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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.
05:15The section of line we are travelling on today is Gromont to Goatland.
05:20It's a three and a half mile journey and it's full of history.
05:24Starting at Gromont, we'll head past some of the old miners' cottages at S Valley.
05:30Then we really begin the climb and feel that one in 49 gradient with the engine working pretty much flat out.
05:40As we go past the waterfall at Becol, we'll encounter some fairly tight bends.
05:45So it's not just the hill but also the curvature of the track that we'll be thinking about.
05:50So as we come out of the tunnel, I'm looking for the crossing and the signal before we can continue.
06:04Crossing clear.
06:07On this section of line, the engine is working really hard and that's what people love to see.
06:13Us putting these big locomotives through their paces.
06:17It's just something about a locomotive powering its way up a hill. There's just nothing like it.
06:33This is our first time on a steam train in North Yorkshire. So far it's amazing.
06:38Hector loves steam trains. They're his favourite thing in the whole wide world.
06:41North Yorkshire, what's not to like?
06:44But 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.
06:56Running a heritage railway is a complex operation and we rely heavily on the passions, skills and dedication of a pretty special group of people.
07:15Duty fitter and train driver Bungle is in charge, preparing the engines today.
07:22Right, so we'll see where the engines are parked. This 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 5 o'clock in the morning is to get these engines off shed on 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 and slowly progressed onwards from there.
07:43So there's Eric, there's the Q6. If I get you started on Eric, I'll get these lads started on the Q6.
07:54All engines have numbers, but not all have names. When they do, it's often as a tribute, such as our Eric Tracy,
08:02after a bishop who was a prominent railway photographer. It's just one example of how steep we are in history
08:09and that's something that drives us all, whether staff or volunteer.
08:15It becomes part of your daily routine. You are keeping heritage alive without even noticing.
08:21While Bungle is one of the staff, the rest of the early morning team are all volunteering their time for free.
08:28My sister, she works on the Pullman and 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. I'm 19 years old. I started when I was 17.
08:39Kind of like hooked on it really. That's my main hobby at this point, yeah.
08:44Dampers are closed, drain clocks are open and 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. That's a safety light.
08:53Yeah, sorted, yeah. I've got the grate no problem.
08:55Yeah, 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, keeping the fire clear ready for the next burn.
09:09I mean, you're waking up at five o'clock in the morning. Well, early in that to get to here.
09:17And obviously you're coming here and you're pulling your back doing that.
09:21But it's a rewarding thing, I mean, at the end of the day when you light the engine.
09:25Once that's done, the last few bits are pulled through with a fire iron into the ash pan, ready to be removed later in the pit.
09:33And with the fire box clear, Evander can chuck in fresh coal and light the fire with rags and paraffin.
09:40So, one of the big things that I found when I started is that there was lots of generations, lots of walks of life.
09:47There's still some people here with steam knowledge from the days of actual operating steam, pre-1968.
09:53And it's, 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, make sure we don't burn ourselves.
10:03See, it catches the light.
10:10But lighting the fire is just one of the many tasks the team have to complete before 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 on almost every single nut and bolt.
10:29A lot of it is just checking that the nuts are tight and that's simply by noise.
10:33Certainly dirty jobs where you're going to go in and get your hands dirty, but it's also a living job.
10:39The engine's alive and it's speaking to you while you're doing it and you need to make sure that you speak back to it effectively.
10:45As well as checking the engines are ready to run, Bungle has something equally important to take care of.
10:51It's out here, we've got our newest members of staff, the rodent officers.
10:56They're only kittens at the moment, but they'll be after the breakfast.
11:02So 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.
11:12We'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, and us.
11:23You're going to keep the rodents down.
11:25And this is Titch.
11:27They also raise money for themselves, they have their own donation box.
11:30And 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.
11:47As 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,
12:04it's time to move 5-4-8 over to the pit.
12:10So each day, the engine goes out.
12:11You can't help but feel a warm feeling when you see,
12:14I've sorted that engine, I've got that working, we lit that up.
12:17And everyone who's been part of the team does feel a high sense of pride.
12:20I 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.
12:31With 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
12:45so it can be disposed of or recycled.
12:47Water on, please, Andrew.
12:48All right.
12:52You can see above there, there's a grate, which currently has a hot fire on.
12:57All right, that'll do, Andrew.
13:01I'll just grab the rake and over here.
13:02I'll just grab the rake and over here.
13:06All right, that's that one done.
13:08Sorted.
13:09Final checks complete and with Eric Tracey fit for traffic, the tender is stocked up with coal.
13:11All right, that's that one done.
13:24Sorted.
13:29Final check's complete, and with Eric Tracy fit for traffic,
13:32the tender is stocked up with coal.
13:41All fed, watered, and checked, the engine is ready for a day on the tracks.
13:56I'm ready for me to help fire it along the line towards today's destination,
14:01the picturesque village of Goatland.
