The Derwent Valley Light Railway Society is a small group of volunteers who maintain and operate train services on the remaining section of the original Derwent Valley Railway. We work in partnership with the Yorkshire Museum of Farming, now known as 'Murton Park' at Murton which is on the east side of York.

The railway in it's current form began in 1989, with the arrival of the Great Yorkshire Preservation Society, formerly based at Starbeck, near Harrogate. The society was looking for a new home as they had been asked to vacate their site on the old locomotive sheds at Starbeck due to redevelopment of the site for housing, and the relocation of the nearby Octavius Atckinson steelworks. In 1990, the society joined forces with a group of volunteers previously involved with the Hull Locomotive Preservation Society, from Dairycoats in Hull.The railway has then gone from strength to strength.

The society started operating passenger services over the remaining half mile of track in 1993, using industrial diesel locomotives, until restoration of Andrew Barclay No8 was completed by 1994. This meant steam passenger trains could begin in 1995. Our first and only ex BR loco came in 1998 with the arrival of 03079 from the Isle of White.

 

 

Workshop facilities were built on site using a grounded fish van body and a further extension using the body from the chassis that was used for the restoration of our North Eastern passenger carriage. A North Eastern signal box has been rebuilt on site, (see left), which was originally from Muston, on the Bridlington to Scarborough line.

 

 

 

In 1999, Murton station was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of York. This was a long project, which involved moving the original Derwent Valley Wheldrake station building from Wheldrake and rebuilding it on our site at Murton (see right). The station area was originally a field, with everything built there now by our volunteers. The original site of Murton station was slightly further east, on the other side of Murton Lane, where Clanceys scrap yard now exists.

 

Our railway currently operates passenger trains throughout the Summer, from Easter until September on Sundays and Bank Holidays, in addition to our very popular Santa Special trains in December, where we team up with the farming museum and Viking village to create a Christmas experience second to none! For more information on when we operate,please visit the timetable page.

What you see on this website will only give you an idea of what is happening, but pictures can only do so much. Please come and visit our railway and help us continue with our progress, or even better, become a member and help us achieve that little bit more........