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00:00Now there, Picklet.
00:02Steam trains are my world, and I help run one of Britain's most popular heritage lines,
00:10the North Yorkshire Moes Railway.
00:15Stretching 24 glorious miles from the traditional market town of Pickering,
00:22heading over the North York Moes,
00:26and onto the coastal town of Whitby.
00:29North Yorkshire, what's not to like?
00:32It's breathtaking.
00:35I'm proud to be part of a thousand-strong team working hard to keep this 200-year-old tradition alive.
00:42That's what's brought me back all these years, it's just one big family.
00:46Together, we're facing the challenges of taking steam into its third century.
00:52It takes passion.
00:54Everything that we do, I'm really proud of.
00:56Skill.
00:57When you're ready, Tom.
00:59Two more.
01:00And as a charity, some serious funds to keep the wheels turning on this heritage line.
01:08Five pounds.
01:10Six pounds.
01:12But when you look out over this.
01:14It's beautiful.
01:15It's absolutely stunning.
01:17And get to make people this happy.
01:19There's not a better sight than that pulling out the station.
01:25There's nothing else I'd rather do.
01:27That's my kind of day in the office.
01:29Today, a huge moorland blaze threatens to derail our summer season.
01:35The fire services are under massive stress.
01:38Young volunteers get involved in the engine shed.
01:41Amazing.
01:42Absolutely amazing.
01:44And a chance to pay tribute to the people who have got us where we are today.
01:48She loved and tended these gardens, which are her everlasting memorial.
02:03It's the height of the summer season.
02:05Our busiest time of the year.
02:07And crucial for boosting ticket sales.
02:13And this year, a key part of our finances are relying on Tornado.
02:18The celebrity new build engine I've loaned in to pull in the passengers and raise much needed funds.
02:24But just when my plan seems to be working, disaster strikes.
02:32The latest from the York Mix newsroom now.
02:34The Langdale Moor wildfire is now consuming an area of nearly 10 square miles.
02:41A change in the weather means the fire doubled in size at the weekend.
02:47Locals have been told to pack a bag of essentials.
02:49As planned are being drawn up to evacuate residential areas if the blaze spreads.
02:55Barely 10 miles from our railway, a vast wildfire has spread across the North York Moors National Park.
03:02It's been declared a major incident and the fire crews are struggling to contain it.
03:07For us at the railway, a catastrophic event of this scale leaves us no choice.
03:13We can't risk a lineside fire caused by a spark from the engines.
03:17The fire crews are already under too much pressure.
03:21We have no choice but to pull our steam services.
03:24It's only 10 miles away and this is like, this is a big fire.
03:28We have to consider everybody in this and I think we've got a responsibility to do the right thing here.
03:33Yeah, well the fire services are under massive stress.
03:37For me, I think we have a duty of care.
03:39There's a lot at stake up there, isn't there?
03:40Well, I mean, just for us, like, we just got Tornado and we'd probably lose 25% of our passengers but it is what it is, isn't it?
03:47It is.
03:48That isn't important right now.
03:50I think the right thing to do is to run a diesel service, basically.
03:54Yeah, yeah.
03:55Taking steam out of service is a huge decision for us and that includes Tornado.
04:05We do have a fleet of heritage diesel engines so we can keep the timetable running.
04:11But losing 25% of our passengers is a big financial hit.
04:17With a disaster of this scale though, safety has to be our number one priority.
04:26Over the next days, the fire became one of the biggest the area has ever seen.
04:32Declared a major incident, it spread more than 10 square miles across Langdale More.
04:37Farmers, landowners and gamekeepers did everything they could to get it under control.
04:43And fire crews from right across the country were called in to help.
04:47Among the first on the scene was our local Pickering fire crew.
04:53We'll get briefing.
04:58Morning, Chris.
04:59Morning, Pete.
05:00Pickering appliance reporting for duty.
05:02Morning.
05:03Morning, Donny.
05:04Morning, mate.
05:05Alongside other teams, they've been working round the clock to tackle the blaze.
05:10And now, four weeks after the fire first flared up, the fight to put it out safely is still ongoing.
05:17We've split the moor into seven different sectors because it's such a large area to cover.
05:22Major issues that we need to be aware of today is the unexploded ordnance that's on there after the World War II.
05:28We've got to tank shells, grenades, munitions, all the rest of it.
05:32So I don't want anybody working actually where there is burnt peat and moorland.
05:37Because there is a big danger of getting injured if one of them goes off near you.
05:41The fire's proximity to Aria Filingdale's, a key radar base, is making operations more complex and more dangerous.
05:50The area was used as a military training base during World War II, and the fire has already triggered unexploded bombs.
05:57So crews have been forced to take a more defensive approach in some areas, rather than fighting the flames head on.
06:03If we can get the rest of our kit on that we need, we'll jump on the wagon and we'll head down to the forestry sector.
