A day trip to Danby

[Gathursty]

As part of my new quest (to ride every line in the country) today I visited Middlesbrough in order to cover the Esk Valley upto Commondale. I have previously covered the line beyond here to Whitby. Fortunately for me, in the time since I was last here, Northern Rail have introduced a weekday service only going so far as Danby in the middle of the day which I would use today. It leaves Middlesbrough at 1255 but today left at about 1301.

I first noticed that the service was manned by a female driver and female conductor. Very good.

Kite159 asked for loading statistics and today I obliged. I found both the data and the scenery fascinating. Here are my notes.

14 passengers (including me) on at Middlesbrough
3 off at James Cook
2 off at Marton
3 off / 1 on at Gypsy Lane
4 off at Nunthorpe
0 at Great Ayton
0 at Battersby
Pass Kildale, Commondale and Castleton Moor.
Both off at Danby
Pass Castleton Moor, Commondale and Kildale
0 at Battersby
Pass Great Ayton
5 on at Nunthorpe
Here I notice a female conductor on the passing service at Nunthorpe. It is a good day for female staff as in Wigan I see more men than women working on the trains.
4 on at Gypsy Lane
3 on at Marton
3 at James Cook

I suspected the gentleman who was with me all the way to Danby maybe an enthusiast but he seemed to be a bit bedazzled after getting off at this small village and a bit unsure of what to do apart from looking at the electronic departure screen. Perhaps be wanted to go towards Whitby by taking the first train going as far as possible in the correct direction etc... He did not jump back on the train.

I enjoyed the journey as it was a bit of an express skipping past the halts. The drag up to Nunthorpe is better downhill as the train gets going quicker naturally.

My journey to Middlesbrough was as Google Maps described: 2.5 hours up the M6, along the A685, nothing at Kirkby Stephen as I drove under, then along the A66/A1(M)/A66(M) without much issue.

This time I didn't panic and pay at WHSmiths on the platform and had enough time to find a Greggs in the town shopping centre.

My return drive was down the A19, A61, A59, A56, M65 and M6 which was punctuated by three sets of roadworks and some slow moving traffic near Embsay.

I think the only track for coverage I have left which is served by single digit services a day are the Oban branch and the section covering Dingwall - Strathcarron which is not bad going. I look forward to doing those in the future.

 

[Kite159]

So pretty much after Nunthorpe it sounds like a waste of fuel. Danby just seems a strange place to terminate as it skips the larger Castleton. I suspect I will make use of it in October as a time wasting move.

Anyhow good on avoiding the expensive WH Smiths (which IIRC is something like £4.50 for a basic meal deal)

 

[Gathursty]

So pretty much after Nunthorpe it sounds like a waste of fuel. Danby just seems a strange place to terminate as it skips the larger Castleton. I suspect I will make use of it in October as a time wasting move.

Anyhow good on avoiding the expensive WH Smiths (which IIRC is something like £4.50 for a basic meal deal)

I agree with you on Castleton Moor when you see the size of the villages from the train. I hope someone can inform us as to why the train stops at Danby.

 

[Kite159]

I agree with you on Castleton Moor when you see the size of the villages from the train. I hope someone can inform us as to why the train stops at Danby.

I'm trying to recall something in one of the rail magazine with an article about the timetable changes, something about some tourist attraction around Danby but nothing is popping up on Google Maps. Maybe walks in the dales?

I can't remember much about the station as when I visited a couple years ago the weather was a bit rubbish

 

[rg177]

Danby is a pleasant wee village and houses one of the larger North York Moors National Park Authority visitor centres but it's worth maybe an hour of your time at most.

 

[30907]

Danby is a pleasant wee village and houses one of the larger North York Moors National Park Authority visitor centres but it's worth maybe an hour of your time at most.

And is also a hub for the Moorsbus network - or what is left of it
Castleton Moor is unfortunately rather a way from the village, horizontally and vertically.

 

[splashoutradio]

Having spent a night at the Duke Of Wellington Inn at Danby, the hotel is also house to a rather good pub, and in a neighboring village (approx. 10 min hilly walk) there's another good pub with reasonable housing and a fire station. But Danby is also the closest station to the Moors National Park Centre, which is what I assume the tourist attraction in question is.

 

[DarloRich]

I agree with you on Castleton Moor when you see the size of the villages from the train. I hope someone can inform us as to why the train stops at Danby.

Danby has the national park centre, is an main access point to the Moors, offers some good walking routes and is a central point for the remains of the moors bus network. it also has a couple of decent pubs

 

[route101]

Nice detailed little report , i used this line last month . Whitby to Middlesborough . My service was busy with schoolkids to the villages .A 156.