The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is taking part in this year’s Heritage Open Days, when visitors can discover the people, places, and stories that have helped make the heritage railway what it is today.

Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, when thousands of places that are normally not accessible to visitors open their doors.

Each year, thousands of free events and experiences enable millions of people to celebrate their heritage, community and history.

From Friday, 11th to Sunday, 20th September, there will be free events at Pickering, Goathland, and Grosmont where visitors have a rare chance to explore parts of the railway that are usually out of bounds.

They will also be able to meet the volunteers and staff who keep the railway running, find out about the rich history of the line at exhibitions, and take part in guided tours and interactive demonstrations.

Between 11 am and 3 pm, on Saturday, 12th, and Sunday, 13th September, visitors can tour the Motive Power Depot at Grosmont, where they can photograph the locomotives and view restoration and maintenance in progress on the railway’s fleet.

One of the highlights will be in the Learning Classroom at Pickering Station from Monday, 14th to Wednesday,16th September, when a Living Histories: A Dive into the Archive exhibition will allow visitors to examine archive materials stretching back from the railway’s mainline years through to the present day.

Also being held from Monday, 14th to Wednesday,16th September, are guided tours of Pickering, Goathland, and Grosmont stations, where visitors can find out about the history of the stations, their buildings and the railway.

The railway has recreated Pickering Station as it was in the 1930s, and Grosmont as a 1952-themed heritage station; Grosmont is also the home of the railway’s operating and engineering departments. Goathland achieved fame when it became Hogsmeade Station in the first Harry Potter film.

From 10 am-12 pm, and 12:30 pm-2 pm on 14th-16th September, visitors can step inside the signal box at Pickering Station to find out about the role of the signaller, how a signal box works, and their part in ensuring safety on the railway.

Visitors will also be able to have a go at changing a signal and using the token machine.

From 13th to 16th, and on 20th September, at the Motive Power Depot in Grosmont, visitors can meet Brian and Tammy from the Armstrong Oilers manufacturing and production facility, featured in the recent Channel 4 series Steam Train Diaries.

Following the Heritage Open Days will be the railway’s four-day Annual Steam Gala from Thursday, 24th to Sunday, 27th September, while during Halloween, the railway will be running the Mad Alice Ghost Train.

“Heritage Open Days is a wonderful opportunity to share the stories that make the North Yorkshire Moors Railway so special. From the memories preserved in our archive to the incredible engineering skills that keep our locomotives running, every experience offers visitors a chance to connect with the people behind the railway.”

Rhiannon Hope, Learning and Interpretation Lead at the NYMR