanier 'Black 5'
44767 climbs towards Newtondale Halt
at the top of the 1 in 49 gradient from Skelton Tower. This was the 13:00
departure from Pickering. 2:42, 3.1MB.
Same location, and again a distant jet, but a completely different engine beat
as LNWR Class G2 'Super D' 0-8-0 49395
ascends the gradient with the 15:00 from Pickering, whistling briefly for the
accommodation crossing at Kidstye Farm before shutting off steam for
Newtondale Halt. 2:29, 2.9MB.
Tuesday 2nd, Wednesday 3rd August
BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 92214
accelerates away from New Bridge road crossing with the 09:00 Pickering to
Whitby service. Recorded from Blansby Park Lane. 2:00, 2.3MB.
With same working on the following day,
92214 is heard from the woodland on the
east side of the line, with Pickering Beck babbling nicely in the foreground.
1:50, 2.1MB.
Friday 27th August
With the nearby Murk Esk in spate following heavy rain,
92214 climbs from Esk Valley, passes
under Bridge 34 at Green End and on towards Beck Hole with the 18:00 Whitby
to Pickering service. Recorded from the Railway Trail below Dowson Garth.
2:56, 3.4MB.
Tuesday 30th August
A day spent recording in upper Newtondale, east of the line, around Northdale
Scar.
First up the valley was BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0
92214 with the 09:00 Pickering to Whitby.
It climbs from the Northdale straight past Carter's House ruin, slowing
slightly at the top of the gradient at Fen Bog. 3:01, 3.5MB.
92214 was followed by BR Standard Class 4MT 2-6-4
80072 with the 10:00 from Pickering.
The smaller engine is working noticeably harder. 2:21, 2.7MB.
A faster exhaust beat as NER Q6 0-8-0 63395
climbs past the same spot with the 11:00 from Pickering. 2:17, 2.6MB.
After a slight move of location to a spot overlooking the very top of the
climb up Northdale to Feb Bog, 92214
passes with the 12:00 from Pickering. 2:38, 3.1MB.
From a position on the lip of Northdale Scar, high above the line,
80072 climbs to Fen Bog with the 13:00
from Pickering. 2:53, 3.3MB.
Finally, the second run of 63395, bustling
up the hill with the 14:00 from Pickering. 2:22, 2.7MB.
Diesel Weekend 16th - 18th September
Friday 16th September
BR Class 24 Bo-Bo D5061 sounds brief horn
warnings as it approaches The Grange and then Yorfalls after the restart from
Levisham with the 09:00 from Pickering. 2:53, 3.3MB.
Trains pass at Levisham (1).
The 09:30 from Grosmont arrives at Levisham with
English Electric 'Deltic' Class 55 Co-Co No 55002 'Kings Own Yorkshire Light
Infantry' at the head and a pair of English Electric Class 20 Bo-Bo locos,
20107 and 20096, at the rear. As they idle in Levisham station, Brush Class 31
A1A-A1A No 31128 arrives from Pickering with the 10:00 depature and then departs
for Grosmont. As the sound of the 31 fades away, the 'rightaway' is given for
the Pickering bound train and the Deltic hauls the service out of the station
loop and on to Levisham straight. 7:13, 8.3MB.
Jays screech in the woodland as
20107(leading) + 20096 (inside) take the
11:00 from Pickering around the foot of Sketlon Tower on the climb into
Newtondale.2:27, 2.8MB.
Trains pass at Levisham (2).
Class 73/1 Electro-Diesel Bo-Bo 73136 idles in the Down siding at Levisham as
English Electric Class 37 Co-Co 37264 arrives with the 11:00 from Whitby.
55002 sounds its arrival with the 12:00 from Pickering. It then departs quietly
towards Grosmont, opening up only once it is well beyond the station to the
north, to the left of the sound stage. As it does so, 37264 pulls out towards
Pickering. 73136 continues to idle in the Down siding. 8:50, 10.1MB.
