NYMR | Steam Gala | 25th-28th September 2025

Took an Australian friend there yesterday. Had a real deja vu moment on the 12.15 ex Pickering, hauled by 80136 and 41313. Listening to them barking away up Newtondale I thought about the last time I rode behind such a loco combination - 5th March 1966 on the last 14.00 Templecombe to Bath. And then realised that the locos then were 80138 and 41307. OK they ran chimney to chimney on that occasion but they sounded the same in the train. I mentioned this to colleagues on the loco at Grosmont who decided that an S&D headcode might be appropriate for the run back to Pickering. Had time at Goathland to get a quick picture.

Peter

 

I know Thomas. It was one of the engines that I learned to fire on back as a cleaner in 1991. I had hoped to have a ride behind it yesterday but the two tanks instead kind of made up fot it. Incidentally the 14.00 ex Templecombe referred to above followed the famous Bulleid double headed (34006 + 34057) tour to Bath that afternoon.

Peter

 

Coverage from the first two days of a really impressive gala, concentrating on 34072 and with a really special sequence starting around 16minutes 40 seconds in. How wonderful to experience again 100% steam again, even if only for a few days!

 

We arrived mid-afternoon Thursday, rover ticket Friday, linesided Saturday and Sunday. My contribution to the photo's, Part 1 Thursday + Friday, Part 2 Saturday + Sunday.

 

Part 2 Saturday + Sunday.

 

https://www.nymr.co.uk/news/we-celebrate-a-successful-annual-steam-gala

 

I'm glad the gala was a success. The pictures and videos above are a well-timed reminder of just what a magnificient line the NYMR is. It is so depressing to read the NYMR thread in the "Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK " section of this website, which suggests that all is not well on the railway. I know nothing of the protagonists nor of the personalities involved and have only a hazy idea of all the issues which seem to be upsetting some NYMR volunteers who post on this forum, but I very much hope that a line which has so much to offer can somehow turn the corner, just as other lines which faced major crises in the past (notably the Mid Hants and Severn Valley railways) seem to have done.

 

Some photos from a very good gala. I liked the short coach set shuttle trains, particularly 78019 on the two coach set.

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