Bringing the collection to life
How we share the Collection with all our visitors
A great deal of the Museum Collection is available to view every time the railway is open: travelling on a train, walking alongside sections of the track on the many Railway Walks available, visiting stations or walking near the repair and overhaul facilities, you will be able to spot rolling stock, signals, lineside and station artefacts. Lineside artefacts and signalling equipment are an important part of operating the railway. They include information signs, such as gradients, warning signs, distance signals (a station is being approached), signals to indicate it is safe to proceed. These are all crucial to day to day operation.
The railway has a Visitor Centre on Platform 2 at Pickering Station which provides information about the railway as well as displays of artefacts.
The Archive store itself houses the majority of objects and materials from the Archival Collection which are not available to see on a daily basis. Many of these are fragile, need careful management and are stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment for their safe keeping for the future.
We want to share as many of the artefacts and their histories as we can but as it is not feasible to have them on permanent display for viewing, we have a range of ways to access the Collection.
Displays and Open Days - From time to time, displays of artefacts are arranged, such as Heritage Open Days as part of the annual event in England to celebrate history, culture and community.
Research - Anyone wanting to research a particular item/subject can book an in person visit to the Archive to view any relevant materials which are in the Collection. Such visits are by appointment only to allow for the team to gather together relevant materials.
Virtual access - Virtual access to the Collection is developing to ensure that anyone who may not be able to visit regularly can still find out about the Collection remotely. This includes access to the Museum database. In addition, articles are produced about specific topics or items and these appear in Tracks and Tales from the Archive and also on the website blog.
Some of the parts of the Collection which have recently been reviewed to improve ease of access include:
Photographic Collection
The Archive has a large photographic Collection which has been catalogued into the following subjects:
- People
- Stations – one for each NYMR station (including Whitby); one for stations in the wider north eastern area
- Locomotives
- Carriages
- Wagons
- Scenery
- Other buildings (such as signal boxes)
- Events on the railway
- Structures (signals, bridges)
- Depots on the NYMR - Motive Power and Carriage and Wagons
- Branch lines
- Locations
- Miscellaneous
The photographs are from many donations over many years. As might be expected, individual photographs will cross over some of the categories - for this reason records note not only the subject but any other relevant details, location, date and also the photographer (where known). While some may be scanned and kept digitally, for example for use in talks or virtual displays, the original photographs are kept to maintain the source material. One of the tasks for the Archive Team is moving images stored on CD to cloud based digital storage - as digital media storage evolves, if older methods of storage are not changed, the risk is of being unable to read the media in future.
The digital and 35mm slide collections are still being catalogued and more information will follow about these in due course.
Library
The Archive has a small reference library of railway related books. You can book a slot to visit the Archive to view any for a research project or general interest. However, we are not able to loan books out to be taken away.
In addition, the library contains reference copies of the Railway Magazine and the NYMR's own Moors Line Magazine.
Publicity and information materials at the NYMR
Over the years, there has been a large number of leaflets/timetables and publicity material produced, to advertise the railway, to look for funds, advertise events or just general information. These have all been catalogued by year with a sample per year available to view on the museum collection.
In addition, other parts of the Collection under review include:
Audio and visual records
The Archive has a Collection of DVDs and VHS Videos, between them depicting the history of travelling on the NYMR, often being produced for special events.
There are also several interesting audio recordings of locomotives on the NYMR and these will be made available to listen to as this site develops.
An oral history project is underway to record the recollections of individuals who have now or in the past had an involvement with the NYMR or railways in general.
People, their stories and their histories and social history
Research work into census information and records about individuals who have worked, used or lived near the railways over the years continues and alongside the oral history work, seeks to offer more insight into peoples lives and how railways impacted how they lived, worked or travelled. Read more about the Genealogy Project
Holidays and leisure travel on the Whitby and Pickering Railway
One area of research related to holidays on railways, part of which has been produced in Moors Line – a more in depth article can be accessed here.
Other parts of the Collection which may be of interest and can be viewed by booking to see them include:
Maps, Plans and Drawings
The Archive has a considerable Collection including some old drawings but also many contemporary examples created as developments have been considered or implemented across the railway.
Railway records
From wagon labels to signal box train registers, station records to regulations, notices, a range of records are held in the Archive.
Large and small objects
A vast range of items from buttons and badges, stamps and tickets to artwork, signs, lamps and signal box equipment.