The UK’s most popular heritage line, North Yorkshire Moors Railway, has launched a search for people who worked on the railway before 1965, to capture their memories for future generations.
These reminiscences will be used for the launch of the Oral History Project, as part of Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey – an ambitious initiative set up by NYMR dedicated to preserving the railway and its heritage. The £10 million project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and supporters of the NYMR.
The Oral Histories Project will explore the roles of railway workers including signalmen, station staff, platelayers, ticketing clerks and tell the true stories of people who worked on this line. These interviews will also be used to help bring to life the new interactive exhibition, ‘In Fog and Falling Snow’ planned for Goathland Station for 2021.
As part of the project, the charitable trust is also looking for volunteers to help transcribe the recordings, with the goal to have all interviews completed by the end of May 2020.
Jennifer Halmshaw, Trust Board Member, Chair of Education & Education Champion for the Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey’s Project at North Yorkshire Moors Railway said:
We are looking for participants who worked on this remote rural railway – or whose family did – to take part in recorded interviews so we can share their memories and showcase life on the railway more than 50 years ago!
We’ll be holding interviews at Pickering Station, or, for those unable to get to us, we’re more than happy to arrange home visits.
For more information, if you would like to arrange an interview or, to nominate someone to take part in the Oral History Project please contact Learning@nymr.co.uk or call 01751 473799 *248.