06:12The Pickering crew are on-call firefighters, which means they have other full-time jobs, and when the fire service calls, they respond.
06:20We've had to call on national resilience, so we've had fire engines from loads of different counties just to come and help us.
06:28Because predominantly we're an on-call fire service here.
06:32We have 31 on-call fire stations, two volunteer stations, and then eight all-time stations.
06:38So we very much rely on the on-call system, and that's really difficult.
06:48Although the visible flames have died back, the peat is still burning beneath the surface.
06:54Is it deep there, Mickey?
06:56Is it deep?
06:57Yeah.
06:58I mean, this is where we came here two days ago and put water on this, so it's still really burning pink underground, isn't it?
07:10I think they want us to get under here and make sure this isn't going to go again, so we'll spend some time here and make a really good job of making sure it's right out.
07:19Oh, it can't get going again.
07:21All right, Matt.
07:22They're using a wildfire suppression technique called hotspotting, tackling the most active parts of the blaze first to stop it spreading.
07:31The fire's burning underneath in all that thick vegetation that's built up over time from the trees.
07:37Yeah, come through the middle.
07:39So the fire's burning so deep and so hot, the only way to really properly extinguish it and show it's not going to spread any further is to dig it out.
07:47So dig in, expose the fire, extinguish it with the water.
07:50So just on this edge, Mickey, I've just come across a little bit of burning, some embers in the bottom.
07:55I've jagged it out.
07:57If you could just douse it and make sure it's all right out from that edge and then maybe the bit over there.
08:04I don't think I've ever seen anything like this in North Yorkshire in any sort of operational incident.
08:09And I think this is probably the biggest one in England that we've had to date.
08:13Let's get under there, mate. I dragged the wood out. It's still burning underneath.
08:16You live in an area and you see it on a daily basis and to see how it is now, it's upsetting for a lot of people.
08:28Obviously, it's not just what we can see, but it's the impact it has on the ecosystems as well and, you know, the wildlife as well.
08:35It's quite upsetting.
08:42The on-call teams have the same responsibilities as the full-time stations and it's very physically demanding work.
08:49And on top of their full-time jobs, it's been a tough few weeks for everyone involved.
08:53On one of the days when I was driving over what we call Blue Bank and you just saw the sheer scale of the incident and I just thought, how are we going to put this house because it is so big.
09:06My daughters knew how big the fire had got and they were kissing me and sort of saying they love me and things like that.
09:12And you're going to work and thinking, I don't know what's going to happen today.
09:17But thankfully, after facing one of the biggest fires the Moors has ever seen, the fire teams are finally starting to get a handle on it.
09:24We are quite satisfied at the moment that we're on top of any major developments.
09:29We're starting to come into autumn now, so we're hoping the weather conditions will run in our favour.
09:36We start to get some rain again.
09:38Church, Nick, see you later, Matt.
09:41Hats off to all the heroes who battle this fire.
09:44It'll take a long time for the landscape to recover, but no homes were lost and no lives were harmed.
09:51And we have to be thankful for that.
09:52And so, as summer rolls into autumn, we get the all clear and steam is back on the tracks.
10:07To celebrate, I'm putting on a special 32 mile round trip for the Tornado fans.
10:13Starting and finishing at the southern end of our line, Pickering.
10:16And yes, word has got out, and the fans have turned up.
10:22I've been coming on the Norte, watching Moors Row, you know, for all my life, basically.
10:27Brilliant, brilliant to be here today.
10:29It's a, you know, unique engine that's pulling this today, and it's a lovely day for it.
10:33So, yeah, very excited.
10:35As long as it makes him happy, I'm quite happy to come along.
10:39I love steam trains, and I've been to lots and lots of heritage railways around the country.
10:44When I heard Tornado was coming, I decided to make a special effort and drag my family along today.
10:51Oh, take my hat off.
10:53Thank you, Eric.
10:55But while the passengers are setting off from Pickering, I'll be waiting further up the track.
11:00The train is standing on back on the wall is the 10.30 departure to Gromont behind Tornado.
11:07I've already travelled the section of our heritage line that runs between Gromont, Gauthland and Levisham.
11:12So today, I'm picking up where I left off, boarding at Levisham, to finally fire up Tornado for the last eight miles of the round trip.
11:20Levisham is one of my favourite stations on the line.
11:30It's just so peaceful, sitting where it's been for almost 200 years at the bottom of a huge valley, surrounded by the spectacular moorland above.
11:39All right. Living the dream, yeah.
11:43So now I just have to wait until I hear that very distinct whistle in the distance that will tell me Tornado is on its way.
11:49This is really exciting, you know, it's been really challenging.
11:53I was nervous that we weren't even going to get this engine out into service.
11:57So the fact it's here, we're up and running, you know, happy days, just hope plenty of people come out and see it.
12:03And for me personally, I mean, this is a top-link job. I'm about to get to fire Tornado, you know, when I love every minute of it.
