Steam Railways in Yorkshire with Duncan & Tracey

 Steam Railways in Yorkshire

A must was a trip to the world class National Rail Museum in the wonderfully historic city of York. It holds a massive collection of trains on display in the Great Hall from very early examples of steam locomotives to very modern feats of engineering such as the Eurostar and even the Japanese Bullet train. Here, we were able to sit and experience what it’s like to travel in luxury as well as style. 

Everyone was itching for some steam train action, so we took a drive down to the historic market town of Pickering to start the days adventures. Our beautiful steam train came puffing and chugging into the station. The smell of the coal burning was nostalgic, and we couldn’t wait to get on board! We found our seats and sat back, enjoying the journey through the beautiful North Yorkshire Dales admiring the picturesque scenery as we rode our way along the track smiling from ear to ear as we heard the whistle blow. 

 

We arrived at Goathland station, famous for being the filming location of Hogsmeade station in the blockbuster film Harry Potter. We had a browse around the station before heading up the hill into Goathland which was used as a filming location for the hit TV series Heartbeat. We made our way down to probably the most recognisable and iconic building from the show, Scripps Garage where we stopped for a refreshing ice cream and look around inside before heading back down to the station in time to catch the train back to Pickering. 

It was only right that we visited the Wensleydale Creamery to see Wallace and Gromit and learn all about how the local cheese is made. We were given a private cheese tasting session and learned all about the different cheeses which were so scrumptious! We even got to go in the viewing gallery and check out the production line where all the amazing cheese is crafted. With the taste of Wensleydale lingering in our mouths we were hungry for more cheese, so we checked out the cheese room where we were able to sample more yummy cheese and pick some to buy and take home. 

As the sun was shinning we decided to go for a nice gentle cruise on the Liverpool and Leeds canal. Whilst waiting to board we sat and relaxed watching a family of swans serenely swim past us and soaked up the bustling atmosphere of the quayside. It was then our turn to board the boat and listened to the captain tell us the history of the canal which was very interesting. We enjoyed sailing along the calm water looking at all the different buildings, relaxing and chatting. 

We took a ride on the Dalesman all the way from Skipton to Carlisle. With plenty of time we were able to have a close look at the beautiful engine and chat to the driver and fireman. We then embarked, relaxed as we passed through the dales with nothing but green meadows and hills as far as the eye could see. It was amazing to see how the landscape looked untouched apart from the stone walls that divided up the hillsides in a patchwork pattern. We got a great view of the Ribblehead viaduct as the train track curved round a bend in the hillside and as we passed over it, we had the sense that there was nothing beneath us.