Annual Diesel Gala 2026 at North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Spanning four action-packed days, the event will showcase the very best of Britain’s diesel heritage, with a line-up set to excite rail enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

The NYMR is excited to welcome a selection of iconic guest locomotives for this year’s event including:

• Class 35 ‘Hymek’ No. D7017, courtesy of The Diesel and Electric Preservation Group Limited located at the West Somerset Railway (WSR), is a diesel-hydraulic locomotive built for BR Western Region in 1961.

It entered service in 1962 at Bristol Bath Road and was withdrawn in 1975 following British Rail’s move to standardise on diesel-electric traction, having outlasted many of its classmates. It was preserved by The Diesel and Electric Preservation Group, going on to haul the first service operated by a diesel loco purchased by public subscription in the UK and the first mainline diesel loco to operate on the preserved WSR in 1977.

• BR Class 14 D9553 courtesy of Jon Gill, is a preserved diesel-hydraulic ‘Teddy Bear’ locomotive, built at Swindon in 1964-65. After industrial use at BSC Corby Steelworks, it saw extensive service at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway and later moved to the Caledonian Railway. The livery is one originally proposed by British Rail specifically for the Class 14s prior to them selecting Blue & Grey as British Rail’s corporate colours.

• Class 20 No. 20166 courtesy of Jon Gill, was built at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows and entered service as No. D8166 in 1966. Like a number of Class 20s, it spent time working on Channel Tunnel construction for Rail Freight Services (RFS) after being withdrawn from British Rail (BR). It is currently painted in unbranded Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC) / Swietelsky colours.

In addition to these special guests, the NYMR’s own fleet of heritage diesel locomotives will be in action.

The NYMR’s home fleet includes; BR Class 37 No. 37264 in the classic 1980s British Rail blue livery and BR Class 37 No. 37688 ‘Great Rocks’, named after a quarry in Derbyshire. Built in 1963 it features an attractive 1980s British Rail Construction sector livery. Plus, No. 47077 Class 47 ‘North Star’ which was built by BR at Crewe Works in 1965; the locomotive carries the distinction of being the last locomotive scheduled to haul a cross-country express service on the UK network on the 19th August 2002.

The 1903 North Eastern Railway (NER) Electric Autocar No. 3170 will be offering a unique glimpse into early electric railway innovation, brake van rides will be available at Levisham Station, and there will also be shuttle services to Whitby.

Nick Simpson, Head of Mechanical Engineering at NYMR, said: “This event is a fantastic opportunity to experience the variety of diesel traction in one place. From iconic visiting locomotives to our much-loved home fleet, we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors for four days of intensive services and the unmistakable sights and sounds of Britain’s diesel era.”