Steam Train Diaries Season 1 Episode 1

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Transcript

00:00I'm Paul, but most people call me Piglet.

00:05Now then, Piglet!

00:07Steam trains are my world,

00:09and I help run one of Britain's most popular heritage lines,

00:14the North Yorkshire Moes Railway.

00:19Stretching 24 glorious miles from the traditional market town of Pickering,

00:27heading over the North York Moes

00:30and onto the coastal town of Whitby.

00:34North Yorkshire, what's not to like?

00:37It's breathtaking.

00:39I'm proud to be part of a thousand-strong team

00:42working hard to keep this 200-year-old tradition alive.

00:47That's what's brought me back all these years.

00:49It's just one big family.

00:51Together, we're facing the challenges of taking steam into its third century.

00:56It takes passion.

00:59Everything that we do, I'm really proud of.

01:01Skill.

01:02When you're ready, Tom. Do your board.

01:04And as a charity,

01:06some serious funds to keep the wheels turning on this heritage line.

01:13Five pounds. Six pounds.

01:16But when you look out over this...

01:18It's beautiful. It's absolutely stunning.

01:21And get to make people this happy...

01:24There's nothing better sight than that pulling out the station.

01:29There's nothing else I'd rather do.

01:31That's my kind of day in the office.

01:36Today, I'm putting an 88-year-old steam engine through its purses

01:41on one of the UK's steepest sections of track.

01:44Mind you not lose your teeth.

01:46Yeah, they're well-glued in.

01:48I'll embark on a heritage engineering first

01:51with a large-scale coal-to-oil conversion.

01:54Good job, I didn't have a full English this morning.

01:58And we'll meet the volunteer who needs expert timing

02:01to keep the passengers safe.

02:03So this has to be lined up perfectly.

02:05Yeah, you don't want to drop it.

02:18This is Gromont.

02:20It's a village up in the North York Moes National Park.

02:25Much of its character is rooted in a Victorian past.

02:28The river Esk runs through here on its way to the North Sea.

02:34And it's home to Britain's oldest independent cooperative shop.

02:39Gromont grew in the 19th century,

02:42thanks to the area's iron ore industry

02:44and a railway that was built for both goods and passengers.

02:49Today, the ironworks and mines are a thing of the past.

02:53But the railway lives on.

02:55My days often begin here as one of the team

02:59who run the North Yorkshire Moes Railway.

03:02Along with around 100 full-time employees

03:06and an army of more than a thousand volunteers,

03:09we keep this historic line rolling on.

03:12Countless steam train fans come here every year

03:16to enjoy the experience of riding behind

03:18one of these beautiful engines.

03:20It's from the engine sheds here in Gromont

03:25that steam locomotives set out on the North Yorkshire Moes Railway.

03:30And here, it's where I'm climbing on board

03:33one of the stalwarts of our fleet.

03:36Number 5428, Eric Tracy.

03:38I'm going to fire it on the run up to the next stop.

03:44Goatland.

03:45Right, so we're ready to depart Gromont.

03:51It's a really steep hill out of here.

03:52It's a 1 in 49, which for a railway is a really steep incline.

04:02So we've got seven coaches on, a real heavy load, 350 tonnes.

04:06So I need to make sure I've got a good fire on.

04:09While my role today as fireman is keeping the fire burning,

04:13Sean is today's driver.

04:15And he'll be making sure that we get to Goatland safely.

04:17Now smoking.

04:19Right.

04:21My boiler's nice and full, ready to climb.

04:30Before we depart, I need to make sure that the train's safe

04:33and we get a green flag from the guard.

04:36We also need a signal and we need the crossing gates to open

04:39and then we're good to go.

04:40So I've got plenty of fire on, boiler's full.

04:43We're all ready to go, climb the hill.

04:45It's hard work on a hot day like today as well.

04:51Green from the guard.

04:55The section of line we are travelling on today is Gromont to Goatland.

04:56It's a three and a half mile journey and it's full of history.

04:58The section of line we are travelling on today is Gromont to Goatland.

05:03It's a three and a half mile journey and it's full of history.

05:04Starting at Gromont, we'll head past some of the old miners' cottages

05:08at S Valley.

05:09Then we really begin the climb and feel that one in 49 gradients.

05:11The section of line we are travelling on today is Gromont to Goatland.

05:15It's a three and a half mile journey and it's full of history.

05:16Starting at Gromont, we'll head past some of the old miners' cottages at S Valley.

05:20Then we really begin the climb and feel that one in 49 gradient with the engine working pretty

05:26much flat out.

05:27As we go past the waterfall at Becol, we'll encounter some fairly tight bends.

05:32So it's not just the hill but also the curvature of the track that we'll be thinking about.

05:57So as we come out of the tunnel, I'm looking for the crossing and the signal before we can continue.

