russ p

Dear Russ,

I just came across your post regarding unbuilt railways of Feb 19th 2017.

I moved to Sinnington about three years ago and have found out some more details about the proposed Rosedale and Lastingham line which was planned to join up with the Gilling and Pickering line close to the Sinnington railway station, then run northwards up the valley of the river Seven (yes, that spelling).

Other details below:

Rosedale & Lastingham Light Railway

A standard gauge light railway was planned to cover the eight miles from near Rosedale Abbey to a junction with the NER's branch that ran east from Helmsley to Pickering and west by way of Gilling and Coxwold to Malton on the main York-Scarborough line. The connection to the main Ryedale branch was to be made at Sinnington near Kirkbymoorside and received local financial backing in the early 20th Century. The scheme was promoted by a Mr Pope of Lastingham. A Light Railway Order was passed on 31st July, 1900. Nearly two years would pass before anything else was done.

The line would follow the dale down which the River Seven flowed, with stations foreseen at Applleton-le-Moors, at Askew for Lastingham and near Hartoft. Building the branch got no further than the sod-cutting ceremony near Rosedale Abbey on 14th June 1902, with the squire Captain Darley presiding. He later remarked, "It was the worst champagne I have ever tasted!" William Swales of Lastingham staked out the proposed route and nothing further was done.

A proposal to connect the light railway with the Rosedale West Branch - despite the yawning gap in altitude - may have been instrumental in bringing the scheme to a halt. It was remarkable that the railway was at all put forward, considering the area population was in decline. Ironstone mining was also past its peak, so the financial momentum for the line would have been lacking. Tourism alone - seasonal by nature - could not have kept the line open where the bulk of the income would have been used on hiring rolling stock and motive power. There was little likelihood of the NER becoming involved, although it supplied locomotives and stock for the Easingwold Light Railway between Thirsk and York.

Interestingly it is part of village folk law that during the 1950’s, following on from the success of lines such as the Tally Lyn railway, the idea was resurrected as a narrow-gauge line.

The Light railway order has never been rescinded and this line (technically) could therefore still be built.

The scenery along the proposed route is everything that it would need to be..

There are also a couple of 2-foot gauge O & K steam locomotives (and an O & K diesel in a yard in Willenhall…

Anyone for plate laying???