Forge Valley Line

Forge Valley Line
Legend
Scarborough & Whitby Railway
Falsgrave Tunnel
Scarborough Central
Scarborough Londesborough Road
Falsgrave Junction
Washbeck Viaduct
Seamer
Yorkshire Coast Line
Seamer Junction
York to Scarborough Line
A64
Irton Waterworks
River Derwent
Forge Valley
A170
Wykeham
A170
Sawdon
Brompton Beck
Snainton
Crossover
Ebberston
Thornton Dale
York and North Midland Railway
Mill Lane Junction
Pickering
Gilling-Pickering Line
North Yorkshire Moors Railway

The Forge Valley Line was a 16 mile long branch of the North Eastern Railway between Seamer (near Scarborough, North Yorkshire) and Pickering. The line was intended to link Scarborough with Pickering. It opened in 1882 and closed in 1950, with the exception of a stretch from Pickering to Thornton Dale with remained open for quarry traffic until 1963.

The line did not pass through Forge Valley, but the station in the village of West Ayton was named after it to avoid confusion with another station—Great Ayton—already owned by the North Eastern Railway.

Contents

The route

The line had no gradients of note, with only a few sections steeper than 1 in 100, and was single track throughout, with a passing loop at Snainton. Six stations were constructed on the line, Forge Valley, Wykeham, Sawdon, Snainton, Ebberston and Thornton Dale. Both terminus stations, Pickering and Seamer were constructed berfore the opening of the line.

Preservation

Thornton Dale, Ebberston, Snainton, Sawdon and Wykeham have now been restored and there are three Camping Coaches available for hire at Ebberston on site.[1]

Wykeham also survives and there are plans to restore the station itself, Whilst the other stations on the line are completely restored, Forge Valley is now currently in use by North Yorkshire County Council as a road and highways depot.

References

External links