06:07Crossing clear.

06:08On this section of line, the engine is working really hard.

06:12And that's what people love to see.

06:14Us putting these big locomotives through their paces.

06:17It's just something about a locomotive powering its way up a hill.

06:32There's just nothing like it.

06:33This is our first time on a steam train in North Yorkshire.

06:36So far it's amazing.

06:38Hector loves steam trains.

06:39They're his favourite thing in the whole wide world.

06:41North Yorkshire, what's not to like?

06:47But the only reason our wheels are rolling is because of the hard graft that's been put in,

06:51in the small hours of the morning at the Motive Power Depot or MPD in Gromont.

07:05Running a heritage railway is a complex operation.

07:10And we rely heavily on the passions, skills and dedication of a pretty special group of people.

07:17Duty fitter and train driver Bungle is in charge, preparing the engines today.

07:22Right, so we'll see where the engines are parked.

07:24This can be the thing some mornings.

07:26You can be walking halfway to West Valley and you still haven't quite found them.

07:29So the reason we're here at five o'clock in the morning is to get these engines off shed,

07:33on time, ready for the service, but in a safe manner.

07:36So I first started here when I was 17 in 2013 as an engine cleaner.

07:40And slowly progressed onwards from there.

07:43So there's Eric, there's the Q6.

07:47If I get you started on Eric, I'll get these lads started on the Q6.

07:53All engines have numbers, but not all have names.

07:58When they do, it's often as a tribute, such as our Eric Tracy,

08:02after a Bishop who was a prominent railway photographer.

08:05It's just one example of how steep we are in history.

08:09And that's something that drives us all, whether staff or volunteer.

08:16It becomes part of your daily routine.

08:18You are keeping heritage alive without even noticing.

08:21While Bungle is one of the staff, the rest of the early morning team

08:25are all volunteering their time for free.

08:28My sister, she works on the Pullman.

08:30And she said like, oh, do you want to volunteer at the shed?

08:34You can train up to be a fireman and eventually a driver.

08:36I'm 19 years old. I started when I was 17.

08:39Kind of like hooked on it, really.

08:40That's my main hobby at this point, yeah.

08:44Dampers are closed, drain clocks are open

08:46and I checked the handbrake when we got on.

08:48So I'd say if you clean that grate, you can get a fire lit in that.

08:53That's a safety light. Yeah, sorted.

08:54I'll rock the grate, no problem. Yeah, perfect.

08:56The coal sits on a cast iron grate inside the engine.

08:59Over time it clogs up with ash and residue called clinker.

09:03So Evander rocks it, dropping the waste into the ash pan,

09:06keeping the fire clear, ready for the next burn.

09:12I mean, you're waking up at five o'clock in the morning.

09:14Well, early in that to get to here.

09:16And obviously you're coming here and you're pulling you back doing that.

09:20But it's a rewarding thing, I mean, at the end of the day when you light the engine.

09:24Once that's done, the last few bits are pulled through with a fire iron into the ash pan,

09:30ready to be removed later in the pit.

09:32And with the firebox clear, Evander can chuck in fresh coal

09:36and light the fire with rags and paraffin.

09:39So, one of the big things that I found when I started

09:44is that there was lots of generations, lots of walks of life.

09:47There's still some people here with steam knowledge

09:50from the days of actual operating steam, pre-1968.

09:53And a lot of it is the knowledge that's getting passed down.

09:57Just a normal lighter and we'll just catch the end of the rag.

10:01Make sure we don't burn ourselves.

10:03See, it catches a light.

10:13But lighting the fire is just one of the many tasks the team have to complete

10:16before the engine can enter service.

10:18And they're up against the clock.

10:20It's up to Bungle to conduct a thorough, hands-on fitness-to-run examination

10:24on almost every single nut and bolt.

10:28A lot of it is just checking that the nuts are tight

10:31and that's simply by noise.

10:34Certainly dirty jobs where you're going to go in and get your hands dirty.

10:38But it's also a living job.

10:39The engine's alive and it's speaking to you while you're doing it.

10:42And you need to make sure that you speak back to it effectively.

10:46As well as checking the engines are ready to run,

10:48Bungle has something equally important to take care of.

10:52It's out here.

10:53We've got our newest members of staff.

10:55The rodent officers.

10:57They're only kittens at the moment, but they'll be after the breakfast.

11:00So they're Titch and Clinker are the names.

11:07There they are, look, waiting for us.

11:09We're getting all excited now. They can hear the key.

11:13We've got a 40-year tradition of having station cats.

11:16They're here as a deterrent for rodents, but they're lovely for the public too.

11:20And us.

11:22You're going to keep the rodents down.

11:25And this is Titch.

11:27And show that they also raise money for themselves.

11:29They have their own donation box.

11:31And you're completely self-sufficient, aren't you?