14:11I'm Piglet, and I'm firing an 88-year-old steam engine
14:14from Gromont to Goatland on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
14:18with a train full of passengers behind me.
14:23We've left Gromont and passed the row of old miners' cottages,
14:26and we're really into the climb now.
14:30Though I've been working here since I was a young lad,
14:33these days I'm one of the people in charge of the railway,
14:36which often ties me to a desk.
14:38Sorry, driver.
14:40There's more on the floor than there is in there.
14:43That's the emergency supply.
14:45So when I do get out, it's just as much a treat for me
14:48as it is for the passengers.
14:51I just really enjoy the fresh air and the history of it.
14:56Even though it's noisy, it's peaceful, if you understand what I mean.
15:02It's a picturesque route, popular with our passengers
15:05who love seeing the engines powering up the incline.
15:08Even coming from a place like New Zealand,
15:12where the landscape is spectacular,
15:14there's something about the North Yorkshire Moors
15:16that's just magical when you see a steep train going through it.
15:20It's also popular with hikers
15:22who follow what we call the rail trail.
15:25The rail trail follows the original route
15:27between Pickering and Whitby.
15:28The line was rerouted in the 1860s to bypass the steeper valleys,
15:36but there's still a climb as we head out of Gromont,
15:38which means I need to get stuck into some hard work.
15:41And it's a bumpy ride while I'm at it.
15:47You're finding I'm going to lose your teeth.
15:49Yeah, they're well-glued in.
15:52There, so I'm putting water in now.
15:54I'm going to give it another moment.
15:55I'm going to knock the water off going into the boiler
15:57and I'm going to put another round on.
16:03A round of coal is usually about 10 shovelfuls,
16:06but on this section,
16:07it will only be a couple of minutes
16:08before I need to do it again.
16:10So this area, we're just past Lonely Pipe,
16:18and this is the steepest part of the railway.
16:21So we're really working hard now,
16:23but I've got good pressure,
16:24plenty of water in the boiler.
16:26Happy days.
16:28But it is hard work.
16:34It's been unseasonably hot and dry in recent weeks.
16:37Rushing along,
16:38it can be easy to miss how the countryside
16:40has been affected by the extreme weather,
16:42as well as by the running of the railway itself.
16:46All right, lucky driver.
16:50But burnt patches of land,
16:52dead vegetation,
16:53and recently cut clearings
16:55are all the telltale signs
16:57that wildfires are an ongoing problem in this area,
16:59and this causes more work for the volunteer teams.
17:02So, surprisingly,
17:04even though we had rain yesterday,
17:06we actually had a line-side fire here,
17:09and that is one of the challenges
17:10that a coal-fired steam engine
17:12is we are getting some of them particles
17:14ejected into the air,
17:16so that's one thing we're looking at
17:18and trying to see if we can mitigate that risk.
17:20And Kerry on the line-side
17:21is also trying to mitigate that risk as well.
17:24Fire sparks have been a challenge for the railway
17:35ever since steam trains began,
17:37but in ever-warmer times,
17:39managing them has been paramount for us all.
17:42Train!
17:43Not least, our line-side conservation team.
17:46This brilliant team,
17:53made up of a mainly volunteer workforce,
17:55is headed up by conservationist Kerry,
17:59and their job is to look after everything
18:01that sits along the 18 miles of heritage track
18:04here on the moors.
18:06They work in all seasons,
18:08with much taking place
18:09in sites of special scientific interest.
18:12Morning!
18:13Morning!
18:13Morning!
18:14We've got two hedge trimmers and two brush carts.
18:20Is that right, Arnie?
18:21Yes.
18:23So my job's to look after the line-side,
18:24its habitat, its boundaries,
18:26the walls, the fences,
18:28and the people that help me work it.
18:31All right, you're all OK.
18:32Remember, 15 metres apart.
18:34We've got the harnesses and the helmets,
18:36and I'm going to need a lookout
18:38for people working down
18:40when we're down on this section.
18:41Ready to go? Let's get started.
18:44The priority for Kerry's team right now
18:50is controlling the risk of line-side fires.
18:53With sparks flying out of the engines,
18:55the chance of one catching on the undergrowth
18:57is not to be underestimated.
19:00This year, we have the driest spring on record,
19:03and when conditions are dry,
19:04there's always a risk that we have to suspend the service
19:07until we get some rain.
19:10But Kerry's team are doing everything they can to help with this.
19:12You just need to try and make sure you get all the straggly ends,
19:20because otherwise you drop more than you pick up.
19:23Yeah.
19:25Perfect.
19:26So, come next spring,
19:32the bracken that you see green here
19:34is actually dry and dead,
19:36and that's a complete tinderbox for fires.
19:39So if just a one stray ember rolls out of an engine,
19:42what I end up with is this whole slope side ablaze.
