Picture Credit Charlotte Graham Picture Shows Engineers prepare various engines for the days work in the main railway workshop at Grosmont The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England running through the North York Moors National Park. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line between Grosmont and Rillington was closed in 1965 and the section between Grosmont and Pickering was reopened in 1973 by the North York Moors Historical Railway Trust Ltd. The preserved line is now a tourist attraction and has been awarded several industry accolades. In 2007, the railway started to run regular services over the 6 miles (9.7 km) section of the Esk Valley Line north of Grosmont to Whitby. In 2014, a second platform was opened at Whitby which allowed the NYMR to run an enhanced service and led to passenger numbers in the same year of nearly 350,000 people.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway announces oil conversion of USATC 2253 Omaha

by Northern Life

Future-proofing the NYMR!

North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is pleased to announce the conversion of steam locomotive USATC 2253 “Omaha” from coal to oil. This will be the first full-size steam locomotive oil conversion in the U.K. since the end of steam, and it is a crucial step forward in future-proofing the busiest heritage railway in the country.

No. 2253 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in America and shipped to Britain in May 1943 to work on the LNER from its base at Neville Hill depot at Leeds. Designed by the United States Army Transportation Corps, No. 2253 was one of 800 “S160-Class” locomotives manufactured in North America and shipped to Great Britain in support of the war effort. Following the end of the Second World War, it was bought by the Polish State Railway and became TR203-288. It was brought back to Britain in 1992 after reportedly having a full overhaul, and in 2013, No. 2253 was sold to Peter Best.​

Owner Peter Best was recently awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services to steam and heritage railways. Peter said seeing young people on a train hauled by one of his locomotives gives him “huge pleasure and pride”.

The NYMR Engineering Department will be assisted in this oil conversion by FMW Solutions, a railroad contractor and consulting firm based in Duluth, Minnesota, USA, which specialises in mechanical and engineering design and alternative fuel technology and research. FMW President Davidson Ward said, “We are honoured to assist on this trans-Atlantic effort, with key firing components being manufactured both at our workshop in Tennessee and by the NYMR at Grosmont. The final installation is anticipated to take place on the NYMR.”​

Oil Conversion Time Frame:

  • No. 2253 returns to NYMR for the 2024 Annual Steam Gala
  • No. 2253 will then form part of the NYMR home fleet locomotives
  • FMW Solutions is currently underway with designing the oil-burning equipment
  • NYMR will convert the locomotive from coal to oil over the 2024/2025 winter period

Paul Middleton, Director of Mechanical Engineering at the NYMR, said, “The conversion of No. 2253 will help not only reduce the railway’s overall sustainability strategy, including reducing particulate emissions but will also help build resilience during hot weather periods.

​“In recent years, domestic sources for high-quality steam coal have dried up in the U.K. and sourcing coal from across the world is extremely expensive. Pre-pandemic, we were paying £165 per ton, and at its peak, we reached £540 per ton. The conversion of No. 2253 to oil is key to ensuring the NYMR is resilient and can operate during the peak summer months.​

“Coal is part of our history, and there is a balance between keeping our stories alive and bringing to life the importance of railways, especially as next year marks the arrival of the major milestone of the celebration of Rail 200.”

The railway’s longer-term plan includes the conversion of locomotive No. 3672 Dame Vera Lynn, the austerity class locomotive, which the railway, alongside dedicated volunteers, is proactively fundraising to get the engine back operationally. http://www.nymr.co.uk/dameveralynn

NorthernLife Sept/Oct/Nov 24