Ticking off the esk valley line

[yorkshirerail]

Hi
I’m planning to do a trip in the summer where I tick off all of the stations between Middlesbrough and Whitby. Does anyone know if it is possible to arrive or depart at them all in one day even if it includes walking/using buses to get between some of the stations.

Thanks

 

[yorkie]

Hi
I’m planning to do a trip in the summer where I tick off all of the stations between Middlesbrough and Whitby. Does anyone know if it is possible to arrive or depart at them all in one day even if it includes walking/using buses to get between some of the stations.

Thanks

I suggest you use the NRE journey planner, or a quick and easy planner without fares e.g. www.fastjp.com to see what's possible.

Also use Google Maps to see what's possible in terms of walking between some of the closer ones.

But there is no way there will be enough services to cover it in one day!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Six trains per day, each way. (Only the four on Sundays). 35 track miles from Middlesbrough to Whitby, end to end. 15 intermediate stations. Never say never, but visiting all seventeen stations on the same day by rail/bus, or on foot, might prove a tad ambitious.

 

[ainsworth74]

Agreed it's impossible in a day. Probably doable in two especially if they're both on a Monday - Saturday, you're willing to get very early starts in and walk between some of them (like Whitby - Ruswarp and Ruswarp - Sleights).

 

[yorkshirerail]

Thanks all I have already done Middlesbrough Grosmont and Whitby on a previous trip but do agree that it unfortunately isn’t possible during a day. I will have to plan it for over 2 days.

 

[Haywain]

Six trains per day, each way. (Only the four on Sundays).

Plus the NYMR trains between Grosmont and Whitby.

 

[Kite159]

I'm pretty sure I did the line in a couple of days staying in Middlesbrough, back in 2018 when the Saturday timetable was the same unit shuttling back & forth 4 times.

Depending on how far you can walk I had walks between Battersby & Kildale, Egton & Glaisdale, Commondale & Castleton Moor, also walked between Marton & James Cook on the more frequent section. So have a look at the cost of accommodation in Middlesbrough (both a Travelodge & Premier Inn are close to the station), although just beware some of the Saturday trains can get busy

 

[yorkshirerail]

I'm pretty sure I did the line in a couple of days staying in Middlesbrough, back in 2018 when the Saturday timetable was the same unit shuttling back & forth 4 times.

Depending on how far you can walk I had walks between Battersby & Kildale, Egton & Glaisdale, Commondale & Castleton Moor, also walked between Marton & James Cook on the more frequent section. So have a look at the cost of accommodation in Middlesbrough (both a Travelodge & Premier Inn are close to the station), although just beware some of the Saturday trains can get busy

Thanks very much will have a look into it soon

 

[yorkshirerail]

Thanks all for the advice. I’ve managed to make it possible to tick off all of the stations between Battersby and Whitby in one day.

 

[ainsworth74]

Thanks all for the advice. I’ve managed to make it possible to tick off all of the stations between Battersby and Whitby in one day.

You can't tease us like that and not share the plan!

 

[yorkshirerail]

You can't tease us like that and not share the plan!

Esk Valley Line

1021 Middlesbrough to Ruswarp 1048

Bus to Sleights

1209 Sleights to Kildale 1255

Walk to commondale

1450 Commondale to Egton 1515

Walk to Glaisdale

1631 Glaisdale to Leaholm 1636

Walk to Castleton Moor

1850 Castleton Moor to Danby 1854

2023 Danby to Middlesbrough 2129

I have already completed Grosmont and Whitby which is why they aren’t included and the train back to Middlesbrough at the end of the day sits at Battersby for 15 minutes which counts for me as I’ll have to get off and take a few photos

 

[NER1621]

A little puzzled as to why, if it’s a matter of being physically on the station, you just don’t get off the train and then get back on again, rather than e.g. spending nearly 90 minutes on an unmanned station waiting for the next train? I’m obviously missing something about the attraction of this aspect of the hobby!

 

[Haywain]

I have already completed Grosmont and Whitby which is why they aren’t included and the train back to Middlesbrough at the end of the day sits at Battersby for 15 minutes which counts for me as I’ll have to get off and take a few photos

So, you're not ticking off all the stations between Middlesbrough and Whitby as mentioned in your first post?

 

[yorksrob]

Well done @yorkshirerail

I must admit, if the line had a decent interval service, I'd be tempted to visit some of the intermediate villages

 

[ainsworth74]

Esk Valley Line

1021 Middlesbrough to Ruswarp 1048

Bus to Sleights

1209 Sleights to Kildale 1255

Walk to commondale

1450 Commondale to Egton 1515

Walk to Glaisdale

1631 Glaisdale to Leaholm 1636

Walk to Castleton Moor

1850 Castleton Moor to Danby 1854

2023 Danby to Middlesbrough 2129

I have already completed Grosmont and Whitby which is why they aren’t included and the train back to Middlesbrough at the end of the day sits at Battersby for 15 minutes which counts for me as I’ll have to get off and take a few photos

Looks good! I'm sure you'll have a good time, it's an excellent little line.