11:33So yeah, you're looking at me as though you want breakfast.

11:38Come on then, Titch, we'll get you some food.

11:43There's yours.

11:44As well as doing the engine's ash pans, we also have the cat's ash pan to do.

11:53It's a busy morning.

11:54Back in the yard, with plenty of pressure and a fire finally at temperature, it's time to move 5-4-2-8 over to the pit.

12:07So each day the engine goes out, you can't help but feel a warm feeling when you see, you know, I've sorted that engine.

12:15I've got that working.

12:16We lit that up.

12:17And everyone who's been part of the team does feel a high sense of pride.

12:20And I think that's what makes us tick.

12:22You know, that's what makes the railway run and that's what makes it all work so well.

12:30With Eric parked over the pit, Bungle is able to complete his final safety checks underneath.

12:38Evander can jump down and rock the ash pan to clear out any ash, clinker or refuse into the pit so it can be disposed of or recycled.

12:47Water on, please, Andrew.

12:48Hold on.

12:52You can see above there, there's a grate, which currently has a hot fire on.

12:57Right, that'll do, Andrew.

13:01I'll just grab the rake over here.

13:07Right, that's that one done.

13:24Sorted.

13:25Sorted.

13:29Final checks complete and with Eric Tracy fit for traffic, the tender is stocked up with coal.

13:34All fed, watered and checked, the engine is ready for a day on the tracks.

13:43I'm ready for me to help fire it along the line towards today's destination.

13:44The picturesque village of Goathland.

13:45I'm Piglet and I'm firing an 88-year-old steam engine.

13:46The picturesque village of Goathland.

13:47I'm Piglet and I'm firing an 88-year-old steam engine from Gromont to Goathland on the north

13:50side of the road.

13:51I'm Piglet and I'm firing an 88-year-old steam engine from Gromont to Goathland on the north

13:52side of the road.

13:53Yorkshire Mores railway with a train full of passengers behind me.

13:54Chris and Tom kind of

14:18train full of passengers behind me. We've left Grosmont and passed the row of

14:25old miners' cottages and we're really into the climb now.

14:30Though I've been working here since I was a young lad, these days I'm one of the

14:35people in charge of the railway, which often ties me to a desk.

14:38Sorry driver. There's more on the floor than there is in here. That's the emergency supply.

14:45So when I do get out, it's just as much a treat for me as it is for the passengers.

14:50I just really enjoy the fresh air and the history of it. Even though it's noisy, it's

14:57peaceful if you understand what I mean.

15:01It's a picturesque route, popular with our passengers who love seeing the engines

15:06powering up the incline.

15:10Even coming from a place like New Zealand where the landscape is spectacular, there's

15:14something about the North Yorkshire malls. It's just magical when you see a stave

15:18train going thrower.

15:20It's also popular with hikers who follow what we call the rail trail. The rail trail

15:26follows the original route between Pickering and Whitby.

15:32The line was rerouted in the 1860s to bypass the steeper valleys. But there's still a climb

15:37as we head out of Gromond, which means I need to get stuck into some hard work.

15:43And it's a bumpy ride while I'm at it.

15:46I'm finding you don't lose your teeth.

15:48Yeah, they're well glued in.

15:50There, so I'm putting water in now. I'm going to give it another moment. I'm going to knock

15:56the water off going into the boiler and I'm going to put another round on.

15:59A round of coal is usually about ten shovelfuls, but on this section it will only be a couple

16:08of minutes before I need to do it again.

16:11So this area, we're just past Lonely Pipe, and this is the steepest part of the railway.

16:21So we're really working hard now, but I've got good pressure and the water in the boiler.

16:26Happy days. But it is hard work.

16:34It's been unseasonably hot and dry in recent weeks. Rushing along, it can be easy to miss

16:39how the countryside has been affected by the extreme weather, as well as by the running

16:44of the railway itself.

16:47All right. Lappy driver. Thank you.

16:50But burnt patches of land, dead vegetation and recently cut clearings are all the telltale signs

16:57that wildfires are an ongoing problem in this area, and this causes more work for the volunteer teams.

17:02So surprisingly, even though we had rain yesterday, we actually had a line-side fire here.

17:09And that is one of the challenges that a coal-fired steam engine is we are getting some of them

17:14particles ejected into the air. So that's one thing we're looking at and trying to see if we can

17:19mitigate that risk. And Kerry on the line-side is also trying to mitigate that risk as well.

17:26Time for another round.

17:27Fire sparks have been a challenge for the railway ever since steam trains began.

17:38But in ever warmer times, managing them has been paramount for us all.

17:42Train!

17:43Not least, our line-side conservation team.

17:51This brilliant team, made up of a mainly volunteer workforce, is headed up by conservationist Kerry.

