THOUSANDS of visitors headed to Pickering at the weekend for the annual Railway in Wartime event.

The three-day event, organised by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR), started on Friday and this year had the theme “A Celebration of Victory in Europe”.

Each station along the railway line was transformed to create a variety of scenarios and performances and there was the usual parades through Pickering.

New for this year was a celebration of Victory in Europe at Levisham station with 1940s-style show bands, music acts, dance troupes and much more.

Chris Price, general manager at the NYMR, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to the thousands of visitors who came to Pickering to see the parades and activities, which we could not put on without the help and support from Pickering in Business and Pickering Town Council.

“The railway welcomed over 5,500 passengers over the three-day event, which was delivered and supported by the re-enactor groups and railway volunteers, who go above and beyond to ensure everything here runs smoothly.

“Being a charity, we rely heavily on the work of selfless volunteers and donations from our passengers, and we are incredibly grateful for everyone who has contributed.

“Now we look forward to Railway in Wartime 2019 where we will do it all over again and look to enhance our visitor experience even more.”