12:09Living the dream, as they say. And there we are.
12:14Great big engine and a tiny little tooty whistle.
12:16I'm firing one of the rock stars of the steam engine world along a seven-mile stretch of our heritage railway.
12:34All right.
12:36Let's have a look at this fire a minute before we depart.
12:39On the footplate with me today is volunteer driver Gary.
12:44Right away, driver.
12:46And Andy, a member of the team that looks after Tornado.
12:52All good this side.
12:53All right, mate.
12:54Right, so it's actually between here and Pickering, this next section of line, Levisham to Pickering, slightly downhill all the way.
13:01So from my point of view, it's not too difficult, not a lot of shoveling, but I do need to make sure we've got water.
13:08And I do need to make sure that we still have some firing up for the lighter work that we're doing.
13:13So we've got a two-mile straight. This is actually the straightest part of the railway down here.
13:19You know, you can get a moment just to sit back, look at the scenery and enjoy it.
13:25And what is an amazing engine.
13:27As we depart Levisham, we'll set out along the two-mile long section called Levisham Strait.
13:34We'll pass through forested gorges in a valley carved out in the last ice age.
13:39As we approach the boundary of the North York Moes National Park, I'll be keeping an eye out for the ramblers using the footpath crossings.
13:49And as this part of the line is a single track, I'll hand over the all-important token.
13:55And then we finally arrive in Pickering, the end of the line.
14:01Yeah, I mean, this is, you don't get better than this. This is as good as a steam engine gets.
14:07We're here to ride behind Tornado. I've seen it many times, photographed it many times, but never ridden behind it.
14:14It remembers the North York Moes the other way, so we come here quite often and have travelled behind various locomotives.
14:23Yeah, cruising along, 25 miles an hour. This engine's actually done 100 miles an hour, so we're barely working it really.
14:31We've got seven coaches on behind us, but for all intents and purposes, this is just cruising along.
14:37But a really, really capable machine, this. An honour to be on it.
14:44As we steam along Levisham Strait, it's hard not to be impressed by the scenery and the landscape of the National Park.
14:54We're surrounded on both sides by dense woodland and dramatic valleys.
14:59Plenty of steam, plenty of water.
15:03Just because it's new and newly designed, the fundamentals are still the same.
15:08They're the same as they have been for the last 200 years.
15:10Boilers require a lot of maintenance, and we have to do that and carry that out.
15:15So, yeah, it's a mixture of old and new. New and old technologies on this engine.
15:20But, right, it's lovely. Super smooth. It's like a coach. It is good, isn't it?
15:25It's a testament to just how special this engine is, that the volunteer crew who look after it day in, day out, are among its biggest fans.
15:34I'm Jacob. I am the support crew for the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. I look after the tornado.
15:40Just really just love it. We travel everywhere with it. Keep maintaining it so people can enjoy it.
15:45And it's just, yeah, really good fun. Just seeing everyone's faces when it sort of rolls into stations and around the country makes it really worth it.
15:50So you've got a relatively new steam engine completed in 2008, and it just goes to show that things like this can still be made, still be done.
16:03You know, it's an amazing thing, really, to think we're building an engine that was, you know, built years ago, and they've recreated that a bit of missing history.
16:10And that's really good and exciting, and particularly for the new generation coming and working on these engines.
16:18We need the new volunteers and the people that are going to look after these to keep the railways running, you know.
16:23These machines don't operate on their own.
16:26Every weekend at the engine sheds in Gromont, we have a roster of young volunteers who come along to learn how we look after the steam engines.
16:35I've had to put my jacket on for the first time this morning.
16:40Did you?
16:42Aye.
16:44Freezing.
16:45Will and Jack are part of a new generation.
16:47At just 16 and 17, they're learning the same skills that once kept British Railways running.
16:53Skills that this line still depends on today.
16:57If you've got nice-looking rods, it sort of makes the whole thing look a lot better.
17:00People are always willing to teach you stuff and sort of pass on that information, and you can always remember who taught you something.
17:07Your grandparents were on the footplate in their steam days.
17:10You can be like them. You can look up to them and do what they do.
17:16Like many of us here, Will and Jack first caught the steam bug from their families.
17:20I've been off the railway since I was a baby, six months old.
17:25And my family, they brought me to the railway with my uncle and my granddad.
17:30And it was amazing. It was one of the best things I've seen.
17:34And I was like, I want to do it. I really want to do it.
17:39So as soon as I was 16, signed up, and here I am now, working on them.
17:47My granddad was interested in it. He'd take me to come and see them.
17:51And then when I was about six, we got chatting to a volunteer who then said,
17:56Well, you don't have to wait until you're 16. You can start when you're 10 as a junior.
18:00Here at the railway, we've been running our young volunteers scheme for nearly two decades,
18:08with around 300 youngsters taking part since then.