19:45But Kerry's work has many purposes
19:48beyond the risk of line-side fires.
19:50One of the reasons is that this is a really lovely habitat.
19:53It's got nice grasslands in it,
19:55lots of nice wildflowers,
19:56but they're becoming over-dominated by the bracken and bramble,
20:00and that's not good for the animals that live here.
20:02So we've got adders on here,
20:04we've got slow worms,
20:05we've got common lizards,
20:06and we want to retain that habitat for them.
20:09Further along, a fire has recently taken hold.
20:18The nature of the embankment here
20:20presents Kerry and her team with a bigger challenge.
20:23We can't manage the slope because it's too steep,
20:26it's not safe to access,
20:28and it's not safe to access to put out a fire either.
20:30So the best thing that we can do in these areas
20:33is to create fire breaks.
20:35So where I'm standing is on the edge of the fire break,
20:37and you can see the fire line,
20:39actually stops bang on here.
20:41We've removed the availability of vegetation
20:44for the fire to eat up here,
20:45and then we've got the dry stone wall,
20:47and the dry stone wall creates a fantastic final break
20:51for any fire that tries to get up here.
20:53These dry stone walls have been here
20:55since the beginning of the railway,
20:57pushing 200 years ago.
20:59They're a barrier between ourselves
21:01and the rest of the moorland,
21:03so as well as their role as a fire break,
21:05they also keep livestock and people protected
21:07from the trains passing by.
21:10The stonework here, I think it's astounding,
21:14I think it's gorgeous, it's lovely,
21:15it's got a story to tell.
21:19The Lineside Conservation Team's dry stone wallers
21:23work regularly along the railway,
21:25headed up by Geoff,
21:26who had a career as a surveyor
21:27before becoming a volunteer.
21:30You can smell the sheep like it down here,
21:32can't you?
21:34I help with leading the dry stone walling team,
21:38largely self-taught,
21:40having spent many years sat behind a desk,
21:42to then retire and start messing around with heavy stones.
21:45Wasn't surprised, but there we go.
21:46All right, this is where we're going to be doing
21:49the first stage of our project.
21:52Geoff's team are tackling Mill Ska Wall,
21:55part of an ongoing three-year restoration project.
21:59It runs for a third of a mile along the moor's edge,
22:02winding down into the nearby hamlet of Darnham.
22:06Its foundations have shifted,
22:08and it's in a real state of disrepair.
22:09I think there's plenty to do there.
22:13Some heavy stone about.
22:16If you can move any of that,
22:17that would be absolutely marvellous.
22:19Just start moving it around
22:21and rebalancing it if we can.
22:24Yeah, some of it will have to shift out,
22:26but try and keep that to a minimum.
22:29If we can just reset some of it
22:31so that it's sort of level.
22:34The majority of the volunteers
22:36that get involved in this are,
22:38shall we say, of a certain age?
22:40I'll pass them to you.
22:46Generally speaking,
22:47it's all got to be done by hand.
22:49Yeah, let's have that big one from over there.
22:53That's excellent.
22:57Yep.
23:03Could do with a prop under there
23:04if we've got a bit of a wedge under there.
23:08Lovely, lovely.
23:10Yeah, we'll just get some of the high spots off
23:12this one
23:14and see if that'll
23:16slot in where we want it.
23:26See what that looks like.
23:30Oh, that's great.
23:32Yep, just the job.
23:33Just the job.
23:34It's lovely to think that after I'm long gone,
23:38the wool will still be doing its job
23:39with keeping everything safe.
23:41Right, gentlemen.
23:43That's about it for today.
23:45We'll come back another day
23:48when we've got our strength back.
23:50Back with Kerry and the team at Darnham Bridge.
23:56It's been a productive day.
23:58All the bracken has been cleared.
24:02Everything that we do, I'm really proud of.
24:04It's really good just to get this corner dump
24:06so that we've reduced fire risk there.
24:08It's a great habitat improvement
24:10and we'll finish the rest in the autumn and winter.
24:14Excellent turnout.
24:15Very, very, very good day.
24:18Right, head down to the cafe for a cup of tea, I think.
24:20Priorities?
24:21Yes, quite right.
24:22I'm more than halfway between Grosmont and Goatland,
24:38speeding through some spectacular scenery.
24:41We're passing the Water Art Bridge,
24:43where a hidden footbridge underneath
24:44gives you access to a lovely waterfall.
24:48Here the line runs on a ledge,
24:50high above the valley floor,
24:51which is occasionally visible through the trees
24:53more than 100 feet below.
24:56It's one of the places that demonstrate
24:58how closely the railway has to work with the landscape.
25:01The conditions are really nice.
25:02Nice dry rail, so it's steaming really well,
25:05which is what we want.
25:07And, I mean, there's no better way
25:08to travel through Yorkshire
25:09than on a bump later on the hard-working steam engine.
