Railway teams up with steam bus to promote coast

A sponsorship deal will allow the preserved line to advertise its services on the sides of Elizabeth – a 1931 Sentinel DG6P steam bus that provides daily tours around Whitby.

The aim is to raise the profile of the railway's services from Whitby, while also helping pay the maintenance and running costs of the vintage steam bus.

Steam bus owners Vernon and Viv Smith were involved with the heritage steam railway before embarking on their own business. Mr Smith was the driver of the Hogwart's Express when the first Harry Potter was filmed on the railway at Goathland station.

This is the third year that the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has been running heritage steam services in and out of Whitby on the national network and last year the railway enjoyed a bumper year, with 350,000 visitors, making it the world's most popular heritage railway.

"Relive the glory of steam" is the slogan across the back of the steam bus, and it underlines how Whitby benefited from one of the very first railway lines in the country, the Whitby-Pickering line, when it was introduced back in 1836 by George Stephenson, and later modified for steam transport by the railway king, George Hudson, in 1845.

NYMR marketing manager Phil Bustard said: "One of the major factors in collaborating with Viv and Vernon is to raise awareness of the fact that Whitby does have a steam railway heritage.

"We'd like to see more visitors to Whitby enjoying those glory days of steam, enjoying the vintage bus ride and taking the train and using it as a gateway to the North York Moors.

"Advertising our services on an iconic steam bus, with first hand knowledge of what we offer from Viv and Vernon, was an opportunity too good to miss.

"The Railway sees this as a great way to promote awareness of its services from Whitby, whilst providing funds that will help in the maintenance and running costs of the vintage steam bus."

Last year Elizabeth attracted 45,000 passengers.

Elizabeth, built in 1931, is the younger of two steam buses founded in 2003 by the Smiths to attract more visitors to Whitby.

Her stablemate Charlotte the Charabanc was built in 1929 and her foreign tours included climbing the Vesuvius Pass and crossing the Alps.

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