THE NORTH Yorkshire Moors Railway is celebrating its 175th birthday by running locomotives along the length of the line for the first time on an anniversary.

The Whitby to Pickering railway is holding a ten-day festival to mark the restoration of the Pickering terminus, which coincides with the line’s anniversary.

The Whitby and Pickering Railway, engineered by George Stephenson, father of Robert Stephenson who was later known for his Rocket locomotive, opened in 1836.

To celebrate the last phase of the line’s ten-year revamp – restoration of architect George Townsend Andrews’ roof of the train shed at Pickering station – being completed, the railway will put on events and a range of locomotives from Friday to Sunday, May 8.

The festival includes 11 steam engines, including replica engines of Robert Stephenson’s Rocket and diesel traction engines on May 3 and 6.

Philip Benham, general manager of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, said: “This event is a celebration of our history from the Whitby and Pickering railway days right through to the present day.

“For the first time in our preservation history, it will be possible to run over the whole of the distance from Whitby to Pickering at a major anniversary event.”

Visit nymr.co.uk or call 01751 472508 for the full timetable of events.

Loco gets historic name

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Class 9F Locomotive 92214, which was bought by a consortium last autumn, was named in an official ceremony yesterday.

The powerful engine was called Cock O’ The North after the traditional epithet attached to the chief of the Gordon clan.

The name was suggested by Valerie Walter, company secretary of the consortium PV Premier, whose grandfather served with the Gordon Highlanders during the First World War.