The North Yorkshire Moors Railway held their annual Autumn steam gala over the last weekend in September but, unlike previous years, I didn't get there until the final day, Sunday 30th September 2012. Actually, I almost didn't bother going at all.
I'm sorry to say that my enthusiasm for the NYMR had hit an all-time low and it seemed to me that this gala was going to be little different than a normal running day.
Getting visiting locos seems to have proved difficult with the one initially promised becoming unavailable to be replaced by two, the GNR N2 1744 and GER N7 69621.
The N7 has visited the railway before without being particularly successful and it came as no surprise to find that it wouldn't be working having failed with some unspecified problem at some point in the previous two days. Otherwise, all we had were the usual suspects that you could expect to see on a normal day with the one bonus of some main line running to Battersby without which, our visit would have been something of a waste of time.
The day was very windy and rain was forecast; getting shelter was important so our first attempt at a recording was made on the hillside above Esk Valley where we had heard a distant chime whistle indicating, we thought, that our recording would be of the A4 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley'. However, when the loco at the head of this train appeared down in the valley it proved to be the N2 1744 but the train was also being banked with the A4 being used as the banker,
Now I feel sure that back in steam days there would have been occasions when A4 hauled trains leaving Kings Cross would have had rear end assistance from a tank loco but I doubt that trains hauled by small tank locos were ever assisted by A4s. A bit of role reversal going on here I think.

Our next recording was of the first of the trains going to Battersby hauled by the Black 5 4-6-0 45428.
Again wind was a problem and we found shelter near Lease Rigg Bridge not far from Grosmont station but there was nothing we could do about the sound of wind in trees.
After an initial slip 45428 sounds fine on the rising gradient as it passes before shutting off for the speed restriction on the bridge over the River Esk. Once across, the regulator is opened once more but the Black 5 has further trouble with adhesion on the rising gradient. Once that is overcome, 45428 can be heard accelerating its train through Egton Bridge.

Back at Esk Valley we found the next train hauled by the BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 92214, the largest engine on the line. Odd then that this engine was entrusted with the shortest train; just 5 coaches. Perhaps the railway is short of coaches as well as engines?
Still, even with this light load, the 9F sounds Ok heading for Goathland.

Wanting, if nothing else, to get at least one good recording of the visiting N2 we headed for Levisham where we found chain saws and strimmers in use so, as recording near the station wasn't a possibility we headed off into Newtondale and recorded the next train, hauled by 60007, at Yorfalls Wood.
The A4 isn't my favourite engine for noise but I don't suppose that this is too bad.

Returning to Levisham station we were pleased to see that wood cutting activities had ceased so were able to get our recording of 1744 departing with the next train.
Not a bad sound and, as the N2 disappears into Newtondale, 825 can be heard departing in the other direction for Pickering.

The afternoon train to Battersby was also hauled by 45428 so we went to a spot we had used before not far west of Glaisdale hoping that it would be sheltered from the wind and while it was a bit breezy there, it wasn't too bad.
As the recording begins, 45428, having crossed 75029 with a train returning from Battersby, is ready to leave and sounds very good departing and climbing the gradient.
Not far from our recording position is another bridge over the river which has a 10 mph speed restriction so the regulator has to be closed and, as often happens here, the safety valves lift.
Once clear of the bridge the regulator is re-opened and 45428 makes a fine sound passing and heading away towards Lealholm.
An excellent recording and just as well. We had hoped to get one more recording of the N2 and headed off to Levisham with that intention but when we arrived we found the N2 waiting to depart to Pickering where, we were told, it would stay only going to New Bridge to await a low loader to take it away from the railway. Even though there were still a couple of trains that we could have recorded we decided we'd had enough and called it a day.