25:16It's lovely, you know,
25:17just seeing the steam from the engine
25:19and, like, all the beautiful scenery.
25:22Yeah, I could still see a bit of the heather
25:23still out in flower.
25:24It's a bit late in the year,
25:25but, yeah, still a bit of it there on show,
25:28a nice little bit of purple.
25:30To get us up the incline past Becule,
25:32the engine is more or less going flat out.
25:35There's nothing left in her.
25:37Priority over, running all right?
25:38Kind of.
25:46And each of these shovelfuls
25:48costs about a pound.
25:52So it's really expensive.
25:54Since Covid,
25:55our coal bill has more than doubled.
25:57Five pounds.
25:58And to get a train along the line...
26:00Six pounds.
26:01...can almost cost us £600 a round-trip
26:04in fuel alone.
26:05And it adds up quickly.
26:06In the busy summer season,
26:08our coal deliveries cost us
26:09about £60,000 a month.
26:11Just some more water in.
26:14And that,
26:15as well as the fire risks
26:16these coal engines can present,
26:18has me thinking about
26:19how we can future-proof
26:20this important part
26:21of Britain's railway heritage.
26:26So last summer,
26:27I travelled down to the south coast.
26:31To the Dartmouth Steam Railway
26:32to pay a visit
26:34to a couple of old friends.
26:36Loco 2253,
26:38better known as Omaha,
26:39and its owner,
26:40Peter Best.
26:41Good morning.
26:42Morning, all right?
26:43How are you doing?
26:44Nice to see you again.
26:44It's been a while.
26:45Nice to see you as well.
26:46Big day coming up.
26:47It is, yeah.
26:48I mean, this is the start
26:48of what is an exciting project,
26:50isn't it?
26:50Absolutely.
26:51Oh, we'd better go and have a look at it.
26:52Yeah, let's go have a look.
26:54Omaha is an American engine
26:55I know from my youth
26:56because it was part of our fleet
26:57back in Yorkshire
26:58in the early 90s.
27:01Built in 1943,
27:03it was shipped across the Atlantic
27:04to be used in the Allied war effort
27:06in Europe.
27:07Peter's owned it
27:08for the last decade
27:09and it's just one of 11 engines
27:11he's bought
27:12and carefully restored,
27:13earning him
27:14a British Empire medal
27:15for services
27:16to steam
27:16and heritage railways.
27:19Do you regret a purchase?
27:21Because, I mean,
27:21it's quite a purchase, isn't it?
27:22I mean, you don't
27:23take these things
27:24on lightly, do you?
27:25But, I mean, it's...
27:26No, the easy bit
27:27was buying it.
27:28The hardest bit
27:29is keeping it going.
27:30Yeah.
27:31After the war,
27:32most of Omaha's working life
27:33was spent
27:34on the Polish State Railway.
27:35But now,
27:36it's about to embark
27:37on a new adventure.
27:39As working with Peter,
27:40we are going to convert Omaha
27:41from coal to oil.
27:43The engine will still
27:44be powered by steam,
27:46but we'll be getting rid
27:47of the coal completely.
27:49Instead, we'll be using bio-oil,
27:51possibly even rapeseed oil
27:52in the future.
27:54It's a groundbreaking
27:55mission for a loco
27:56that means a lot to Peter.
27:58So, what's the story
27:59behind the name,
28:00Peter, Omaha?
28:01My father was involved
28:02in the Omaha landings
28:04on D-Day.
28:05It was named in 2019
28:08to commemorate those men,
28:10British and American,
28:12that died on Omaha Beach.
28:15Right.
28:15And the fact
28:15it's still here now
28:16to tell this story
28:17is pretty amazing.
28:18Absolutely.
28:19And we're at the start
28:20of the new journey
28:21by oil firing it.
28:22Yeah.
28:22Right, come on,
28:27let's go and have a look
28:28on the foot plate
28:29and you're going
28:30to tell me
28:31what you're going
28:31to be doing
28:32to convert my engine.
28:33This is where
28:35it's all going to change.
28:36Yeah.
28:37Yeah, so, I mean,
28:38the most noticeable change
28:40that you're going to see
28:41is that all the coal
28:43will be gone
28:44and there'll be
28:44a big oil tank
28:45in space.
28:46Unlike it is now
28:48where the fireman's
28:49constantly moving
28:50around the cab,
28:50shoveling the coal
28:51and chucking it
28:52into the firebox,
28:53all that's gone.
28:54In effect,
28:54we have a big
28:55steam-powered flamethrower
28:56that mixes the oil in
28:58and that will ignite
28:59and it will get very hot.
29:00The fireman literally
29:01sits down
29:02and controls it.
29:03But, to all intents
29:05and purposes,
29:06the rest of the engine
29:07will look just as it does.
29:08Right, let's crack on
29:09and I'll get filthy.
29:10Excellent.
