Located within easy reach of Bolton Abbey, Skipton and its historic castle and passing through enchanting Yorkshire Dales’ scenery, the 5-mile long Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway is a popular attraction with tourists. Rightly marketed as Yorkshire’s ‘Friendly Line’ the railway which operates all year round holds many events specifically aimed at the family market such as Halloween and Santa Specials and of course Thomas the Tank Engine weekends.

For the enthusiast the railway has one of the finest collections of ex-industrial tank locomotives and working examples operate all the regular steam services, though on occasions ex British Railways’ locomotives have visited enabling the railway to re-create authentic branch line trains as well. Added to this are their specialist events such as the 1940sWeekend, the annual ‘Harvest of Steam’ and for the more modern traction supporters DieselWeekends.

Mike Heath and his family first visited the line in the early 1980s and for many years the now sadly discontinued Bonfire and Fireworks Night was always the very first entry in the ‘days out’ diary.

In this book, with a selection from his portfolio of superb photographs, Mike introduces us to the line, its historic locomotives and rolling stock, the stunning Dales’ landscape through which it passes and the many events and attractions held on and around the railway that combine to create an atmosphere of the rural branch line enjoyed by thousands of families and enthusiasts all year round.

For well over 25 years Mike Heath has enjoyed combining his hobbies of photography and visiting preserved railways all over Britain. In that time he has amassed a vast collection of stunning photographs covering all aspects of the railways across all four seasons, day and night. For this, his seventh book in the Halsgrove Railway Series, Mike takes us back into Yorkshire for a personal photographic journey on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.

Imprint: Halsgrove. ISBN 978 184114 751 2, hardback, 214x230mm, 144 pages.