Robin Hood Bay scheme

Can anybody shed any light on this scheme (from the 1990s I believe?) - I read that the group behind it had acquired or hoped to acquire one of the Garretts now at the WHR. What were the proposals and who was behind them?

 

the scheme is-very unfortunately- quite overdead since a decade at least!
regards
noel

 

I don't know what the scheme was although I have heard a few people talk about it. I too would be interested to hear from someone who did understand the project . As with the poster , anyone like to explain it so we can learn from what happened.

 

Proposed I think by Simon Boak of Pickering.
It was to have been a narrow gauge scheme from Whitby possibly West cliffe to Robin Hoods bay along the old trackbed.
Possibly turned down by planning due to road realignment work on the A171 I think a bridge was taken out at Hawsker.
He eventually acquired at least 2 Garrets and these were stored in a transport yard about 3 mile south of Pickering but they were eventually disposed of to the WHR.

 

As I understand it the scheme was started by a Pickering (N. Yorks) businessman by the name of Simon Boak. My memory may be at fault as to the exact termini, but I seem to recall that the line would have run along the former Whitby-Scarborough trackbed between West Cliff and Ravenscar. Mr Boak imported three NGG16 Garratts from South African Railways – nos. 87 (now running on the WHR), 115 and 130. These were stored at a transport yard in Pickering along with his two NG15s (133/4), later purchased by the FR for use on the WHR, some Hudson bogie wagons and a diesel of unknown type.
I understand the Robin Hood’s Bay scheme came to naught over planning difficulties, and the NG15s were later sold to the FR Co, and the NGG16s to Exmoor Steam Railway. As mentioned, No.87 was later sold on via a benefactor to the FR Co. and is now running on the WHR. I’m afraid that I don’t know what became of the diesel, or the wagons.
Mr Boak seems to have courted a certain amount of controversy - as will be evident if you Google his name and 'Pickering'.
That is about all I know, unless others can fill in some of the detail.
There were some pictures of the locos at Pickeringon Fotopic but I think these have probably been lost.

 

Not lost... I still have the originals...

 

The diesel was a Motor Rail (wks no 8856) ex Lydd Gun Ranges; it too went to Exmoor Steam Railway.

Ken Scanes
industrial Railway Society

 

Some very interesting responses thank you all those who know more about the history for sharing it with us, updated me on some detail I did not know.

The project, had it been sucessfull would no doubt have been a very good product/ location, as you say google it and...., but its probably not all one persons fault, as with so many schemes there is a lot of who fits and who does not.

Best Regards TE