This film by Chris Lawson celebrates a local heritage railway, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This film shows early developments in the Seventies. The film begins with a picturesque high angle view of a town on the banks of a river by the coast, probably Whitby. A diesel train makes its way along a riverside track in the valley bottom. It makes its way past two large gasometers. A view further up the valley reveals a brick viaduct. The film cuts to trees in a heavily wooded area, next...

This film by Chris Lawson celebrates a local heritage railway, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This film shows early developments in the Seventies. The film begins with a picturesque high angle view of a town on the banks of a river by the coast, probably Whitby. A diesel train makes its way along a riverside track in the valley bottom. It makes its way past two large gasometers. A view further up the valley reveals a brick viaduct. The film cuts to trees in a heavily wooded area, next to a river or pond. A steam engine makes its way along a railway besides the water pulling goods wagons. On the river in a small rowing boat, passengers enjoy the scenery. Next snow covered moorland. Down on a valley floor a small steam engine makes its way along the track in reverse. A closer view through trees shows the engine at work, making its way through a local station. A small engine emerges from a tunnel. In the foreground New Zealand flags fly across the railway track. A  saddle tank engine reverses towards the camera. The engine is named 'Mirvale' after a chemical company where it once worked and there follows a brief view of the engine at Grosmont station. Another brief shot shows a DMU [Deisel Multiple Unit] train just outside the tunnel at Grosmont. The film cuts to Mirvale pulling a single passenger carriage through Grosmont station. Enthusiasts look out of the carriage windows. Another small tank engine comes through Grosmont station very slowly. Close ups follow of connecting rods and bearings on the engine. Another small tank engine reverses to the front of it. This engine is marked No. 3 and maybe the same engine that was used at Swan Hunters as seen in another film from this collection. The small engines seem to be working together as they reverse with a full load of railway tracks on flatbed wagons. One of the small engines pushes the wagons across the Grosmont level crossing. Another view shows another small engine pulling empty track wagons. On another part of the track a small engine heads towards the camera and then the film cuts to the same engine reversing back. The next sequence is on board a carriage filming progress along the track, a sheep runs alongside. The film cuts to a human chain bringing water to the engine using buckets and other empty containers. Next a view of Mirvale reversing along a track. General views follow of carriages and other small locomotives in sidings. A high angle view shows workers travelling along the line on what appears to be a small motorised trolley.  General views show staff or volunteers sitting on the tracks and in amongst the engines. Views from on board an engine as it makes its way along the railway cuts quickly to a steam engine coming through Goathland station. The headboard on the steam engine reads 'The North Eastern'. The locomotive is 3395 a Q6 Raven 0-8-0 built at Darlington works. The film cuts to sidings and a water tower(?) at Goathland (?) one of the small shunting engines pulls another out of the sidings. The film cuts back to Grosmont station as a passenger train is about to leave. People standing on the platform watching the train move off towards Grosmont tunnel. On board the cameraman leaning out of a carriage window following the progress of the train.  The engine slowly takes a curve, belching huge plumes of steam and smoke.  A high angle view, somewhat blurred, shows another passenger excursion making its way along the line, and off into the distance. The film cuts to a large black engine moving some passenger carriages into a siding. The engine is a J27 Wordsell 0-6-0 built at the Darlington works and preserved at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, but at the time of filming working at North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The engine moves off on its own. The next view shows the J27 coming through a curve pulling coaches. A closer trackside view follows its progress. Another view shows it travelling in reverse pulling the coaches, possibly along Newtondale.  A darker shot follows with snow on the ground. A steam engine , the Q6 seen earlier, takes a curve in the bad weather, and goes off into the distance. Another snow covered curve as an approaching steam train with the engine belching huge plumes of smoke and steam heads towards the camera. This time the engine is hauling some goods wagons. A long shot shows a steam engine reversing with goods wagons. along a snow covered railway. Another quite dark shot shows a trackside view of an oncoming steam train. Next a view of the landscape in warmer weather and a steam training taking a curve at speed, as seen from the trackside.  A shield mounted on the smoke box shows the English cross. The engine has the initials NYMR and the number 5 on it. LH&JC 0-6-2T No. 5. This locomotive was built in 1909 by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn of Darlington, Works Number 3377, for Lambton Collieries, which in 1924 became Lambton, Hetton and Joicey Collieries. No. 5 was employed all its working life hauling coal transfer trains over the colliery ‘main lines’ around Wearside. The next view shows No. 5 hauling two passenger coaches, as it goes along an embankment. Another long shot shows number 5 going along a valley, a cornfield on one side of the train and a dense wood on the far hillside.  A trackside low angle shot follows , which cuts to a shot of No 5 at Pickering Station(?) The engine reverses pulling the passenger train out of Pickering Station. No 5 picks up a driver or fireman from some Railway Cottages. The engine and two carriages reverse away from the camera on a graceful curve. A trackside view follows as No. 5 continues its journey two sheep on the track quickly get out of its way. The film cuts to Q6 emerging from a tunnel. This is followed by a stationary view of no. 5 at Grosmont platform. The film ends with a view from a bridge which shows a double header of two smaller steam engines as it brings a passenger train around a curve.