18:12Dozens like Will and Jack have been inspired to pursue a career in the rail industry.
18:17I'm doing rail engineering at Newcastle College.
18:20I want to work with Network Rail, so still volunteer here.
18:23Like, still get to drive the steam engines and everything.
18:26And work on the main line.
18:28Sorted. Done.
18:33We'll be all shiny for the public to see.
18:37For Will, it's not just about the work or qualifications.
18:40It's about carrying on a family tradition.
18:43His uncle Adrian, one of the railway's most experienced fitters,
18:47is here to pass on his knowledge.
18:49All right, OK then, yeah. So what we've got to do now?
18:52We've got to go underneath and do the ash pan.
18:53We've got to do the front and the back.
18:55All right, so we'll go and do that then.
18:59The ash pan sits beneath the firebox and collects the waste ash as the locomotive runs.
19:05Watch your head, because everything's low. We've got a torch.
19:07It needs regular cleaning and fitting with screens to prevent ash falling out.
19:13Can you up the front damper, please?
19:15And keep the engine running efficiently.
19:17I remember when he was five years old, he used to come with my dad, his granddad, most weekends.
19:21And it's definitely in his blood. He loves it.
19:24And he's coming on, he's just got a lot to learn.
19:26And hopefully he'll keep going at it and carry it on.
19:29All right, water on, please.
19:31Yeah, I see it's coming to water, do you know?
19:33Yeah.
19:34That's it, that's what you want.
19:35There you go, that's it.
19:37There you go.
19:39That's it, so you need the rake now.
19:40Right, you're going to get your rake and start raking it in that corner.
19:44All right, let's get that big lump and we'll get it washed again.
19:47Marvellous.
19:49Right, so water on, please. Half.
19:51Bit more, please.
19:53If you're feeling near, I'll get wet.
19:55Yeah, yeah, you will get wet.
19:59I'll try it on a winter's day, it's freezing.
20:04All right, I'm after about to throw water off, please.
20:07That's, that's the loss.
20:08There you go, done with the water. Marvellous.
20:11Shall we check this side?
20:13Yep, that's fine.
20:14Right, you can shut the back damper now, please. The pan's done.
20:18There you go.
20:20Job's good, let's get out.
20:21Adrian started volunteering in 1991 with his dad.
20:25And after they both received their 20-year volunteer award,
20:29Adrian was offered a full-time job as a fitter.
20:32How many people can say that, you know, there's been three generations,
20:34four generations working on steam engines?
20:38Yeah, he did a good job, just need to keep practising.
20:41The more time you do it, the easier it is.
20:42Really, so...
20:44Yeah.
20:45It does look hard, but it is quite easy.
20:47It is, it's getting yourself into a decent position,
20:49not to cover yourself in, in ash and water.
20:51I mean, you will get wet, but, erm, jobs are good.
20:54Yeah.
20:55All right.
20:57Right, I think a tea break is well-earned.
21:01No worries.
21:02A quick stop down memory lane with some of Will's favourite photographs of his granddad.
21:07So, when was this?
21:08It was, like, years ago.
21:09It must have been about 2,090, something like that, I think.
21:12That's one of my favourites.
21:14You haven't changed, have you, apart from the beard?
21:16Yeah.
21:17No, you haven't.
21:18I think we've still got that.
21:19Somewhere, probably.
21:20Yeah, yeah.
21:21Yeah.
21:22Hi.
21:23Yeah, good.
21:24Good memory, sir.
21:25Yeah, this one in here, one of my favourite ones have gone up there.
21:28Oh, yeah, 6619, yeah.
21:29Yeah.
21:30I think it was its last one.
21:31Yeah, it would have been.
21:32That would have been, what, 2013, wouldn't it?
21:35Steam isn't Will's only passion.
21:37He loves snapping the railway in action, too.
21:40And, like most of us, he's got a particular soft spot for our celebrity engine, Tornado.
21:46So, where do you want to go, then, Will?
21:47Just to the corner here.
21:50The corner?
21:51Yeah.
21:52On that curve?
21:53Yeah, so I can just get Tornado.
21:55One of the perks of all the safety training you get as a volunteer is that you are allowed to go trackside.
22:00And for Will, that means getting VIP access to snap some truly memorable souvenirs.
22:08Amazing.
22:10Absolutely amazing.
22:14Yep, there you go.
22:17All right.
22:18Confess like that.
22:19And having spent the morning working on engine 548 Eric Tracy,
22:24Will is keen to get a shot of its steaming past Tornado to add to the memories.
22:30It should be long.
22:31A couple of minutes, I think, isn't it?
22:32Yeah.
22:34Yeah, four minutes.
22:35Four minutes?
22:36Yeah.
22:37Four minutes.
22:38Have you got Tornado on your screensaver as well?
22:39Yes, I do.
22:41I haven't really seen the headboard on it.
22:43He's that keen.