29:11Steam engines rely
29:12on precision engineering
29:13so I need to start
29:14measuring up,
29:15identifying the potential
29:17pitfalls in our plans
29:18and working out
29:19where we're going to put
29:20that flame-throwing burner.
29:22There's only one way
29:23to find out.
29:23Yeah.
29:24And that's clambering.
29:25Better luck.
29:26Yeah, I might not be
29:26as clean when I come out.
29:29That's why I used to
29:29work on this engine
29:30as an apprentice
29:31because I'm quite small.
29:33I used to get
29:33shoved into places
29:35that not everyone
29:36could fit.
29:38So I thought I'd just
29:38get in here actually
29:40and take the camera
29:41in with me
29:41because it's pretty
29:42tight in here.
29:44I've just got to work out
29:45when I get the burner
29:46through and where the
29:47pipe goes.
29:48I'm going to have to
29:48cut a great big hole
29:49in it.
29:49Well, not that big
29:50but a hole in it
29:51to get the burner
29:51through and I'm going
29:52to have to relocate
29:53all of this pipe work
29:55here.
29:56And it's not the easiest
29:56place to try and work
29:57in if I'm honest.
29:58It's a bit restricted
29:59but being a small chap
30:01that's why I always
30:01seem to get these jobs.
30:02Once I've drilled
30:04that hole for the
30:05burner pipe
30:06underneath the engine
30:07I then need to
30:08feed it up
30:08into the firebox.
30:11So my next job
30:12is to climb inside
30:13check that it's
30:14in good condition
30:14and work out
30:15the best place
30:16to feed the pipe
30:17through.
30:18Oh!
30:19Good job,
30:20I didn't have a full
30:20English this morning.
30:23Yeah, if you could
30:24rock the left-hand side.
30:26I will.
30:27Yeah, give it a full rock
30:29and I'll work out
30:30which is the best
30:31way to go.
30:33Right, so go forwards.
30:36That's the best
30:37position there.
30:39That's lovely.
30:39So leave it like that.
30:41So I'm going to take
30:42some pictures of that.
30:44The firebox looks
30:45all right.
30:47Good.
30:47There's no leaks.
30:49There's a moth in here
30:50living in here.
30:51That's my kind of day
31:04in the office.
31:04Yeah!
31:08So yeah, I think
31:08I've got everything
31:09we need.
31:10I've had a good look
31:11round.
31:11Good, good.
31:12Wearing most of it
31:13like.
31:13Brilliant.
31:14Well, thanks very much
31:15indeed for coming down.
31:17So next time I see
31:18this engine it will be
31:19up in Yorkshire
31:20and hopefully it makes
31:20it in one piece.
31:24Fingers crossed.
31:31Back in Grosmont
31:32it's a year since
31:33I went down to see Peter
31:34and we've steamed
31:35through plenty since.
31:37Omaha arrived in one piece
31:39and I've even operated
31:40an oil conversion engine
31:41in Florida
31:42to help us better
31:43understand what
31:44we've embarked on.
31:46In the shed
31:47we're over halfway
31:48through Omaha's
31:49conversion
31:50from coal
31:51to being able
31:51to run on biofuel.
31:54Lots done
31:55but still a long line
31:56ahead to the finish.
31:57Manifold then.
31:59Yeah, giving it a go
32:00just looking at all the bits
32:01and building it up
32:02and just working out
32:02where it all goes.
32:03I started in the T room
32:04at 11
32:04so I've got a long history
32:05with this railway.
32:06I did my apprenticeship here
32:07and I've worked up
32:08through the ranks.
32:10That goes there.
32:13Just like Bacano
32:14when you were a kid.
32:14I got my 30 year badge
32:16last weekend.
32:17Omaha's really important
32:18to convert to oil.
32:20It's part of our future.
32:22I'm sure it is
32:22and other engines as well.
32:24The burning of oil
32:26is zero spark emission
32:28just about.
32:29It means that
32:30our engines can run
32:31through our 18 miles
32:32of stunning moorland
32:33without setting on fire
32:34which is a huge bonus.
32:36Because this is the first time
32:38a heritage steam engine
32:39of this size
32:40has been converted
32:41from coal to oil
32:42in the UK
32:42the engineering
32:44is completely new to us
32:45which presents
32:47massive challenges.
32:49Don't drop it now.
32:50Richard and Nick
32:51are attempting to fit
32:52a really important
32:53piece of kit
32:54called a manifold.
32:55It will be used
32:56to operate
32:57all the controls
32:58for the new burner.
33:00So this is the one thing
33:01that when you're climbing
33:01the cab of this engine
33:02will distinguish it
33:03from a coal burner.
33:04The fact that there isn't
33:05any coal as well
33:06but you'll climb in
33:07and a steam engine
33:07doesn't have this
33:08this is the oil burner
33:09control that controls
33:10the burner inside the firebox.
33:12But I think that should do it.
