I haven't done anything like this for many years - but now the opportunity presented itself.
I realised that down the years I've somewhat neglected the Scarborough-Hull line. Yet it's a real survivor - and what's more it's a line with a lot of worthwhile places to visit.
The Yorkshire Coast Day Ranger allows unlimited travel between Scarborough and Hull (and on the 93 bus up to Whitby for that matter) for £18.
It's sunny but chilly and this is going to be a whistle-stop tour rather than a leisurely summer stroll.
I'm off on the 9.02 out of Scarborough. As the branch begins after Seamer, we enter arguably the most picturesque stretch of the line. Filey is a well-preserved station with its overall roof. Onwards on the single track with sea views before my first stop - Bridlington.
By far the biggest intermediate station on the line, Bridlington is very well kept and retains just a sliver of its former glory. Semaphore signals still in plenty of evidence.
I pop down to the deserted seafront and am served possibly the weakest cup of coffee I have had in my life.
Back in time for another Scarborough-Hull service and I press on to Driffield. Another tidy station and also "boasts" a siding for permanent way work. A quick pop into Driffield for a swift half. It's market day - lots of country folk about.
But now I must catch the 11.56 to Hull as I plan to alight at Arram - by far the least-served station on the line and a real survivor - it was marked for closure in the 1960s but got away with it and serves only around 2,000 passengers per year.
I'm up at the door in good time and am pressing away to open it. But what's this? The guard is buzzing and we're off again!
Should I kick up a fuss? I decide against it - it's no big loss for me to miss spending an hour at a station with not so much as a pub nearby - but it's noted for your observation right here.
That means an unplanned brief stop in Beverley. I'm aiming for Nafferton, but now have extra time to kill. So I crack on back up to Driffield, and then double back to "notch" Hutton Cranswick instead. A very quiet rural station and another that makes me wonder how it survived when so many others perished under Beeching.
Only an 8-minute turnaround here, and onwards to Nafferton. This is my planned lunch stop - I've researched the pub - but it turns out to be a 20-minute walk uphill from the station. No problem as it gives me the opportunity to stroll through the kind of village where presumably nothing of note ever happens. There's even a cute road sign warning drivers to look out for geese and ducks.
I make it to the pub, and obviously they're not having a rush on bashers, as I'm the only customer. I'd imagined dozens of well-heeled guests tucking into lunch and for a moment comes the dread that actually they don't serve lunch in December or something. But yes, they do, and the Wold Top goes down a treat.
A nice hour's interlude and then it's an amble back down the hill for the 15.16 back to Scarborough. Darkness is closing in and I'm done for the day.
My conclusions on this attempt to roll back the years? Well, the stations are in great shape compared to the 1970s when BR let many of them get terribly run-down. Many retain original features and are practically heritage stations.
Sadly I can't work up much enthusiasm for the rolling stock. It's just 158s, 158s and 158s. I was even hoping I might chance upon a Pacer. True, if I'd pressed on to Hull I probably would have. This line has hardly been an enthusiast's heaven for many years, but at least when I was growing up one could hope for maybe 3-4 different classes of DMU over the course of a day such as this. And of course there's not a parcels van or a wagon in sight. It's all got rather sanitised.
That said, this ranger would make a great summer day out for anyone - I didn't even touch upon the bird sanctuary at Bempton, or beautiful Filey beach - and of course nor did I press on to Hull.
I realised that down the years I've somewhat neglected the Scarborough-Hull line. Yet it's a real survivor - and what's more it's a line with a lot of worthwhile places to visit.
The Yorkshire Coast Day Ranger allows unlimited travel between Scarborough and Hull (and on the 93 bus up to Whitby for that matter) for £18.
It's sunny but chilly and this is going to be a whistle-stop tour rather than a leisurely summer stroll.
I'm off on the 9.02 out of Scarborough. As the branch begins after Seamer, we enter arguably the most picturesque stretch of the line. Filey is a well-preserved station with its overall roof. Onwards on the single track with sea views before my first stop - Bridlington.
By far the biggest intermediate station on the line, Bridlington is very well kept and retains just a sliver of its former glory. Semaphore signals still in plenty of evidence.
I pop down to the deserted seafront and am served possibly the weakest cup of coffee I have had in my life.
Back in time for another Scarborough-Hull service and I press on to Driffield. Another tidy station and also "boasts" a siding for permanent way work. A quick pop into Driffield for a swift half. It's market day - lots of country folk about.
But now I must catch the 11.56 to Hull as I plan to alight at Arram - by far the least-served station on the line and a real survivor - it was marked for closure in the 1960s but got away with it and serves only around 2,000 passengers per year.
I'm up at the door in good time and am pressing away to open it. But what's this? The guard is buzzing and we're off again!
Should I kick up a fuss? I decide against it - it's no big loss for me to miss spending an hour at a station with not so much as a pub nearby - but it's noted for your observation right here.
That means an unplanned brief stop in Beverley. I'm aiming for Nafferton, but now have extra time to kill. So I crack on back up to Driffield, and then double back to "notch" Hutton Cranswick instead. A very quiet rural station and another that makes me wonder how it survived when so many others perished under Beeching.
Only an 8-minute turnaround here, and onwards to Nafferton. This is my planned lunch stop - I've researched the pub - but it turns out to be a 20-minute walk uphill from the station. No problem as it gives me the opportunity to stroll through the kind of village where presumably nothing of note ever happens. There's even a cute road sign warning drivers to look out for geese and ducks.
I make it to the pub, and obviously they're not having a rush on bashers, as I'm the only customer. I'd imagined dozens of well-heeled guests tucking into lunch and for a moment comes the dread that actually they don't serve lunch in December or something. But yes, they do, and the Wold Top goes down a treat.
A nice hour's interlude and then it's an amble back down the hill for the 15.16 back to Scarborough. Darkness is closing in and I'm done for the day.
My conclusions on this attempt to roll back the years? Well, the stations are in great shape compared to the 1970s when BR let many of them get terribly run-down. Many retain original features and are practically heritage stations.
Sadly I can't work up much enthusiasm for the rolling stock. It's just 158s, 158s and 158s. I was even hoping I might chance upon a Pacer. True, if I'd pressed on to Hull I probably would have. This line has hardly been an enthusiast's heaven for many years, but at least when I was growing up one could hope for maybe 3-4 different classes of DMU over the course of a day such as this. And of course there's not a parcels van or a wagon in sight. It's all got rather sanitised.
That said, this ranger would make a great summer day out for anyone - I didn't even touch upon the bird sanctuary at Bempton, or beautiful Filey beach - and of course nor did I press on to Hull.
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