22:44He's that keen.
22:45Yeah, I'm that keen.
22:46You get a good shot?
22:47What have you got?
22:48Yeah, it's good.
22:49That's lovely, that.
22:50Yeah.
22:51Very nice.
22:52Nice position, that.
22:53I like that, yeah.
22:54Looks good.
22:55It's not just a day's work.
22:56Every task is part of a tradition that's carried on through the years.
23:02I remember working with a load of older guys, and they all said, oh, well, in the future,
23:09you'll need to pass on the information so it needs to stick in.
23:12Now I'm doing that.
23:13It's weird.
23:14You know what I mean?
23:15So I'm thinking, God, I'm the older guy now.
23:16Right, excellent.
23:17Yeah, it was a good shift, that.
23:18Yeah.
23:19So, time to go, I think.
23:20And that's what keeps the railway alive.
23:21One generation teaching the next, just as it has for decades.
23:25I'm firing Tornado across the North York Moes National Park.
23:27We're travelling from the remote village of Levesham to the Eastlake River,
23:29and we're just going to go on the road and so it needs to stick in.
23:32It's weird, you know what I mean?
23:33So I'm thinking, God, I'm the older guy now.
23:34Right, excellent.
23:35Yeah, it was a good shift, that.
23:36Yeah.
23:37So, time to go, I think.
23:38And that's what keeps the railway alive.
23:39One generation teaching the next, just as it has for decades.
23:48I'm firing Tornado across the North York Moes National Park.
23:53from the remote village of Levesham
23:54to the end of the line at Pickering.
23:58After having to press pause on our beloved steam engines
24:01right in the heart of our busiest season,
24:03getting Tornado out on the tracks again
24:05feels like a huge win.
24:07And I'm loving every minute of it.
24:09So another thing with Tornado,
24:10you'll hear it does sound slightly different
24:13to the other engines in that it's three cylinders.
24:15So it's got a different kind of beat to it.
24:18This is a thoroughbred racehorse
24:19that's designed to go express passenger trains
24:22up and down the East Coast main line.
24:25Of course, we can't really put Tornado
24:27through its paces on this line.
24:29It has traveled at a record-breaking 100 miles an hour,
24:32but we have to stick to the 25 mile an hour speed limit.
24:36But at least that means you can appreciate
24:38the countryside more as you steam through
24:41at a more leisurely pace.
24:43Nice area this round there.
24:44You've got to keep an eye out,
24:45you can see the others sunbathing on the side of the line.
24:49Quite often out warming up,
24:50physically on a day like today.
24:53Yeah, overall, living the dream.
25:00We're just so lucky that this is our place of work,
25:03and we get to share it with so many people
25:05who love the railway as much as we do.
25:08North Yorkshire Moors is different to some Heritage Railways,
25:12and the fact that it's not just a straight line.
25:15You go through the moors, and you can see all the scenery,
25:19and you get a real experience of what it was actually like,
25:22with, like, the restored stations like Pickering.
25:25It's very impressive.
25:27I'm seven, and, like, my favourite things about trains
25:33are the sort of steam and, like, the engineering bits.
25:37I was able, as tangy-tot, to travel on steam trains a long time ago.
25:46In the heritage aspect, it's so important.
25:50I admire so much the volunteers who keep these railways going.
25:56So, obviously, as well as the engines requiring a huge amount of maintenance,
26:06everything on the railway requires maintenance.
26:09And when you've got a long railway like this,
26:12that means there's a lot of assets to look after.
26:15We'll double-check the fire.
26:18And that includes the stations themselves,
26:20all of which are looked after by some of our 1,000-strong army of volunteers.
26:26Down at Pickering, the last stop on the line,
26:29there's a group of around 15 volunteers.
26:32They're responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the station,
26:35and it's something they take great pride in.
26:46I've loved railways all my life,
26:48so although I'm not driving a railway engine or anything like that,
26:52I do like being round them.
26:54And so combining sort of woodworking, painting skills,
26:59yeah, those sort of things, a lot of satisfaction.
27:04John is in the group of volunteers who come along twice a week
27:08and get stuck in with whatever jobs need doing.
27:11I started volunteering here roughly 16 years ago.
27:16Sadly, my wife died, and I had to find things to occupy myself.
27:21And living in Pickering, it's only a short walk here,
27:24so it's a natural progression to come here,
27:26be around my beloved railway and engines.
27:29One regular job these loyal volunteers do is to wind the station clock 13 times
27:35to ensure it can keep time efficiently.
27:38It's an old mechanical one, got a pendulum,
27:41got a big weight that actually makes the mechanism work,
27:44and so it needs doing every single week.
27:49Once the clock is wound, the team can then check it's set to the right time.
27:52Right, this is how we adjust the time.
27:55I put the spanner on that nut there, and if I turn it,
28:00you should see the hands move.