17:59And their job is to look after everything that sits along the 18 miles of heritage track

18:04here on the mulls. They work in all seasons, with much taking place in sites of special scientific interest.

18:12Morning! Morning! Morning! Morning!

18:18We've got two hedge trimmers and two brush carts, is that right Arnie?

18:21Yes.

18:23So my job's to look after the line-side, its habitat, its boundaries, the walls, the fences,

18:28and the people that help me work it. All right, you're all okay. Remember, 15 metres apart.

18:34We've got the harnesses and the helmets, and I'm going to need a lookout for people working down

18:39when we're down on this section. Ready to go, let's get started.

18:43The priority for Kerry's team right now is controlling the risk of line-side fires.

18:53With sparks flying out of the engines, the chance of one catching on the undergrowth is not to be

18:58underestimated. This year, we have the driest spring on record. And when conditions are dry,

19:04there's always a risk that we have to suspend the service until we get some rain. But Kerry's team

19:10are doing everything they can to help with this. You just need to try and make sure you get all

19:18the straggly ends, because otherwise you drop more than you pick up. Yeah. Perfect.

19:30So come next spring, the bracken that you see green here is actually dry and dead, and that's a

19:36complete tinder box for fires. So if just a one stray ember rolls out of an engine, what I end up with

19:43is this whole slope side ablaze. But Kerry's work has many purposes beyond the risk of line-side fires.

19:50One of the reasons is that this is a really lovely habitat. It's got nice grasslands in it, lots of

19:55nice wildflowers, but they're becoming over dominated by the bracken and bramble. And that's not good for

20:01the animals that live here. So we've got adders on here, we've got slow worms, we've got common lizards,

20:06and we want to retain that habitat for them.

20:14Further along, a fire has recently taken hold. The nature of the embankment here presents Kerry and

20:21her team with a bigger challenge. We can't manage the slope because it's too steep. It's not safe to access,

20:27and it's not safe to access to put out a fire either. So the best thing that we can do in these

20:32areas is to create fire breaks. So where I'm standing is on the edge of the fire break, and you can see

20:38the fire line actually stops bang on here. We've removed the availability of vegetation for the fire

20:44to eat up here, and then we've got the dry stone wall. And the dry stone wall creates a fantastic final

20:50break for any fire that tries to get up here. These dry stone walls have been here since the beginning of

20:56the railway, pushing 200 years ago. They're a barrier between ourselves and the rest of the moorland.

21:03So as well as their role as a fire break, they also keep livestock and people protected from the

21:08trains passing by. The stonework here, I think it's astounding. I think it's gorgeous. It's lovely.

21:15It's got a story to tell. The Lyneside Conservation Team's dry stone wallers work regularly along the

21:24railway, headed up by Geoff, who had a career as a surveyor before becoming a volunteer.

21:30You can smell the sheep like it down here, can't you?

21:32I help with leading the dry stone walling team, largely self-taught, having spent many years

21:41sat behind a desk to then retire and start messing around with heavy stones. It was a surprise,

21:46but there we go. Right, this is where we're going to be doing the first stage of our project.

21:51Geoff's team are tackling Millscar Wall, part of an ongoing three-year restoration project.

21:57It runs for a third of a mile along the moor's edge, winding down into the nearby hamlet of Darnoam.

22:06Its foundations have shifted and it's in a real state of disrepair.

22:12I think there's plenty to do there, some heavy stone about.

22:16If you can move any of that, that would be absolutely marvellous. Just start moving it around

22:21and rebalancing it if we can. Yeah, some of it will have to shift out, but try and keep that

22:27to a minimum. If we can just reset some of it so it's sort of level. The majority of the volunteers

22:36that get involved in this are, shall we say, of a certain age? I'll pass them to you.

22:46Generally speaking, it's all got to be done by hand. Yeah, let's have that big one from over there.

22:51There we are. That's excellent.

23:03Could do with a prop under there if we've got a bit of a bit of a wedgie under there.

23:08Lovely, lovely. Yeah, we'll just get some of the high spots off

23:12this one and see if that'll slot in where we want it.

23:25Right, let's see what that looks like.

23:31Oh, that's great. Yeah, just the job. Just the job.

23:35It's lovely to think that after I'm long gone, the wall will still be doing its job with keeping

23:40everything safe. All right, gentlemen, that's about it for today. We'll come back another day when

23:49we've got our strengths back.

23:54Back with Kerry and the team at Darnham Bridge, it's been a productive day. All the bracken has been cleared.

24:02Everything that we do, I'm really proud of. It's really good just to get this corner dump

24:06so that we've reduced fire risk there. It's a great habitat improvement and we'll finish the rest in the autumn and winter.

24:14Excellent turnout. Very, very, very good day. Right, head down to the cafe for a cup of tea, I think.

24:20Priorities? Yes, quite right.