33:13OK.
33:14So I'm currently perched
33:15on the edge of the fireman's seat
33:16and I think if I shuffle back
33:17into a better seated position
33:19I'm still going to be easily
33:20able to reach all of these valves.
33:22Well I suppose the seat's
33:23quite critical now
33:24because when it was a coal burner
33:25the fireman would be
33:26stood there shuffling.
33:27Yeah.
33:28It kind of almost looks professional.
33:32With the placement
33:33of the manifold agreed
33:34Richard is going to cut a hole
33:36for another new part
33:37the oil valve.
33:39Where he puts it
33:40will determine
33:41where the fireman can sit.
33:42It'd be a very good day
33:43if we can get this to fit.
33:45So it's rather important.
33:46It looks good
34:01but my only concern now
34:02is the distance between there
34:03and the fireman's seat.
34:04It's a bit of a geometry nightmare really
34:06because we're trying to build around
34:07an engine that already exists.
34:08I'm now sitting in the fireman's seat
34:10and you're going to have this
34:11right between your legs.
34:12Perfect time for another meddler
34:15to come and stick their oar in.
34:17You don't want to risk
34:18catching your bits in that
34:20do you?
34:20No that'll be a bad afternoon.
34:22That's not going to be
34:23that's not an accident
34:24for more on the seat.
34:26We can raise that up that.
34:27I'll jam that in there
34:28and you just sit that on there.
34:30So you'll have
34:31we'll have valve handles here
34:32then.
34:33So that's probably a bit high
34:34so you only want
34:35a two and a half litre
34:35seat and painting
34:36not a five litre painting.
34:37Sorry.
34:37Go five won't you?
34:40How high do you want that?
34:41Where do you want it?
34:42If I'm sat there
34:43because I'm leaning out
34:44right I can do that
34:45I can do a bit of that
34:46I can adjust the oil
34:47I can adjust the steam
34:48the steam mix.
34:49Can it go there?
34:51That'll be alright that.
34:51Right.
34:52I like that.
34:53That's alright.
34:53It's happy days.
34:55One problem down
34:56but this groundbreaking conversion
34:58could take us a year to complete.
34:59But it's projects like this
35:03which are vital
35:04to keeping the future of steam
35:05and our line alive.
35:16I'm on the footplate of Eric Tracy
35:18steaming across the North York moors.
35:22Continuing our journey
35:23through the pretty area of Darnoam
35:25we head beyond the picturesque Ellabek.
35:28The hillside above here
35:30is a favourite location
35:32for people who like to look down
35:33on the trains
35:34battling up what is one of
35:36the steepest railway gradients
35:37in the country.
35:40It's gorgeous.
35:41It's like home from home really
35:43because we live just on
35:44the edge of Darnoam
35:45so the scenery is actually
35:48beautiful actually
35:49and I just think that
35:50it's perfect setting
35:52for a heritage railway.
35:54Once we reach this point
35:56we're almost at the end
35:57of the incline
35:58so my hard work is done
36:00and now I'm preparing
36:01for the station.
36:03And this steam engine
36:04only performs as well as I do
36:06so it's very critical
36:08that the fireman
36:09gets it right
36:10focuses on the job
36:11and that really makes a difference
36:13in how the engine performs.
36:15Absolutely crucial.
36:17You're very much
36:17up one with the machine.
36:19Really, really enjoyable
36:21and rewarding
36:21and warm
36:23with the rail lights
36:23and air.
36:29With Gautland Station
36:31approaching
36:31some of our passengers
36:33recognise it
36:34and the nearby
36:34Village High Street
36:35as the setting
36:36for the long-running
36:37TV series
36:38Heartbeat.
36:40But a new generation
36:41of railway fans
36:42come here
36:43because Gautland Platform
36:44featured in the first
36:45Harry Potter film
36:46as Hogsmeade Station.
36:50Green!
36:52The signal is green
36:53and we've got an M
36:55on the indicator
36:56for the base platform
36:57to all this group.
37:03And as I come into the station
37:05I've got a crossing here
37:06so I just need to make sure
37:08that that's clear.
37:09That's it,
37:16we're pulling into Gautland.
37:17Good climb up the hill,
37:19that.
37:19Everything went to plan
37:21which is good.
37:22I'm sweating a bit now
37:23like it's quite a warm day.
37:24My last job
37:25is one of my favourite things
37:26about Heritage Railways.
37:29I have the token
37:30handing it to the signaller.
37:35Handing that token over
37:37might seem a simple process.
37:39but it's one of the most
37:40important things we do
37:41to keep the railway safe.
37:47Making sure the handover
37:48goes successfully
37:49along with many other things
37:51are the railway's
37:52hidden heroes,
37:53the signallers.
37:58It's going to be
37:58a bit different today
38:00with putting the second
38:01locomotive onto
38:02the Whitby Pickering train
38:03at Gromont.
