'Put Yourself in the Picture' - that's what a heritage railway line is saying as it hopes to fill hundreds of varied volunteer roles ahead of its 2023 season beginning in April.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR), a registered charity, which operates the preserved 20-odd miles of track from Grosmont to Pickering, requires between 300-500 hours of volunteer support every single day that it's open to the public.

When the museum's open, they also runs services between Grosmont and Whitby on Network Rail's lines.

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A huge range of volunteer roles need filling on the railway - from working on the locomotive footplate to signalling and telecommunications, lineside conservation, customer service, retail, catering, fundraising and education. 

After the line was originally closed in 1965 as a result of the infamous Beeching Axe, where roughly 30% of Britain's railways were recommended for closure, local people came together and decided that the line could once more be viable as a tourist attraction so long as sufficient voluntary help was found.

As one of the busiest heritage railway lines in the world, with more than 300,000 passengers travelling on its services, NYMR has a number of permanent staff, including the new role of Head of Volunteer Development which was created in 2020 thanks to funding received by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Northern Echo: A wide range of volunteer roles are available - from working on the locomotive footplate to signalling and telecommunications, lineside conservation, customer service, retail, catering, fundraising and education.A wide range of volunteer roles are available - from working on the locomotive footplate to signalling and telecommunications, lineside conservation, customer service, retail, catering, fundraising and education. (Image: Charlotte Graham Photography)

This role was specifically designed with longevity in mind as part of the £10 million Yorkshire's Magnificent Journey project, helping the NYMR to focus on new ways to engage potential volunteers and to create new volunteer roles within the railway. 

Marcus Aldrich, Head of Volunteer Development for the NYMR, commented: “It’s not just about what you give to us - we want to give back to you and make sure you have a meaningful and rewarding time in our unique environment. If you’re a young person and you are looking for work experience, it’s perfect - relevant work experience can enhance CVs and support university applications.

The Northern Echo: Locomotive staff at Pickering station.Locomotive staff at Pickering station. (Image: Charlotte Graham Photography)

“Volunteering is a fun and enjoyable experience where you can learn new things and meet new people. You can make a real difference volunteering on the NYMR, preserving the railway and educating our visitors by bringing this visitor attraction alive.

"There are about 30 different roles involved with running our heritage railway - we’re an education, preservation and conservation charity and it’s our people that bring it to life.

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"From volunteering in the shed at the Motive Power Depot (MPD) maintaining the locomotives or conserving 18 miles of lineside - you're delivering a fulfilling experience for all those who engage with us” 

You can sign up to volunteer at NYMR's website.