 

[sh24]

A little puzzled as to why, if it’s a matter of being physically on the station, you just don’t get off the train and then get back on again, rather than e.g. spending nearly 90 minutes on an unmanned station waiting for the next train? I’m obviously missing something about the attraction of this aspect of the hobby!

My rules are to use a station as a regular passenger would - board/alight/change. That 90 mins can be a nice opportunity to explore somewhere new, read peacefully or get some work done.

I've never understood the appeal of standing in a field with 50 other people waiting to photograph a kettle. But I know it brings joy to others and that's just fine.

 

[yorkshirerail]

So, you're not ticking off all the stations between Middlesbrough and Whitby as mentioned in your first post?

No I decided that I just wanted to focus on Battersby to Whitby for this trip and will do a separate trip to tick off the remaining ones between Middlesbrough and Battersby

 

[yorkshirerail]

A little puzzled as to why, if it’s a matter of being physically on the station, you just don’t get off the train and then get back on again, rather than e.g. spending nearly 90 minutes on an unmanned station waiting for the next train? I’m obviously missing something about the attraction of this aspect of the hobby!

My rule is that I have to get a photo of the train at the station and stand on the platform for 5 minutes at least to be able to tick it off

 

[Haywain]

No I decided that I just wanted to focus on Battersby to Whitby for this trip and will do a separate trip to tick off the remaining ones between Middlesbrough and Battersby

That's fine but my point is that if you are going to ask for help with something, you should set out the parameters when asking. It took until post #11 before you mentioned not needing to visit Grosmont and Whitby.

 

[yorkshirerail]

That's fine but my point is that if you are going to ask for help with something, you should set out the parameters when asking. It took until post #11 before you mentioned not needing to visit Grosmont and Whitby.

Sorry I initially was just curious if you could do them all if I needed to and then once people said that it would be impossible and then narrowed down what stations I actually needed to do

 

[D1537]

James Cook, Marton, Gypsy Lane and Nunthorpe are much easier to do as you have the Nunthorpe terminators as well. That just leaves Great Ayton and there's a couple of Newcastle-Great Ayton terminators to help there.

i.e.
1258 MBR-Great Ayton
1336 Great Ayton-Marton
1412 Marton-Nunthorpe
1443 Nunthorpe-James Cook
1505 James Cook-Gypsy Lane
1545 Gypsy Lane-MBR

 

[yorkshirerail]

James Cook, Marton, Gypsy Lane and Nunthorpe are much easier to do as you have the Nunthorpe terminators as well. That just leaves Great Ayton and there's a couple of Newcastle-Great Ayton terminators to help there.

i.e.
1258 MBR-Great Ayton
1336 Great Ayton-Marton
1412 Marton-Nunthorpe
1443 Nunthorpe-James Cook
1505 James Cook-Gypsy Lane
1545 Gypsy Lane-MBR

Yes I realised that when I had a look through the timetable. Thanks for the plan May end up using it

 

[D1537]

Yes I realised that when I had a look through the timetable. Thanks for the plan May end up using it

Also James Cook to Marton is a quite nice quick walk down the footpath by the stream, so you could probably improve it using that. Gypsy Lane to Nunthorpe is also walkable if you like 1960s housing estates

 

[yorkshirerail]

Also James Cook to Marton is a quite nice quick walk down the footpath by the stream, so you could probably improve it using that. Gypsy Lane to Nunthorpe is also walkable if you like 1960s housing estates

Yes thanks for the additional tips

 

[alexf380]

There's a YouTuber called 'Glovestrains' who has visited all the stations on this line. She took three days to do it as part of visiting every station in Yorkshire. Worth a watch and I've used her itineraries in the past when planning trips.

 

[NER1621]

My rules are to use a station as a regular passenger would - board/alight/change. That 90 mins can be a nice opportunity to explore somewhere new, read peacefully or get some work done.

Ah, now I understand. Thanks

I've never understood the appeal of standing in a field with 50 other people waiting to photograph a kettle.

That would certainly seem a strange thing to do. Do people regularly congregate to take pictures of domestic appliances?

 

[yorkshirerail]

Ah, now I understand. Thanks

That would certainly seem a strange thing to do. Do people regularly congregate to take pictures of domestic appliances?

I have done this many times actually and I personally say that it is worth the wait if you get that perfect photo of your favourite loco recreating what the past used to be like

 

[Pinus contorta]

Its an interesting line to explore along. We took the train from Darlington to Saltburn and then X4 bus to Whitby on Monday. We got the 1602 back to Middlesbrough. Then onward to Darlington. Only thing that went wrong timing wise was the last bus from Darlington back to the in law being 25 late.