Vintage railway carriages vandalised

A trust which runs a historic railway has condemned a deliberate act of vandalism which has left eight vintage carriages badly damaged.

The carriages, belonging to North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR), were parked in the siding at the far side of the main visitor car park at Pickering.

North Yorkshire Police have been on-site, assessing the situation.

The beautiful varnished teak carriage set dates from 1930 to 1950. They have regularly appeared in films and television, most recently in ‘Downton Abbey’ and the remake of ‘Dad’s Army’.

Saturday July 22 was the launch of the new bigger and better ‘60s Fest’ event which was taking place over the weekend.

The railway welcomed thousands of passengers, who enjoyed live music, just meters away from where the carriages were vandalised.

The teak carriages are owned and maintained by the London and North Eastern Railway Coach Association (LNERCA), who are a volunteer run, charitable organisation which restores the heritage coaches for use on the NYMR.

The North York Moors Historical Railway Trust is a not for profit charitable organisation run as part of the local community.

Day to day operation is carried out by volunteers with railwayoperations and business experience. A core team of paid staff together with approximately 100 full time staff and 50 seasonal staff, plan and operate the train service and work steadily to improve the quality of the infrastructure, the railway vehicles and experience to our visitors travelling on the railway.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway is one of the most historic lines in the North of England, taking visitors on picturesque journeys along an 18-mile railway line aboard steam and heritage diesel trains. The railway passes through stunning scenery, from wooded valleys to beautiful countryside, stopping at charming villages and spectacular seaside locations.

For regular news, updates and competitions, North Yorkshire Moors Railway is also on Facebook facebook.com/northyorkshiremoorsrailway and Twitter twitter.com/nymr.