24:22I'm more than halfway between Gromont and Goatland, speeding through some spectacular scenery.

24:41We're passing the Water Art Bridge, where a hidden footbridge underneath gives you access to a lovely

24:46waterfall. Here the line runs on a ledge, high above the valley floor, which is occasionally visible

24:53through the trees more than 100 feet below. It's one of the places that demonstrate how closely the

24:59railway has to work with the landscape. The conditions are really nice. Nice dry rail,

25:04so it's steaming really well, which is what we want. And I mean, there's no better way to travel

25:08through Yorkshire than on a bump lane of the hard-working steam engine.

25:16It's lovely, you know, just seeing the steam from the engine and all the beautiful scenery.

25:21Yeah, I could still see a bit of the heather still out in flower. It's a bit late in the year, but

25:26yeah, still a bit of it there on show. Nice little bit of purple.

25:30To get us up the incline past Beckall, the engine is more or less going flat out.

25:35There's nothing left in there. Prior driver, really all right? Okay now.

25:46And each of these shovel falls costs about a pound.

25:52So it's really expensive. Since Covid, our coal bill has more than doubled.

25:57Five pounds. And to get a train along the line, six pounds, can almost cost us 600 pounds a round

26:03trip in fuel alone. And it adds up quickly. In the busy summer season, our coal deliveries cost us

26:09about 60 grand a month. Get some more water in. And that, as well as the fire risks these coal engines

26:17can present, has me thinking about how we can future-proof this important part of Britain's railway heritage.

26:23So last summer, I travelled down to the south coast, to the Dartmouth steam railway, to pay a visit to a couple of old friends.

26:36Loco 2253, better known as Omaha, and its owner, Peter Best.

26:41Good morning. Morning. All right.

26:43How are you doing? Nice to see you again. It's been a while.

26:45Nice to see you as well. Big day coming up.

26:47It is, yeah. I mean, this is the start of what is an exciting project, isn't it?

26:50Absolutely. Oh, we'd better go and have a look at it.

26:52Yeah, let's go have a look.

26:53Omaha is an American engine I know from my youth, because it was part of our fleet back in Yorkshire

26:58in the early 90s. Built in 1943, it was shipped across the Atlantic to be used in the Allied war effort

27:06in Europe. Peter's owned it for the last decade, and it's just one of 11 engines he's bought and

27:12carefully restored, earning him a British Empire Medal for services to steam and heritage railways.

27:19Do you regret a purchase? Because, I mean, it's quite a purchase, isn't it? I mean, you don't take these things

27:24on lightly, do you? But, I mean, it's... No, the easy bit was buying it. The hardest bit is keeping it going.

27:30Yeah. After the war, most of Omaha's working life was spent on the Polish state railway, but now it's

27:36about to embark on a new adventure. As working with Peter, we are going to convert Omaha from

27:42coal to oil. The engine will still be powered by steam, but we'll be getting rid of the coal completely.

27:49Instead, we'll be using bio-oil, possibly even rapeseed oil in the future. It's a groundbreaking

27:55mission for a loco that means a lot to Peter. So what's the story behind the name, Peter, Omaha?

28:01My father was involved in the Omaha landings on D-Day. It was named in 2019 to commemorate those men,

28:10British and American, that died on Omaha beach. Right. And the fact it's still here now to tell

28:16this story is pretty amazing. Absolutely. And we're at the start of the new journey by oil firing it.

28:22Yeah.

28:26Right, come on, Peter, let's go and have a look on the footplate, and you're going to tell me what

28:31you're going to be doing to convert my engine. This is where it's all going to change. Yeah. Yeah.

28:37So, I mean, the most noticeable change that you're going to see is that all the coal will be gone,

28:44and there'll be a big oil tank in space. Unlike it is now, where the fireman's constantly moving

28:49around the cab, shoveling the coal and chucking it into the firebox, all that's gone. In effect,

28:54we have a big steam-powered flamethrower that mixes the oil in, and that will ignite, and it will get

28:59very hot. The fireman literally sits down and controls it. But, to all intents and purposes,

29:06the rest of the engine will look just as it does. Right, let's crack on, and I'll get filthy. Excellent.

29:11Steam engines rely on precision engineering, so I need to start measuring up, identifying the potential

29:17pitfalls in our plans, and working out where we're going to put that flamethrowing burner.

29:22There's only one way to find out. Yeah, and that's clambering. Better luck.

29:25Yeah, I might not be as clean when I come out. That's why I used to work on this engine as an

29:31apprentice, because I'm quite small. I used to get shoved into places that not everyone could fit.

29:38So, I thought I'd just get in here, actually, and take the camera in with me,

29:42because it's pretty tight in here. I've just got to work out where, when I get the burner through,

29:46then where the pipe goes. I'm going to have to cut a great big hole in it. Well, not that big,

29:50but a hole in it to get the burner through, and I'm going to have to relocate all of this pipe work

29:55here. And it's not the easiest place to try and work in, if I'm honest. It's a bit restricted,

30:00but being a small chap, that's why I always seem to get these jobs.