38:03I think it's the first time
38:04I've done that
38:05so that'd be quite nice.
38:07Yeah, I'm looking forward
38:08to seeing it coming through.
38:08Yes, a good sight
38:10coming up the bank
38:11there up into the station
38:12to Class 37.
38:13Well, absolutely.
38:16Richard and David
38:17are two of the four
38:18signallers we have
38:19working on the route today.
38:20On a busy shift,
38:22locomotives can pass
38:23by their boxes
38:23around 80 to 90 times a day.
38:26Anything different
38:27to report about
38:28the signal box
38:28from last time you were there
38:29or is everything
38:30as normal?
38:31Nothing that I can think of,
38:32no, it's as it normally is here.
38:36They need to be ready
38:37and in position
38:38before any of our locomotives
38:40can begin working the line.
38:43Well, I hope you have
38:43a good day here
38:44and everything goes well
38:46and according to plan
38:47and I will contact you
38:49from Gromont
38:50as normal shortly.
38:51OK, bye.
38:53See you later.
38:54While David is based
38:55in the signal box
38:56here at Goatland,
38:57Richard is based
38:58on the platform
38:59at Gromont,
39:00back where we started
39:01our steam train journey.
39:02I've always had
39:04an interest in signalling.
39:06When I was a child,
39:08on the days
39:08you could do
39:09that sort of thing,
39:09I was allowed
39:10to go into the local
39:11signal box
39:11at my local station.
39:13I trained
39:14for signalling role
39:15as part of my time
39:16at British Rail.
39:17My railway career
39:19went quite a different way.
39:20I got involved
39:21in performance management
39:22on the railways
39:23so I didn't do
39:24the sort of basic
39:25operating jobs
39:25that I'm now doing here.
39:27It's the first time
39:27I've actually been in charge
39:28of a signal box
39:29on my own.
39:31And we're pretty proud
39:32of our signal boxes.
39:33We've saved and restored
39:34many original levers,
39:36cables, wheels,
39:38dials and bells
39:38in all our four signal boxes.
39:51And they work
39:52pretty much
39:52as they would have
39:53done decades ago.
39:57Good morning,
39:58Gromont Sigelman.
39:59Goatland Sigelman speaking.
40:00I make it 09.24.
40:03I make it 09.24.
40:05We're an exchanged opening
40:06and also it's still 9.24 now.
40:09That's perfect.
40:10I'll see you soon.
40:10No news yet.
40:11I'll speak to you
40:12later in the day.
40:13Thanks, David.
40:13All right.
40:14Cheers.
40:14Bye.
40:15Up on the railway,
40:16we often call ourselves
40:18one big family.
40:19But for some of us,
40:20that statement
40:21is quite literal.
40:24David,
40:25who is currently
40:26at Goatland Sigmox today,
40:27is my son.
40:28He's been involved
40:29in the railway
40:30as a volunteer
40:31slightly longer than I have.
40:33It's nice because
40:34he's inherited
40:35my interest in railways.
40:36It's something we both
40:37understand and enjoy together.
40:39And it doesn't stop there.
40:41So all of the family
40:42are involved in the railway.
40:43My mum's training
40:44as a foreman here at Goatland
40:45and my sister
40:46is a booking clerk
40:47here at Goatland.
40:48It's a really nice family
40:49thing for us to do together.
40:52Once father and son
40:53have made their opening exchanges...
40:55And something else
40:56I've got to write down.
40:57..they have to record everything
40:59with a good old-fashioned
41:00pen and paper.
41:01It's a legal document
41:02of their day.
41:03It's one thing
41:04to read about it
41:05in a book.
41:06It's another thing
41:06to be able to come
41:07and see and smell
41:09and experience
41:10what the past
41:11on the railway was like.
41:13Another traditional
41:14part of their job
41:15is to use
41:15the signalling block system.
41:18It's a 175-year-old
41:20method of communication
41:21using bells.
41:23It's quite fun
41:23speaking to my dad
41:24on a bell system.
41:25It's almost a bit
41:26like Morse code.
41:27So each train
41:28has its different
41:29bell signal.
41:30Kind of a secret language
41:31that only people
41:32on the railway know.
41:35It's all about what?
41:36While Goatland
41:37has plenty of challenges
41:38of its own,
41:39at Grosmont,
41:40Richard is managing
41:41what is thought
41:42to be one of the busiest
41:43traditional manned-level
41:44crossings
41:45on a heritage line
41:47with the gates
41:47having to be opened
41:48and closed
41:49dozens of times
41:50every single day.
41:51The wheel here
41:52turns round
41:54to do the gates
41:55and they then
41:57lock into position
42:00outside
42:00and then I put the lock
42:01in so they can't then move
42:03and now I'm doing
42:04another set of gates
42:05which are the pedestrian gates
42:07as it were
42:08from the platforms
42:09across the crossing.