BRCW/Brush Class 33 Bo-Bo D6515 restarts
away from Levisham with the 13:00 from Pickering. 1:48, 2.1MB.
The 12:35 shuttle working between Levisham and Pickering by 73136 hauling the
3-car dmu set was cancelled because the train took too long to assemble. The
later working at 14:35 went ahead as planned.
73136 idles in Levisham before drawing
away. A distinctive sound. 1:31, 1.7 MB
Out into the hills to hear 55002 climbing
towards Newtondale Halt on the 1 in 60 gradient. Relatively little power
needed, with the loco working on one engine only. 1:25, 1.6MB.
Saturday 17th September
Deltic beneath an overall roof.
55002 runs in to Pickering station, under
the new roof, with the 13:30 dining train from Grosmont. The loco stops
directly in front of the microphone. After idling for a short while, 55002
pushes back to compress buffers then, when uncoupled, runs out to the
headshunt. 2:54, 3.3MB.
As evening approaches, D6515 takes the
18:00 from Pickering away from New Bridge crossing. Cows graze in front of the
recording position and a pheasant calls in the woods.
31128, attached to the rear of the train, takes no part in proceedings.
3:00, 3.5MB.
Sunday 17th September
After running out from Pickering station to the headshunt
73136 runs back in to Platform 1, stops
briefly, and then continues to the north of the station. 1:34, 1.8MB.
73136 in charge of the 14:43 shuttle
service from Pickering to Levisham, passing Hunting Bridge crossing, north of
New Bridge. 1:26, 1.6MB.
Autumn Steam Gala 30th September to 2nd October
Friday 30th September
Super D 0-8-0 49395 takes the late-running
13:00 from Pickering past New Bridge. 2:25, 2.8MB.
In the early evening 92214 climbs the
valley of the Murk Esk with the late-running 18:00 from Whitby, passing Green
End and Beck Hole. After the curve at Beck Hole the sound carries back
strongly in the southerly breeze, all the way to Darnholm. Sheep graze
unconcerned near the microphone 5:54, 6.8MB.
Saturday 1st October
GWR Collett 'Manor' Class 4-6-0 7822
Foxcote Manor re-starts the second photocharter freight run from just north
of Bridge 30 and takes it just beyond Darnholm road overbridge before shutting
off steam. 1:42, 2.0MB.
7822 arrives in Pickering station with
the 11:00 from Whitby. After compressing the buffers, 7822 runs out to the
headshunt, then runs back through Platform 2. 3:29, 4.0MB.
Three tracks from Newtondale.
With the wind from the south, the locos are heard
from a long distance away, before they reach Skelton Tower.
7822 climbing Newtondale towards Newtondale
Halt with the 14:00 from Pickering. 3:43, 4.3MB.
From the same location on the hillside south of Kidstye Farm,
63395 tackles the 1 in 60/49 gradient in
charge of the returning Moorlander lunchtime dining train. After the train has
passed, the duty fire-fighting truck follows up the lineside. Just in case....
4:33, 5.2MB.
A Black 5 "HST"! 44767 (front) and 45428 (rear)
climbing Newtondale with the 16:00 from Pickering. 2:21, 2.7MB.
Late afternoon passing of trains at Levisham.
92214 whistles as it approaches Levisham station with the 16:30 from Grosmont.
The crossing gate alarm sounds and the gates close before 92214 runs in to
the Up platform. Shortly afterwards, 7822 Foxcote Manor approaches the station
from the south with the 17:00 from Pickering. After station duties,
7822 whistles and re-starts for Grosmont, its exhaust beats echoing
around the hills. 92214 whistles and departs quietly towards Pickering,
accelerating along Levisham straight once it has cleared the station loop.
Note - this is a 15 minute sequence shortened to 8min 16 seconds, but be aware
that a download is 10MB.
End-of-season recordings
On Saturday 29th October, the penultimate day of the Summer timetable,
BR Class 25 Bo-Bo D7628 restarts the 13:30
from Pickering away from Levisham, with the gentle sound of Pickering Beck in
the foreground. A wonderful Sulzer sound. 2:12, 2.5MB.
