Unseen photographs recall the lost world of England’s bygone railway system
WE step slightly outside our usual news area to publish some extremely rare photographs that will be of interest to railway enthusiasts.
A generous bequest of family photographs has inspired a remarkable research journey at the Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire as a recent donation of family photographs has sparked a fascinating journey of discovery, enabling staff and volunteers at the heritage railway to piece together the story of one of its stations, Finghall Lane near Bedale.
The photographs were kindly donated by Mrs Jane Stringer who, having inherited them from a family friend, got in touch to find out if they would be of interest.
The remarkable photographs, which date from the late 1880s through to the 1930s, depict the station in its heyday, with its beautifully-maintained flower beds and five staff including Station Master, George Metcalfe, who ran it from the mid 1890s until just after the First World War.
Born at Great Fencote near Northallerton, George was employed by the North Eastern Railway Company all his working life, working his way up from the roles of porter and signalman to the respected position of Station Master over 50 years.
“This is a real glimpse into the past for us, given that few people had access to cameras until well into the twentieth century,” commented Virginia Arrowsmith, Heritage Education Officer, ‘
“It’s also a really valuable resource for us to share with schools, who visit us to explore what life was like on the railway in Victorian and Edwardian times.”
An on-going research programme into the history of the Wensleydale Railway welcomes information from anyone who has a family connection with the railway or can help to piece together its story over the last 150 years.
Finghall Lane railway station originally opened in 1856.
It reopened in 2004 after being closed for 50 years.
It featured in the popular 1970s and 80s TV series All Creatures Great and Small, although no trains stopped there during that time.
For more information visit www.wensleydalerail.com