When you think of the County of North Yorkshire and specifically about Heritage Railways, you could be forgiven for immediately thinking of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which runs from Pickering to Whitby. But look slightly further afield, to the Yorkshire Dales village of Embsay, and you will discover an absolute gem of a heritage railway that is giving its much more well-known North Yorkshire neighbour a good run for its money.

The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway (EBASR) is a volunteer-run, preserved Heritage Railway which does not receive any grants or subsidies towards running.

The EBASR has a few hundred members of all ages – approximately 25% of whom become actively involved helping them operate their 5 mile-long railway line.  they are always seeking new members – whether you’d like to become actively involved with them or not. they can provide wonderful opportunities for those with a few hours to spare!

Their organisation was initially set up with the intention to preserve the adjacent railway line which runs to Swinden Quarry, near Grassington.  This is the line that was built by the Yorkshire Dales Railway Company. However, this line did not close (limestone trains from the quarry still use the line today) and so the society switched its attentions to restoring the old Midland Railway route which runs from Skipton, through Embsay, Bolton Abbey and Addingham to Ilkley, which closed, like so many others, in 1965. Thank you Doctor Beeching!!!

The line has been steadily rebuilt by the volunteers as far as Bolton Abbey in the eastwards direction.

Skipton to the west is our their next target – the track is already in situ as part of the mineral line which serves Swinden Quarry – and so the challenge for the society is more political rather than physical. They need to acquire the correct permissions to run trains on part of the national network. To do this, they must ensure their rolling stock and locomotives pass the relevant examinations as required, rebuild the appropriate infrastructure at Skipton Station and undertake additional training for their volunteers. Funding which will allow them to do this is, as always, another hurdle they must negotiate!

The EBASR has a variety of locomotives, including both steam and historic diesel, which are used for their services. They also have several locomotives undergoing (or awaiting) restoration in their engineering workshop and sidings. In addition, they host visiting engines from other railways to provide variety and assist with services during busy times of the year.

An example of a steam engine, resident at Embsay is 68067 (Hudswell Clark No. 1752), built in 1943 to a Hunslet design, this locomotive was previously used by the war department at various locations around the UK before being purchased by the NCB and subsequently used at a variety of collieries. The Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust hired has the locomotive, arriving on our metals during April 2024.

An example of a diesel engine with its home in Embsay is the English Electric Type 1 (later Class 20) diesel locomotive No D8110 (later No 20110). This was purchased from the Harry Needle Railroad Company in 2023, arriving on the 21st February. The Class 20’s were introduced by British Railways in 1957, and a total of 228 locomotives were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, originally numbered D8000-D8199 and D8300-D8327. No D8110 was built in English Electric’s Robert Stephenson Hawthorn factory at Darlington, entering service in January 1962.

On Saturday 25th May 2024, the Trustees of The N.E.R. 1903 Electric Autocar Trust presented to the public the newly restored North Eastern Railway Autocoach number 3453. The complete restoration of the Autocoach was completed earlier in the year in the workshops of the Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust at Embsay. This vehicle is essentially the "grandfather of most modern diesel engines running today and is a hugely important artifact in the history of Great Britain's railway heritage. A short video by Visiting North Yorkshire of the formal launch can be seen here (opens in another window): Autocoach Number 3453.

The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway stages a huge and eclectic number of events throughout the year including steam and diesel galas and dining opportunities, , offers footplate experiences and, every festive period, stages a hugely popular "Polar Express" event.

Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway Railway
Off East Lane, Embsay, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 6QX

Telephone: 01756 710 614

Web: embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk

Facebook: facebook.com/embsayrailway

Instagram: instagram.com/embsayboltonabbeysteam

X: @EmbsaySteam