Yorkshire Wolds heritage railway cuts ribbon on five-year restoration

The Yorkshire Wolds Railway was established in 2008

A former British Rail 20-tonne brake van is to go on show following a five-year restoration project.

Volunteers at East Yorkshire's only heritage railway "worked outside in all weathers", to complete the task.

Before the van arrived in 2018 none of the members of the Yorkshire Wolds Railway (YWR), had any experience of restoring a railway wagon.

A celebration of the achievement is to take place on 17 September, when brake van rides will officially start.

Restoration team member Andy Barwick said when the goods brake van arrived the railway had no wagon shed, so work had taken place outside "under a makeshift weather shelter built from old lorry tarpaulins".

"None of the existing members at the YWR had any previous experience of restoring a railway wagon, so advice was sought from other heritage railway experts," he added.

The brake van was built in 1961 at the Ashford Wagon works in Kent

Brake vans were compulsory on all goods trains up until 1968 and were normally marshalled at the rear of the train, so both portions of the train could be brought to a standstill if a coupling broke.

The restoration team, which consisted of skilled and unskilled volunteers, got together on just one day a week to complete the mammoth task.

Mr Barwick said: "We are very proud of what we have achieved on such a small railway, which started with very little in the way of engineering facilities."

The YWR near Sledmere is run by volunteers on the site of the former Malton to Driffield line, which closed in 1958.

Katy Bowser, business development director at the YWR, added: "We are so pleased with the result of five years hard work that we wanted to put on launch event to celebrate."

Ms Bowser said a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 17 September, would take place at 11.30 BST, after which rides on the brake van would begin.

"It's going to be a very exciting day," she said.