Sunday November 13th was the last working day of Foxcote Manor's visit from
the Llangollen Railway.
In this track 7822 restarts the 11:00 from
Pickering away from Levisham. Despite only having a 5 coach load, the loco
loses adhesion on the damp and slippy rails as the train pulls away from the
platform. 2:29, 2.8MB.
7822's return working was at the head of
the Moorlander dining train, the 12:30 departure from Grosmont. This is a heavy
train and with poor rail conditions, BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 76079 was
banking. From high on the hillside east of the line,
the train is heard climbing from Esk Valley towards Green End and on to Beck
Hole. 7822 slips as Green End bridge 34 is approached and slips more
after it is passed. 5:44, 6.6MB.
Evening Pullman workings in the 2011 Summer Timetable
I've pulled together Pullman workings as sort of 'compare and contrast'
exercise. These are evening/night trains, when disturbance from traffic and
overhead aircraft tends (only tends) to be less. Also, winds often drop at dusk
allowing quiet, distant, sounds to be captured. Against this, the stable of
locos used on these heavy trains is limited. These recordings, with the
exception of single workings by 'Tornado' and 45212, feature 44767.
On Friday 3rd June, 'LNER' A1 Pacific Class 4-6-2 No
60163 climbs past Darnholm with the
Grosmont Pullman. 2:36, 3.0MB.
Just over a week later, on Saturday 11th June, Black 5
45212 was in charge of the Grosmont
Pullman. The recording, from high on the hillside east of the line, captures
the sound all the way from Esk Valley to Water Ark. Unfortunately a cylinder
drain cock was stuck open throughout.....
8:11, 9.4MB.
On Friday 22nd July, 44767 was at work.
This recording was made at Darnholm. The loco was audible all the way from Esk
Valley, but in this edit take begins after the train has come around Beck Hole
curve. The crisp, even, exhaust beats of 44767 are very evident. After passing
Darnholm the recording captures the final march in to Goathland station.
5:01, 5.7MB.
Another recording of 44767 month later,
on Friday 19th August. The train climbs strongly from Esk Valley to Green End,
passing beneath the two bridges, 36 and 34, and onwards towards Beck Hole. Recorded
from over 0.25 mile away, the exhaust beats sound less 'sharp' than in a
close-up recording. 7:30, 8.6MB.
A week later, on Saturday 27th August,
44767 was at work again. This time the
recording position was close to the line just south of Green End, bridge 34.
As the loco approaches the bridge, the sound is muffled by a short cutting,
only to burst forth as the loco emerges from beneath the bridge.
A warning is sounded to workers trimming lineside vegetation and the
steady march up the gradient to Beck Hole continues. 4:38, 5.3MB
The return working from Pickering was
recorded from the path below the north wall of Pickering Castle. In gentle rain,
44767 pulls steadily away from the platforms before whistling for High Mill
crossing, and for the crossings at the Long Siding and Trout Farm, en-route to
New Bridge. 2:28, 2.8MB.
On the Friday of the Autumn Steam Gala, 30th September, the Pullman working from
Grosmont ran late - about 45 minutes down.
44767 takes the train past
Darnholm and on to Goathland. The train waited in Goathland for a prolonged
period before continuing towards Levisham, due to 7822 running very late
from Pickering. 3:28, 4.0MB.
In fact, this Pullman was so late that progress beyond Levisham was
abandoned. The return from Levisham was
recorded in the forest north of the station. The loco can be heard almost
all the way to Newtondale Halt. 5:02, 6.1MB.
On the Friday of Wartime Weekend, 14th October, the Pullman ran from Pickering.
This used to be a regular working but now happens only a couple of time a year.
On a clear, cold, and still night 44767
takes the train (~35 minute late) past Platelayers cottages at Yorfalls up
the 1 in 60 gradient to Skelton Tower. 3:38, 4.0MB.
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