30:04Once I've drilled that hole for the burner pipe underneath the engine,

30:07I then need to feed it up into the firebox. So, my next job is to climb inside,

30:13check that it's in good condition, and work out the best place to feed the pipe through.

30:19Good job, I didn't have a full English this morning.

30:21Yeah, if you could rock the left-hand side.

30:25I will.

30:27Yeah, give it a full rock, and I'll work out which is the best way to go.

30:33Right, so, go forwards. That's the best position there. That's lovely. So, leave it like that.

30:41So, I'm going to take some pictures of that.

30:43The firebox looks, looks all right. Good. There's no leaks. There's a moth in here, living in here.

31:03That's my kind of day in the office.

31:08So, yeah, I think I've got everything we need. I've had a good look round.

31:11Good, good.

31:12Wearing most of it light. Brilliant. Well, thanks very much indeed for coming down.

31:17So, next time I see this engine, it'll be up in Yorkshire, and hopefully it makes it in one piece.

31:24Fingers crossed.

31:31Back in Gromont, it's a year since I went down to see Peter, and we've steamed through plenty since.

31:37Omaha arrived in one piece, and I've even operated an oil conversion engine in Florida,

31:42to help us better understand what we've embarked on.

31:45In the shed, we're over halfway through Omaha's conversion, from coal to being able to run on biofuel.

31:54Lots done, but still a long line ahead to the finish.

31:57Manifold, then.

31:58Yeah, giving it a go, just looking at all the bits and building it up and just working out where it all goes.

32:02I started in the T room at 11, so I've got a long history with this railway.

32:06I did my apprenticeship here, and I've worked up through the ranks.

32:08Through the ranks.

32:10That goes there.

32:13Just like Vakana when you were a kid.

32:15I got my 30-year badge last weekend.

32:17Omaha's really important to convert to oil.

32:19It's part of our future.

32:21I'm sure it is, and other engines as well.

32:24The burning of oil is zero spark emission, just about.

32:29It means that our engines can run through our 18 miles of stunning moorland without setting on fire,

32:34which is a huge bonus.

32:36Because this is the first time a heritage steam engine of this size has been converted from coal

32:41to oil in the UK, the engineering is completely new to us, which presents massive challenges.

32:48Don't drop it now.

32:50Richard and Nick are attempting to fit a really important piece of kit called a manifold.

32:55It will be used to operate all the controls for the new burner.

33:00So this is the one thing that when you're climbing the cab of this engine will distinguish it from

33:04a coal burner, the fact that there isn't any coal as well.

33:06But you'll climb in and a steam engine doesn't have this.

33:08This is the oil burner control that controls the burner inside the firebox.

33:12But I think that should do it.

33:13Okay.

33:14So I'm currently perched on the edge of the fireman's seat,

33:16and I think if I shuffle back into a better seated position,

33:19I'm still going to be easily able to reach all of these valves.

33:22Well, I suppose the seat's quite critical now, because when it was a coal burner,

33:25the fireman would be stood there shuffling.

33:27Yeah.

33:28It kind of almost looks professional.

33:29With the placement of the manifold agreed, Richard is going to cut a hole for another new part,

33:37the oil valve.

33:39Where he puts it will determine where the fireman can sit.

33:42It would be a very good day if we can get this to fit.

33:45So it's rather important.

33:55It looks good, but my only concern now is the distance between there and the fireman's seat.

34:04It's a bit of a geometry nightmare, really.

34:06Because we're trying to build around an engine that already exists.

34:08I'm now sitting in the fireman's seat, and you're going to have this right between your legs.

34:14Perfect time for another meddler to come and stick their R in.

34:17You don't want to risk catching your bits in that, do you?

34:20No, that'll be a bad afternoon.

34:22That's not going to be, that's not an accident for more on the seat.

34:26We can raise that up, that.

34:27I jam that in there, and you just sit that on there.

34:30So you'll have, we'll have valve handles here then.

34:32So that's probably a bit high.

34:34So you only want a two and a half litre safety patent, not a five litre patent.

34:37I'm sorry.

34:37Go and find one there.

34:40How high do you want that? Where do you want it?

34:41If I'm sat there, because I'm leaning out, right, I can do that, I can do a bit of that.

34:46I can adjust the oil, I can adjust the steam, the steam mix.

34:49Can it go there?

34:50That'll be all right, that.

34:51Right.

34:52I like that, that's all right. It's happy days.

34:55One problem down, but this groundbreaking conversion could take us a year to complete.

35:01But it's projects like this which are vital to keeping the future of steam and our line alive.

