Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway

Bolton Abbey Platform 2 Appeal

Bolton Abbey station, platform 2 with the staff posing for a photograph at the turn of the century. (C) YDRMT Collection. It is now some 16 years since the Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust (YDRMT) commenced operations to Bolton Abbey, so what has happened over the years at this charming location and what does the future hold for Bolton Abbey Station?

Short/Medium Term

  • Complete the proposed track layout at the station west end giving access to two long sidings and a headshunt. Status: COMPLETED.
  • Complete the restoration of the former Sleights Sidings East signal box as a visitor attraction. Status: ONGOING.
  • Build a replica Midland Railway Running-In (name) board. Status: ONGOING.
  • Commission and build a second platform face. Status: STARTED.

    July 2015: Fundraising has passed the £20,000 mark, and this has been topped up with a grant of £50,000 from Yorventure which has enabled work to commence. As well as your donations, we have also received support from Booths of Ilkley, Waitrose in Otley and the Freemasons of Yorkshire, West Riding.

    The old remains of the platform wall have been demolished, with new foundations being dug and walling commencing, one section at a time.

    Bolton Abbey station, taken from platform 2, with the Class 14 on test. (C) Tim Warner. Longer Term

  • Commission and build a third platform face creating an island platform.
  • Acquire, or construct, and erect a Midland Railway footbridge;
  • Design and construct a new station east end track layout;
  • Commission the former Guiseley signal box

    Distant Future

  • Provide a replica of the original Platform 2 building;
  • Erect a replica Midland Railway canopy over the island platform.

    (owing to the track layout, a replica is not suitable, so an island platform building, with integral canopy has been designed, based on those at Welsh Harp and Northfield stations. This should complement the existing building.)

    What progress is being made with the Short / Medium Term Plan?

    Bolton Abbey station, West End trackwork as Norman departs. (C) Ken Snowdon. At the time of writing, the station west-end track layout is complete, mainly using materials recovered from Leeds Station during the ‘Leeds 1st’ development.

    The former Sleights Sidings East signal box is in-situ and is being regularly worked on by the YDRMT S&T Team.

    This leaves the Platform 2 construction as the CURRENT focus.

    Platform 2 will be a relatively simple straightforward piece of work and the wall construction has been designed by the in-house team. Construction, to match the original, will be of dense concrete blocks with concrete oversails and copings.

    So what is stopping us COMPLETING this exciting project?

    Bolton Abbey station, looking towards Embsay, immediately post 1948 judging by the blacking out on the lamps and the loco's number. (C) YDRMT Collection. Bolton Abbey station, looking towards Embsay, with a local service having just arrived into platform 2, hauled by a Fairburn tank. (C) F.W.Smith. Bolton Abbey station, looking towards Addingham with a DMU in the platform in 1964. (C) F.W.Smith.

    Quite simply, money!

    This project will greatly improve the ‘railway look’ of the station and return it to how it would have looked during the Midland, LMS and British Railways era.

    The YDRMT has started a dedicated fund with the aim of raising sufficient finance to underwrite the cost of providing Platform 2.

    We would like to extend this fundraising venture beyond just YDRMT Members and therefore I invite viewers of this website to contribute to making this project a success.

    There are two ways to help:

  • We can sell many different things on our Ebay account for which, as a charitable seller, the fund receives 100% of the sale costs. Please send your unwanted model railway equipment (rolling stock, etc.) or other saleable items to David Barlow c/o Bolton Abbey Station, Bolton Abbey, Skipton, BD23 6AF.

  • More directly, Sponsor a Concrete Block – the project will need 4450 concrete blocks to complete the platform face. Buy a block for £5, or multiples thereof, and see ‘your’ block (or blocks) become part of a great heritage scheme.

    Everyone who sponsors a platform block will receive a unique certificate acknowledging their backing and we intend to have on display, at Bolton Abbey Station, a list of benefactors who have supported the project.

    If you wish to sponsor concrete blocks at £5 each, please fill in THIS FORM and send it together with a cheque for the amount, payable to YDRMT, to David Barlow c/o Bolton Abbey Station, Bolton Abbey, Skipton, BD23 6AF.

    If you are a UK tax payer please do Gift Aid your sponsorship.

    Play your part in delivering an exciting heritage project in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales!

    Bolton Abbey station in the 1930s. (C) F.W.Smith Collection. Overview of the station in the early 1960s. (C) F.W.Smith. Looking towards Addingham laong platform 2. (C) F.W.Smith. Looking towards Embsay with the remaining buildings on platform 2 visible. (C) YDRMT Collection. Looking towards Embsay again with the signalbox and footbridge in shot. (C) YDRMT Collection. Thought to be the last steam engine to run THROUGH from Skipton to Ilkley during demolition. (C) David Cash. Dismantling in full swing. (C) David Cash. The station being used for other purposes post-closure. (C) David Cash.

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    Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust (Holdings) Limited
    Registered Charity No. 1116386
    Bolton Abbey Station, Bolton Abbey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6AF
    General Enquiries: 01756 710614 - Talking Timetables & Fax: 01756 795189
    enquiries AT embsayboltonabbeyrailway DOT org.uk webmaster AT embsayboltonabbeyrailway DOT org.uk     		Yorkshire Tourist Board

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