I was eight years old when the last train went through Hinderwell. Some of us kids were stood on the crossing gates waving like mad as it went past. We used to love travelling on the steam trains. My Grandfather was the relief Station Master on that line. He often seemed to work a lot at Kettleness.
A superb video with totally appropriate music. For my house number I have a replica bridgeplate with WRMUR on (yes I know the furniture was NER but it's a good talking point). I remember the line when we came for hols to Whitby in the fifties and then on one occasion at the bottom of Love Lane the railway was no longer there, terrible. We visit Whitby every year and always manage to incorporate a walk on parts of the old line. If only it was still open....
They should rebuild and open railway line again. They've done this at Porthmadog to Beddgelert, dug line up many years ago, now once again rebuilt and always packed. No reason why the same happen here, running along Ravenscar also.
Whiby West Cliff Station is now a housing complex and named Beeching Mews although it was closed long before he butcered the rest of the railwayy system . Its worth a visit
It would have made a great heritage steam railway no doubt and probably just,if not more popular than the North York Moores Railway or an extension of it bringing prospect hill back in to use to head to Sandsend,or back over Larpool viaduct back to Scarborough, just sad it can never be🤧
With all those iron viaducts between Staithes and Whitby no preservation movement would have been able afford the cost of maintenance let alone the cost of replacing worn out parts. Whitby West Cliff south would have been a possibility, but would have had the same problems with adhesion on the climb to Ravenscar and BR did, especially if their was a haar (sea fret) on the sea.
There are two really great books around that sometimes turn up on Amazon, Railways Around Whitby volume's one and two by Martin Bairstow packed with photographs and information about every day running on the line as well as last trains to run and some coverage of the NYMR. In the late 1950's and early 1960's cars and road transport was seen as the way forward, especially by one Ernest Marples. Now our roads are jammed with traffic with the idea of electric cars being our saving grace, which they are not. We are now paying the price for short sighted governments destroying lines such as this.Another great read if you can find a copy is Lost Railways Of Holderness which again is packed with photographs and information about the Hull to Withernsea and Hull to Hornsea lines, both of which would have seen an upturn in fortunes in modern times.
It is a real shame that this railway closed (well before the Beeching Report), but apparently the viaducts (including Staithes) were all suffering from the effects of salt corrosion (iron tubes filled with concrete), one or two had reached a pretty serious condition. The line was very expensive to maintain, hence the complete closure this early on. Some nice colour images, the one of Upgang Viaduct is a pretty rare shot of this structure.
