North Yorkshire Moors Railway takes part in Railway 200 'whistle-up' celebrations

People gathered in Grosmont near Whitby to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. Credit: North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Rail enthusiasts at heritage railways in Yorkshire have been battling blustery weather to take part in a global event to celebrate 200 years of locomotive travel.

'Railway 200' is a year-long celebration of two centuries of the modern railway. It will explore how rail has shaped national life and encourage more people to consider a career in the sector.

At midday on 1 January more than 50 heritage railways in the UK and abroad blew the whistles of 200 vintage steam and diesel locomotives to get it underway.

The 'Whistle-Up' on the anniversary commemorated the launch of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825.

  • People of all ages braved the wet conditions in Grosmont near Whitby at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to listen to the ‘Railway 200 Whistle-Up’

  • A speech ahead of the commemorative whistle blowing at Middleton Railway near Leeds

Ian Smith of the Middleton Railway said: "Why are we doing it? Because, railways changed the world.

"If you think about railways today, they all really stem from what was done in Stockton and Darlington in 1825."

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