The current route of the York to Selby cycle path was part of the East Coast Main Line, until the threat of subsidence from the Selby coalfield forced the route of the railway to be changed in 1983. This railway heritage is one of four main avenues for historical research in the Railway to Greenway project. You can find out more about the history of this railway by clicking on the links below.
In the archive –
- Origins of the East Coast Mainline
- The LNER Encyclopedia
- Maps and plans of the proposed and actual rail network in the York area.
- Learn about the history of Naburn swing bridge courtesy of York RI Sailing Club.
- Some photos of the Naburn Swing Bridge – Courtesy of Naburn and Bishopthorpe Local History Groups
- Photos of Selby Bridge – a similar design – and its predecessor
- Steam to Diesel – images of rolling stock from Mallard to Royal Scot to Deltic and HST 125
- Photos of trains and infrastructure at Riccall and Escrick – courtesy of Riccall Local History Group
- Maps and plans of the proposed and actual rail network in the York area.
More historic photos and maps can be found on the page contributed by Frank Paterson – retired General Manager of the BR Eastern Region Search ‘Frank Paterson’
Also some personal memories of people who lived alongside the track when it was still in use –
- (Almost) de-railing the Royal Scot
- Siver Cross Pram
- Young Daredevils
- Friendly fire
Photos from Selby: The Past in Photos: A Pictorial History: Part 2.
Until 1840 the railway line from Leeds terminated at Selby. Prior to the railway’s construction, the only way to…
Photos from Selby: The Industrial Past – Roland Chilvers and Selby: The Past…
Selby Motor & General Engineering Co. Ltd took over Stagg & Robson Ltd. in 1906 but went into liquidation in…
An open document on the Selby coalfield’s development implications for the British Rail from 1974-1976. This document is held at…
This is an Archive held at The National Archives and shows the East Coast Main Line diversion from Temple Hirst…
Council for the Protection of Rural England. Administrative Records. Correspondence and Administrative Files. Yorkshire Folder entitled Selby Coalfield.
The Selby Swing Bridge – similar in design to the Naburn Bridge – is still operational. There are also photos…
Photo attached of the first railway bridge at Selby. It’s a bascule bridge and was built in 1840 when Selby…
Selby was impacted by heavy flooding in March 1947. Below are some photos which capture the scale of the flooding.…
Photos from Selby: The Past in Pictures: A Pictorial History: Part 2.
The Rowntrees chocolate factory in York required many workers who needed transport to get to and from work from outlying…
Not all Rowntrees workers arrived on bikes. Each morning a train from Selby via Riccall and Naburn to Rowntree Halt…