28:02So somebody hopefully out there will shout to me
28:04and tell me when we're spot on.
28:08Keeping time on the railway is clearly important,
28:10but back in the 1800s, it was common for towns to set their own time.
28:15As the railway expanded in the 1850s,
28:18Greenwich Mean Time was adopted as standard,
28:21and platform clocks, including ours, have been set to GMT ever since.
28:26OK, John, take it back a couple of minutes.
28:29OK.
28:31Keep going.
28:32Slowly.
28:32Slow.
28:33Yeah, that's lovely.
28:35That it finished?
28:36Yeah, we're done.
28:39As well as looking after the station clock,
28:41the team are responsible for big jobs like paintwork,
28:45maintenance and keeping the platforms tidy.
28:48But they also sometimes get the chance to be a bit creative
28:51with the station decor.
28:54The bunting goes in and out the box,
28:56probably several times a year.
28:59And depending on who's put it away,
29:02sometimes it's tangled and sometimes it's not.
29:04It's all about making the station look lovely for visitors
29:08and giving them a good customer experience.
29:10It's what drives us all, creating a great day out for visitors
29:14while we get to indulge in our love of steam engines.
29:17Right, we have to move back just a little bit.
29:25That will do.
29:31Don't go reaching too far, Tim.
29:33There we go.
29:35My father worked on the railways as a locomotive fitter.
29:38And really, I guess I caught the bug from him.
29:42I first visited the railway in 1977, just after I graduated.
29:47And I always promised myself I'd like to volunteer,
29:49but due to life circumstances,
29:52that wasn't really possible until I retired,
29:55which I did six years ago.
29:58I was a supply chain specialist.
30:02So it was really quite a stressful job.
30:05There we go.
30:06Job done.
30:07So it's just a real pleasure to come,
30:10meet with some nice people, have some banter,
30:14and do something that's really worthwhile.
30:18Well, I think that looks all right.
30:20Yeah, it looks much better now.
30:21It matches nice and tight.
30:23Very nice.
30:24Yeah, it matches everything else.
30:26So I think, yeah, it's 10 o'clock in time for coffee.
30:29Right.
30:30Yeah.
30:39While the guys at Pickering have a well-deserved coffee break,
30:42further down the track, the Goatland station group
30:44are cracking on with their list of jobs.
30:47The 1920s-style platform with its tea room and souvenir shop
30:51is looked after meticulously by the team.
30:54But the flower beds, which adorn both sides of the platform,
30:58are cared for by Anne,
30:59who's been a volunteer since she was a young girl.
31:02Try not to get too modern a plant.
31:06You know, I put a few grasses in,
31:08which I'm not too sure they wouldn't have had those in those days.
31:11This is a rambler rose.
31:14I think it's called seagull.
31:17It's a white single flower.
31:21Very good scent.
31:25And it's out around May, June.
31:30Anne started volunteering with her mum and dad
31:32right at the start of the North Yorkshire Moes Railway.
31:36The whole family started on the railway about, obviously,
31:40over 50 years ago.
31:42My elder brother started first, but my dad was a joiner,
31:46an industrial model maker.
31:48And my mum followed my dad, so she loved gardening.
31:51That's where I've got my love of gardening.
31:54And we started here because nobody was doing it.
31:58It was a bit of a ruin.
32:01For Anne, like many of our volunteers,
32:03the family connection to the railway runs deep.
32:07This seat is a memorial to both my parents.
32:13And they love the area so much that their ashes are scattered
32:19at the top of the moor overlooking the station.
32:22And we've got the two plaques there.
32:25It's in memory and appreciation of William Clifford Wetherill,
32:301908 to 1978,
32:33whose love for this railway is shown in all his work.
32:37This seat is donated by his friends.
32:41And this is my mum's plaque in memory and appreciation
32:45of Margaret G. W. Wetherill, 1920 to 2012.
32:51She loved and tended these gardens,
32:54which are her everlasting memorial.
32:58I still get a bit emotional with my mums.
33:00I think of them all the time.
33:01You do with your parents.
33:02You think they're going to last forever, but they don't.
33:11As well as the day-to-day jobs,
33:13the station groups get involved in bigger restoration projects
33:17that unfold over years of hard work.
33:20One of those projects is this North Eastern Railway
33:23ballast brake wagon, dating back to 1914.
33:27It would go out on the rails to assist in track maintenance,
33:31and it's a real piece of railway heritage.
33:33And the team has spent the last six years lovingly restoring it.
33:38You begin to get a feel for heritage when you're here.
33:41Of keeping things going, instead of just scrapping and replacing.
33:45We're so used to that in our world.
33:47And I think it's very important that when you've got something
33:51which is recoverable, you should try to do that.
33:54And it's our pet project at the minute for the station.
33:57I don't think it'll ever run again, but it'll look lovely.
34:01It really is a constant source of pride that the railway
34:04tracks such a dedicated bunch of skilled folk
34:07from all over the country.
