This film documents the Whitby to Pickering railway line in 1965 soon after its closure under the Beeching proposals. The film falls into two halves. The first half gives a historical overview of the railway from its beginnings using illustrations. The second half follows two young members of the Pickering Railway Society as they do a walking tour of the railway line. Titles: 'J.K. Snowden Presents the Whitby to Pickering Railway', 'A history and Survey, featuring Simon Boak...

This film documents the Whitby to Pickering railway line in 1965 soon after its closure under the Beeching proposals. The film falls into two halves. The first half gives a historical overview of the railway from its beginnings using illustrations. The second half follows two young members of the Pickering Railway Society as they do a walking tour of the railway line. Titles: 'J.K. Snowden Presents the Whitby to Pickering Railway', 'A history and Survey, featuring Simon Boak and Peter Lamming', 'Photographed by Ronald J Richardson, Directed by Snowden and Boak', 'Narrated, Produced and Directed by J.K. Snowden'. The history of the railway is recounted by the commentary. Whitby had ambitions in the early nineteenth century, but it had a problem with communications. After first considering, then discounting, the idea of building a canal, a band of Whitby men got together in 1832 and approached George Stephenson - who seven years earlier had opened the Stockton to Darlington line - to do a survey and give advice. Some paintings of Stephenson and the Stockton to Darlington line are seen. Stephenson recommended a light railway costing £2,000 per mile. This duly opened in 1836 using horse drawn wagons. An Act of Parliament banned the use of steam engines. Eight tunnels were built between Sleights and Grosmont, including a tunnel of 120 yards, as it climbed up to 522 feet, descending into Newton Dale. In 1845 George Hudson obtained the railway, merged it with the York and North Midland Company, and linked it with London. He rebuilt it to accommodate steam which came into use in 1847. Around 1850 the North East Company became owners, before it finally become the London and North Eastern Railway. There are photographs by Sidney Smith of steam engines that ran on this line. Simon Boak and Peter Lamming of the Pickering Railway Society make a survey of the line, walking along the rusty track to a dilapidated Levisham Station. They look in an old building where horses that pulled wagons used to be kept. There are views of the railway line from track side, from on top of the embankment, and then an abandoned iron mine above Raindale. Simon and Peter climb into a signal box, which is in some disrepair, at Newton Dale. There are sidings that used to supply the people that worked there such as plate layers and farmers. Onto Spring Bog, the source of Pickering Beck. Along Newton Dale there are views of the line with sheep grazing next to the track. Then from Moorgate to Goathland where there is an original bridge built by Stephenson. One of the lads climbs up a semaphore signal post to take a photo. There are views of fields, farmhouses and stepping stones over a brook made from the old square stones that were used with the fishbellied rails. From here excursions used to run to Beck Hole in summer on autocars until 1914. A picture of the first autocar used in 1905 is shown. The boys continue walking along the line until they come to where the old line, linking Beck Hole with Goathland, used to be. They enter the tunnel built by Stephenson, where horse drawn carriages went. Music on the soundtrack plays until the end of the film. Intertitle, 'End of Part One'. [continues on film 3491]