Managers have paid tribute to staff and volunteers who have battled to keep steam trains on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway moving despite the horrific weather.

Officials said they had managed to keep trains running over the vital Christmas period, and even ran steam trains between Whitby, Grosmont and Battersby for the first time in years.

Only a few services had to be cancelled – mainly early mornings, due to frozen points and pipework affecting heating. Frequent snow falls meant anything up to 12 inches of lying snow in many places, with temperatures well below freezing and at times recording minus 13 degrees.

Despite this, Britain’s most popular heritage steam railway ran services throughout the festive season with well over one hundred and fifty services in operation across the Moors.

Trains from Grosmont kept running on the Esk Valley line, with the exception of one day (Sat 2nd Jan) when the weather was so bad that staff were advised to stay away.

Services continued to run throughout from Pickering to Levisham and Goathland. On a number of occasions, the Moors Railway was the only form of transport moving, helping to ensure that the Moors villages were not cut off completely.

Christmas is an important time for the Railway in terms of generating much needed income. Santa Specials provided entertainment and magical experiences for families with young children. A Pullman dining train also operates throughout the winter period, providing a taste of indulgence in an elegant setting. Add to this the daily passenger services in operation between 27 December and 3 January, and it is plain to see that the NYMR remains a vanguard even in the bleakest of winters.

NYMR General Manager, Philip Benham, said: “I would like to pay tribute to our staff, many of whom are volunteers, who battled over snowbound roads and worked in appalling conditions. Their heroic efforts and dedication helped to keep the railway going. "At times like these, it is clear that the Railway is vital not just as a tourist attraction, but as a form of transport connecting communities across the Moors.”

Train operating duties on the line to Battersby were shared by the Schools-class engine, No 30926 “Repton” and the newly acquired Standard class engine No 76079. Between Pickering and Goathland, the ‘Black 5’ engine No 45212 was in operation, supported by two diesel locomotives.

Train services recommence on Saturday 13 February, when once again there will be separate services from Pickering to Goathland, and along the Esk Valley from Whitby to Grosmont (through to Battersby on Sundays). In the meantime work is going ahead on the vital renewal of Bridge 30, between Goathland and Grosmont. Two new main beams, made of steel and transported from Chepstow, have now arrived by rail to the site, along with a railway crane that will be used to lift out the old bridge and lift the new beams into place. They arrived on location on Monday with the movement of goods made possible due to a supporting partnership of Network Rail, freight train operator DB Schenker, and Volker Rail, whose Kirow crane is to be used for the heavy lifting.