34:09Well, the volunteering is really about forming the team.
34:13I live in the village, but a lot of these guys come a long way.
34:16They've got to call for a good reason.
34:18And the fact we've got good jobs challenging things to do,
34:21and that idea of pride, that restoring things,
34:25that is one of the main things that makes volunteering very worthwhile for them.
34:30And it's that sense that you're not just improving things,
34:35but you're actually making things possible that would not be
34:39if there weren't these volunteers to come and do it.
34:41I'm approaching the end of the journey on the footplate of Tornado.
34:54Steaming across the Yorkshire countryside,
34:57between the village of Levisham and the market town of Pickering.
35:02Our passengers always enjoy the unique steam engine soundtrack.
35:06The connectors between carriages,
35:08the sound of the steam going through the valves,
35:10it's letting off with the steam release valves on the engines.
35:14And actually, it's almost like breathing.
35:16You know, when you hear that, the engine goes past.
35:29Pickering is a busy little town, right at the foot of the North York Mores.
35:34It's known for its 13th century castle that's right beside our railway track.
35:40The castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1069,
35:43and used as a hunting lodge by a succession of kings,
35:46who no doubt took advantage of the surrounding moorland.
35:51And as we get close to the town itself,
35:53I need to start looking out for the signals.
35:57So we've got a green on the repeater,
36:00and that repeats the signal round the corner.
36:08Green.
36:08Green.
36:09Nice one.
36:10Green signal.
36:11So it's important on an engine, relaying the signals,
36:15as we're heading towards Pickering.
36:17I'm just going to put a drop of water in the boiler now.
36:21Specials will be stopping soon.
36:29We've also got a road crossing here,
36:31which is all about keeping a look out
36:33and being aware of what's happening on the railway.
36:35So, literally, an engine like this, even with seven coaches on,
36:42barely working.
36:43From a fireman's point of view, this is easy.
36:45Now, you can just have a moment to sit down and enjoy it.
36:50That pretty much sums up my day.
36:52What a privilege to get out on Tornado.
36:54And I'm never happier than when I know our visitors are having a blast themselves too.
37:00So we're always working hard to make sure even more people can experience the joys of steam trains.
37:07And just a few days ago, we had an exciting visit from some special passengers.
37:15Thanks, guys, for coming today.
37:17It's not raining.
37:18It's a bonus, isn't it?
37:19Guide dog puppies, Charlie, Mitch, Alma and Scrumpy, from a charity that specialises in
37:26training guide dogs for the blind and partially sighted.
37:30They're learning to navigate the world with independence,
37:33something we want everyone to feel when they travel on our line.
37:37Like us, they're supported by hundreds of volunteers,
37:40all helping them gain experience they need to grow into life-changing companions.
37:46Well, today we have been invited very kindly to bring our puppies onto the train,
37:51so we can see how they enjoy going onto a train,
37:54see that they can relax and that they can cope with the environment.
37:57Partnerships like this are a wonderful chance for us to see how guide dogs in training help
38:02people who are partially sighted or blind and learn how we can make the railway welcoming for everyone.
38:09Today they will have their first ride on the steam train with lots of new sights, sounds and smells.
38:15Socialisation like this helps them become confident, adaptable and ready for the next stage of training.
38:23So one thing we also need to consider today is the whistle that occurs before they set off,
38:27maybe using a bit of kibble or a toy that they've got with them.
38:31Give them a stroke just so that when that whistle does occur and the steam sets off,
38:35it doesn't make them jump and that they can be nice and happy and relaxed with it.
38:39It's experiences like this that help prepare the pups for the day they become someone's guide dog.
38:46We give out our dogs to guide dog owners to enhance their independence and if what we do helps the
38:53dogs get through the process so that the guide dog owners can live as normal life as possible,
38:58then we're doing a good job.
39:00As they take a few poor steps towards that mission,
39:02it's a great chance to practice the skills they will need for their future role.
39:08Lovely.
39:09This is Mitch and he's 14 months old and he's about to go to big school any minute
39:14and I'm sure he'll enjoy his ride with his friends and colleagues today.
39:18Wow, look at the train. Yeah, good boy, good boy. Good boy.
39:31With a whistle and a puff of steam, it's time for their first big journey.
39:37Come on then, young lady, what a good girl.
39:41Well done, good boy.
39:42Good boy. Good boy, good boy. That's lovely. Brilliant stuff.
39:49That's it. Just get a bit of kibble out and encourage him under.
39:53That's it. Wonderful. Good boy.
40:12Mitch is trying to just understand what the noises are.
40:18He's normally used to going on normal diesel trains that are quite quiet,
40:22so it's just constant reassurance to make sure he's okay so that he knows he's not in danger.
40:29Good boy, Welter. Good boy.
40:31The pups are travelling 20 minutes along the line from Levisham to Gautland,
40:36in the opposite direction to my journey today.
