First stop for new railway attraction

The 32-tonne, 56-year-old British Railways coach was delivered on a low-loader to the site close to the old Sledmere and Fimber station - the first development in what volunteers hope will eventually become a working heritage railway.

The coach, one of the type that could have run as a special charter on the Driffield to Malton line in the years before it closed in 1958, will be a static display, accessed from a platform.

Over time the Yorkshire Wolds Railway hopes to develop a railway towards Wetwang, with planning permission having already been granted for just under a mile of track. Chairman James Russell said: “The visitor centre is stage one; it will be an exhibition space which will give people an idea of the history of the line and in particular that station and the role it played in the local community.

“At the moment there’s about 160 members of the railway but that number is growing, every time we get some publicity there’s a leap in membership and we expect another significant jump when people can see this on site.

“Having something on site that people can see with their own eyes is hugely important in increasing our visibility and our ability to generate income and attract funding, which in turn is vital for our plans to run trains on the line for the first time in over fifty years.”

The British Railways Mark I Brake Gangway coach, was designed as a guard van and luggage store, and came from the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway. Mr Russell said: “Structurally it is in decent condition. It will need some work.

“I’d hate to put a date on when we are opening because everything is dependent on funding and what money we can get in. if we can open it for part of the summer season that would be fantastic.”