42:10There's 52 levers
42:14in the signal box
42:15at Grosmont
42:15so knowing which one
42:17to pull or push
42:18at any time
42:19is pretty crucial.
42:23Once you get into it
42:24it becomes a very logical
42:26set of rules you're following.
42:28It actually makes it
42:29straightforward
42:29if you've got
42:29that sort of mind.
42:30another traditional process
42:35which is key
42:36to how trains
42:37safely run
42:38in both directions
42:39of a single track railway
42:40like this
42:41can be seen
42:42on the platforms themselves.
42:43It's known
42:47as the token system.
42:53So what's happened there
42:54is the train's just arrived
42:55so I'm now putting
42:56the tablet
42:58back into the machine
42:59and now
43:01I will let
43:01Gauthlan know
43:03that the train
43:03has arrived complete.
43:05One, two, one
43:06keep it pressed in.
43:08Richard and David
43:09are using a system
43:10invented in 1878
43:11by Edward Tire
43:13after a deadly accident
43:14four years earlier.
43:16To keep single line tracks safe
43:18drivers exchange
43:19a token
43:20at each station
43:21so only one train
43:22can ever be
43:23on the line
43:24at a time.
43:25I'll offer him
43:26the other train.
43:29So now they're
43:30offering me
43:30another train.
43:34Holding the plunger
43:35in to allow them
43:36to get the token
43:37out the other end.
43:38He's now allowed me
43:39to withdraw the token
43:40which I've done.
43:41I'll make sure
43:42that the release
43:42has gone on
43:43to the signal.
43:46Gromont Gauthlan token
43:47I'll now go and give that
43:48to the driver of the train
43:49so he's got authority
43:50to proceed.
43:53One Gauthlan token
43:54for you.
43:55Thank you much.
43:57It's a bit like
43:58a relay really
43:59with the driver
44:00in possession
44:01of the token
44:01hands it over to me
44:02I'm then responsible
44:04for putting it
44:04into the machine
44:05and before another driver
44:07can take over
44:07the next part
44:08of the relay
44:08it has to come back
44:09out of the machine
44:10and I have to
44:10hand it over to him.
44:13This well-kept secret
44:15has been a fail-safe
44:16operation
44:17here at the NYMR
44:18since its inception.
44:19So this has to be
44:20lined up perfectly
44:21to make sure
44:21that the token
44:22doesn't get dropped.
44:25It's always a bit
44:25nerve-wracking
44:26especially when
44:27you're first training.
44:31Yeah you don't want
44:32to drop it
44:33you don't want
44:34to have people
44:35make fun of you
44:35think about it.
44:43Cheers!
44:45All successfully done?
44:49I think that this
44:50kind of technology
44:51is quite frankly
44:52amazing given
44:53the age of it
44:54which kind of
44:54is a testament
44:55to the engineering
44:56and the design
44:56behind it
44:57and it's just
44:58wonderful to be able
44:58to come in
44:59and work with it
45:00whenever I'm here
45:01to volunteer.
45:02It's a real privilege.
45:03but it's especially
45:04fun when you can
45:05go home with your
45:06dad and say
45:06oh well
45:07we had a good
45:08shift together
45:08and you know
45:10you share that
45:10passion.
45:19And that's one
45:20of the things
45:21that I'm most
45:22proud of here.
45:23It just seems
45:23to be a magnet
45:24for brilliant people
45:25who all come
45:26together with
45:27the same aim
45:27keeping the
45:29traditions of
45:29steam alive.
45:30and of course
45:33that's true
45:34for me too.
45:36So as I end
45:37my journey today
45:38at the beautiful
45:39Gotham station
45:40famed for its
45:42Harry Potter
45:43and heartbeat
45:44it's really important
45:45that I remain
45:46focused on ensuring
45:47that the railway
45:47keeps running
45:48and there's lots
45:48of challenges
45:49that I've got
45:49to think about
45:50from the price
45:51of coal
45:51and the fuel
45:52to making it
45:53a really valuable
45:54business
45:54and we need
45:55to make sure
45:55we run it
45:56effectively
45:57cost effectively
45:57to ensure
45:58the engines
45:59keep running
45:59into the future.
46:00next time
46:05I take a big
46:06risk with a
46:07celebrity engine
46:08in the hope
46:09that it will
46:09bring in the
46:10crowds
46:10I've got to do
46:11a selfie with it
46:12haven't I?
46:13Our Lineside team
46:15gets a sneak peek
46:16at some of
46:16Britain's
46:17protected wildlife
46:18and the Yorkshire
46:21countryside
46:22works its magic
46:23once again
46:24So this really
46:25is one of my
46:26favourite views
46:27just kind of
46:27liquid healing
46:28there's a
46:31a
46:46the
46:46one of my
46:46is the
46:47one of my
46:48is the
46:49one of my
46:49is the
46:50the
46:51one of my
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