40:38It's just enough time for them to get used to the train without tiring them out.
40:43How's Charlie doing? He's Charlie.
40:45He's Charlie.
40:46He's Charlie. It's just Charlie. He's insane.
40:49Wherever you go.
40:51Wherever you go, he's very shut out.
40:53Brilliant stuff. Well, his tail's wagging now and he's very, very happy.
40:57Yes, you are. Well done.
40:59You are very clever, aren't you? Yes, you are.
41:02He's very lovable.
41:04He is, isn't he? Very clever. Yeah.
41:06He loves it.
41:08Thank you for all the time you're putting into him.
41:09It's invaluable. It really is.
41:11It's the best thing I've ever done in my life.
41:13Really? Yeah.
41:14Well, you get lots out of it. Yeah.
41:16Good boy.
41:17When they go on to full training, he makes a life-changing for anybody who's blind.
41:24That's the best thing about it.
41:26I've been a puppy raiser for five years now. We've got Alma at the moment. She's eight months old.
41:42Alma's never been on a train before, let alone a steam train. So this is a really great experience for her.
41:48She loves going out and about and she didn't hesitate to get on board the train. She loved it.
41:56When we look at matching a dog with a client, we're going to take into account how much time
42:05they spend on public transport. So if we can cover as much as possible at puppy raising,
42:10then we've got a better idea of which dogs are going to excel in that area later on as adults.
42:16The puppies have coped well with the journey so far, but now they are facing a real test,
42:21getting off at the busy and noisy platform at Gautland.
42:25Right, we need to start walking through the carriageway now, guys, to get off at the other end.
42:29So if you keep the dogs behind you and if you follow me, well done that young man. Well done.
42:39As they climb off the carriages, the puppies seem to have enjoyed the experience.
42:43So we've got sensory overloads, so we've got steam coming out, we've got doors banging,
42:50we've got people waiting to get on and people getting off. It's all happening all at once and
42:55the dogs are having to take it all in their stride and they're again smashing it, doing really well.
43:04Today's training has been a huge success. Now it's time for the K9 students to put the paws up.
43:10Right, okay guys, if you want to set yourselves down, jackets off, have the pups nice and relaxed
43:16and then you all deserve a coffee, most definitely. Well done everybody.
43:21They've done brilliantly, really pleased with them.
43:24It's been nice to get all the puppy raisers together and get on the train and see all the
43:29countryside of the North York malls again. The last time I was here was when I was six,
43:34so it's bringing back some memories. So yeah, I think it's been fun and I think the dogs have
43:39been really well behaved and they've all taken it in their stride really well.
43:45It's been a lovely day for the puppy raisers and for us. Teaching our pups how to behave and how to
43:50accept these environments is vital and then hopefully when they go out to be guide dogs,
43:54they can take their owners anywhere and everywhere and have an amazing time out and enjoy their lives
43:58together. I've got to concentrate now as we come into Pickering and make sure I'm looking out for
44:07all the lights and signals. Yeah, so we're coming up to Newbridge Crossing. I'm going to pass this to
44:17the signaler. Thank you. Right.
44:31And approaching the station itself, they come thick and fast. White flashing light. White flashing light.
44:38Crossing clear more times. Crossing clear.
44:40Yeah. There we are across that. Two lights for number one. So the indicator's telling us we're going
44:47into platform one. Ah, we're nearly at the end of the line. And I'm going to open the firewall door
44:55so I don't put too much smoke in the station.
44:57There we are under the room for Pickering station. The end of the line.
45:19So I really enjoyed that. We've handed it over to another crew now. They're going to get their go on
45:23the engine. But that was a, you know, really nice experience to have a go on a thoroughbred steam
45:28engine. You know, for me, coming into the platform and seeing all of them people on it was just
45:33amazing. That's what it's all about. People coming to see it and experience it. So well happy.
45:40Tornado just needs to keep working her magic for a few more days before she goes back to her home in
45:45Darlington. But if today is anything to go by, I'm feeling optimistic. But now it's on to my next job,
45:52which is Steam Gala. It's like our World Cup. Big event for us in a few weeks. So my focus is
45:57making sure we deliver that event. We want everyone to have a great time. It's going to be super busy.
46:01So I'm going to go get myself a cup of tea and then I'm going to crack on with gala planning.
46:10Next time, I attempt to bring a 60 ton steam engine 300 miles across land and sea from the Isle of
46:17White. The North York Moors reveals hidden secrets of railway history.
46:25And everything is on the line as the gala approaches.
46:38also deserves to have pleasant life and especially places.
46:45Not beautiful to show to me.
46:48So I'm talking to Amara, which is both for everyone and one of our members in the hospital.
46:55Thank you!
46:56That's my day.
46:57Isn't it just me yesterday.
46:58Before interact with the people of Greece, that's what thearest people of Wales
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