35:07I'm on the footplate of Eric Tracy, steaming across the North York moors.

35:22Continuing our journey through the pretty area of Darnoam, we head beyond the picturesque Ellabec.

35:28The hillside above here is a favourite location for people who like to look down on the trains,

35:34battling up what is one of the steepest railway gradients in the country.

35:40It's gorgeous. It's like home from home really, because we live just on the edge of Dartmoor.

35:45So the scenery is actually beautiful, actually. And I just think that it's perfect setting for a heritage railway.

35:53Once we reach this point, we're almost at the end of the incline. So my hard work is done.

36:00And now I'm preparing for the station.

36:03And this steam engine only performs as well as I do.

36:07So it's very critical that the fireman gets it right, focuses on the job.

36:12And that really makes a difference in how the engine performs.

36:15It's absolutely crucial. You're very much at one with the machine.

36:19Really, really enjoyable and rewarding. And warm with a day like today.

36:30With Gautland Station approaching, some of our passengers recognise it and the nearby

36:34Village High Street as the setting for the long-running TV series Heartbeat.

36:39But a new generation of railway fans come here because Gautland Platform featured in the first

36:45Harry Potter film as Hogsmeade Station.

36:50Green. The signal is green. And we've got an M on the indicator for the base platform.

36:57So all this go.

36:58And as I come into the station, I've got a crossing here. So I just need to make sure that that's clear.

37:15That's it. We're pulling into Gautland. Good climb up the hill, that.

37:19Everything went to plan, which is good. I'm sweating a bit now, like it's quite a warm day.

37:24My last job is one of my favourite things about heritage railways.

37:29I have the token, handing it to the signaller.

37:35Handing that token over might seem a simple process,

37:39but it's one of the most important things we do to keep the railway safe.

37:47Making sure the handover goes successfully, along with many other things,

37:51are the railway's hidden heroes, the signallers.

37:58It's going to be a bit different today.

38:00We're putting the second locomotive onto the Whitby Pickering train at Gromont.

38:03I think it's the first time I've done that, so that'd be quite nice.

38:07Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing it coming through.

38:09Yes, a good sight coming up the bank there, up into the station in Cooclast 87.

38:13Oh, absolutely.

38:16Richard and David are two of the four signallers we have working on the route today.

38:20On a busy shift, locomotives can pass by their boxes around 80 to 90 times a day.

38:26Anything different to report about the signall box from last time you were there,

38:29or is everything as normal?

38:30Nothing that I can think of now. It's as it normally is here.

38:36They need to be ready and in position before any of our locomotives can begin working the line.

38:41Well, I hope you have a good day here and everything goes well and according to plan,

38:47and I will contact you from Gromont as normal shortly.

38:51Okay, bye.

38:52See you later.

38:53While David is based in the signal box here at Goatland,

38:57Richard is based on the platform at Gromont, back where we started our steam train journey.

39:02I've always had an interest in signalling. When I was a child, on the days you do that sort of thing,

39:09I was allowed to go into the local signal box at my local station. I trained for signalling role as

39:15part of my time at British Rail. My railway career went quite a different way. I got involved in

39:21performance management on the railways, so I didn't do the sort of basic operating jobs that I'm now doing

39:26here. It's the first time I've actually been in charge of a signal box on my own.

39:31And we're pretty proud of our signal boxes. We've saved and restored many original levers,

39:36cables, wheels, dials and bells in all our four signal boxes.

39:51And they work pretty much as they would have done decades ago.

39:56Good morning, Gromont Sigelman.

39:59Goatland Sigelman speaking.

40:00I make it 09.24.

40:03I make it 09.24. We're an exchanged opening and also it's still 09.24 now.

40:08That's perfect. I'll see you soon.

40:10No news yet. I'll speak to you later in the day. Thanks, David.

40:13All right, cheers. Bye.

40:15Up on the railway, we often call ourselves one big family.

40:18But for some of us, that statement is quite literal.

40:22David, who is currently at Goatland Sigmox today, is my son.

40:27Um, he's been involved in the railway as a volunteer slightly longer than I have.

40:32Um, it's nice because he's inherited my interest in railways.

40:36It's something we both understand and enjoy together.

40:38And it doesn't stop there.

40:41So all of the family are involved in the railway.

40:43My mum's training as a foreman here at Goatland

40:45and my sister is a booking clerk here at Goatland.

40:48It's a really nice family thing for us to do together.

40:51Once father and son have made their opening exchanges...

40:55..and something else I've got to write down.

40:57..they have to record everything with a good old-fashioned pen and paper.

41:01It's a legal document of their day.

41:03It's one thing to read about it in a book.

41:06It's another thing to be able to come and see and smell and experience

41:10what the past on the railway was like.

41:13Another traditional part of their job is to use the signalling block system.

