No 1 - Pickering Station

The first railway station in Pickering was opened in 1836 at the southern terminus of the horse drawn Whitby and Pickering Railway. In 1845 the Whitby & Pickering Railway was purchased by the York and North Midland Railway Company. They extended the railway south to join then new York to Scarborough railway line and rebuilt the whole railway for trains hauled by steam locomotives rather than horses. The new Pickering Station, designed by the York architect G.T. Andrews, was completed in 1847.  In the next 100 years the station saw little change until the roof was demolished in 1952. It was closed by British Railways in 1965 and the line south from Pickering was lifted at this time. In the early 1970s Pickering Urban District Council wished to demolish the station and replace it with a car park. Opposition to this scheme led to a public enquiry being held which resulted in the station being saved. The station was re-opened by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1975. The station as you see it today was extensively restored between 2000 and 2011 with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The station buildings were refurbished, the overall roof replaced, and a new learning centre and visitor interpretation centre added to the rear of platform 2.

No 2 - Weighing Scales

These scales outside the old parcels office were used to weigh things being carried by rail because the railway charged by weight. It is marked in pounds and quarters – do you know what these are in modern weights? The original scales were  removed when the station closed. The set of scales you are looking at were rescued from Malton Station. A further set can be seen at the north end of platform 1.

No 3 - NER Stores Van

This large grey van was built by the North Eastern Railway in 1902. It was originally used in a special railway train that delivered essential supplies to each station. It carried nearly everything that was needed to run a station such as paraffin for the lamps, spare parts of all sorts, ropes, paper, labels and lots and lots of other small items.

No 4 - Old Railway Track

A small section of the original track from the horse drawn Whitby and Pickering Railway opened in 1836 is displayed here. It uses wrought iron rails laid on stone sleeper blocks and is called “Fish Belly Rail” because of the curved shape of its bottom edge. Look at the track we use today, behind the fence, to see how different it is.

No 5 - War Memorial

This memorial commemorates the many railway men who lost their life serving their country on the railways in war time.

No 6 - End of the Line

Although the track now ends here, until 1965 the railway carried on through Pickering to join the York to Scarborough Railway line, about 6 miles south of here at Rillington junction, just east of Malton. Can you see any remains of the old railway and its buildings in Pickering?

No 7 - Points

Where two railway tracks join there is a set of points. These allow the engine to change over from one track to the other. When a train is in the station you may be able to see the crew changing the points when the engine is taken off and run around the train.

No 8 - Signal Box

This small wooden signal box originally stood at Marishes Road on the line between Pickering and Malton. It was rescued by volunteers from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1969 and rebuilt here in 2013. Although it has been fitted out as a working signal box, it is now used for explaining and demonstrating the techniques of railway signalling.

No 9 - The Learning Centre

The Reussner Learning Centre was built in 2009 on a narrow strip of land behind the main station wall. It is used for training, educational activities and meetings. It also houses the Railway’s Archive.

No 10 - W. H. Smith Kiosk

This is a replica of a typical W H Smith station kiosk. Between 1908 and 1955 there was a larger book stall and kiosk on platform 1 which was situated next to the current lavatories.

No 11 - Picnic Area

The glazed canopy over the picnic area was once part of a much larger structure originally built for Church Fenton Station near York in 1904. It was demolished in 1990, and after a long period in store, was rebuilt at Pickering in 2011.

No 12 - Visitor Centre

The Yorventure Visitor Centre was opened in 2010 and houses a display that gives an introduction to the Railway and its history. The Centre is in a late 19th century building which originally housed a stationary engine that pumped water out of Pickering Beck to a storage tank. It was then used for filling steam locomotives. You can still see the big pipe in the Beck.

No 13 - Carriage Shed

The modern buildings at the end of the platform are used for the maintenance and restoration of our carriage and wagon fleet. They were built in 1984 with further extensions added in 1996 and 2005. In 2008 the new Atkins Building was added at the north end of the site, this is used for the restoration of our historic coaches.

No 14 - Pickering Beck / Mill Race

At the north end, both platforms cross part of Pickering Beck on a bridge. The beck splits into two streams about 800m north of the station and these rejoin just downstream of this bridge. The part of the Beck that flows under the railway is the end of the mill race that carries the water that once powered Pickering’s High Mill. Can you see the old mill buildings north of the station?

No 15 - Footbridge

The green cast iron footbridge over the railway tracks, typical of many built by the North Eastern Railway, was rescued from Monkwearmouth in the late 1980s. It was made redundant by the building of the Tyneside Metro, moved to Pickering and rebuilt in 1991.

No 16 - Fish Store

There is wooden lean-to building is at the back of the main station buildings near the footbridge that was built to store fish. It has slatted walls for ventilation and a sink and shelves for cleaning and storing the fish which was brought in by rail and then sold in Pickering.

No 17 - Overall Roof

The large roof over the railway tracks that you can see now is a replica of the original 1847 one. The original roof was removed in 1952 as it was worn out. This left the station with no roof at all over the platforms and tracks. The new roof was completed in 2011 to the same design as the original one with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund and many other donations.

No 18 - Whitby Building

The long wooden building on platform 1 was originally situated at the south end of Whitby Town Station. It was moved to Pickering and rebuilt here in 1993. It is now used for offices and stores.

No 19 - Gilling Building

The small wooden building now used by station staff was originally used as a level crossing keeper’s cabin at Gilling East Station, south of Helmsley. It was moved here in 2001.

No 20 - Water Columns

The green columns at the north end of the platform are for filling our steam engines up with water. You can sometimes see them being used when the train is in the station. Can you see the mistake on the column at the end of platform 2?