41:17It's a 175-year-old method of communication using bells.

41:22It's quite fun speaking to my dad on a bell system.

41:25It's almost a bit like Morse code.

41:27So each train has its different bell signal.

41:30Kind of a secret language that only people on the railway know.

41:35It's all about laughing.

41:36While Goatland has plenty of challenges of its own,

41:39at Grosmont, Richard is managing what is thought to be

41:42one of the busiest traditional manned-level crossings on a heritage line,

41:47with the gates having to be opened and closed dozens of times every single day.

41:51The wheel here turns round to do the gates.

41:57And they then lock into position outside,

42:00and then I put the lock in so they can't then move.

42:03And now I'm doing another set of gates,

42:05which are the pedestrian gates, as it were, from the platforms across the crossing.

42:13There's 52 levers in the signal box at Grosmont,

42:16so knowing which one to pull or push at any time is pretty crucial.

42:23Once you get into it, it becomes a very logical set of rules you're following.

42:28It actually makes it straightforward if you've got that sort of mind.

42:33Another traditional process,

42:35which is key to how trains safely run in both directions of a single track railway like this,

42:41can be seen on the platforms themselves.

42:43Morning. Thank you.

42:45It's known as the token system.

42:53So what's happened there is the train has just arrived,

42:55so I'm now putting the tablet back into the machine,

42:59and now I will let Gowthlin know that the train has arrived complete.

43:05One, two, one, keep it pressed in.

43:07Richard and David are using a system invented in 1878 by Edward Tire,

43:13after a deadly accident four years earlier.

43:15To keep single-line tracks safe, drivers exchange a token at each station,

43:21so only one train can ever be on the line at a time.

43:25I'll offer him the other train.

43:29So now they're offering me another train.

43:34Holding the plunger in to allow them to get the token out the other end.

43:38He's now allowed me to withdraw the token, which I've done.

43:41I make sure that the release has gone onto the signal.

43:43Gromont Gowthlin token.

43:47I'll now go and give that to the driver of the train,

43:49so he's got authority to proceed.

43:53One Gowthlin token for you. Thank you much.

43:57It's a bit like a relay, really, with the driver in possession of the token,

44:01hands it over to me.

44:03I'm then responsible for putting it into the machine,

44:05and before another driver can take over the next part of the relay,

44:09it has to come back out of the machine and I have to hand it over to him.

44:14This well-kept secret has been a fail-safe operation here at the NYMR since its inception.

44:19So this has to be lined up perfectly to make sure that the token doesn't get dropped.

44:25It's always a bit nerve-wracking, especially when you're first training.

44:31Yeah, you don't want to drop it.

44:33You don't want to have people make fun of you about it.

44:36Cheers.

44:46All successfully done.

44:49I think that this kind of technology is quite frankly amazing, given the age of it,

44:54which kind of is a testament to the engineering and the design behind it.

44:57And it's just wonderful to be able to come in and work with it whenever I'm here to volunteer.

45:02It's a real privilege.

45:03But it's especially fun when you can go home with your dad and say,

45:06oh, well, we had a good shift together and, you know, you share that passion.

45:10And that's one of the things that I'm most proud of here.

45:23It just seems to be a magnet for brilliant people who all come together with the same aim,

45:28keeping the traditions of steam alive.

45:30And of course, that's true for me too.

45:36So as I end my journey today at the beautiful Gotham station,

45:41famed for its Harry Potter and heartbeat,

45:44it's really important that I remain focused on ensuring that the railway keeps running.

45:48And there's lots of challenges that I've got to think about from the price of coal and the fuel

45:52to making it a really valuable business.

45:54And we need to make sure we run it effectively, cost effectively,

45:58to ensure the engines keep running into the future.

46:05Next time, I take a big risk with a celebrity engine

46:08in the hope that it will bring in the crowds.

46:11I've got to do a selfie with it, haven't I?

46:14Our Lineside team gets a sneak peek at some of Britain's protected wildlife.

46:18And the Yorkshire countryside works its magic once again.

46:24So this really is one of my favourite views, just kind of liquid healing.

46:49They have to nostro picked these who've been moving forward.

46:50So this is a real waterproof говоря,

46:53it's a beautiful praying for you to pay some criteriaшь forầuphants.

46:54So main LP,

46:56so the android dikkison Л conseguin'

46:58it's time to add up to the base room.

47:00And there is a few years into any place among others,

47:02so let's sit here with you who have fallen really path,

47:04and yes to think of you're in the past.

47:05And if one obl salsa Shenan,

47:07it's Priest Victoria Phone.

47:09You know,

47:11found himself a good idea of what eats materials,

47:13there is so good news as well.

47:15If you know,

47:16and not all of your possiamo,

47:17things like that every figure was great,

47:17I'll reallyanto It's a great idea of when I see myself as well.

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