THE secrets behind a popular steam railway are to be revealed in a new television documentary.

The Yorkshire Steam Railway: All Aboard is a three-part documentary series which takes a look behind the scenes at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR).

The first programme will be aired on Channel 5 on Friday, then on the following two Fridays at 8pm, as the iconic moors railway celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The heritage railway, which runs between Pickering and Whitby, transports thousands of visitors between picturesque villages across the North York Moors every year.

The first of the three-part series sees the railway about to open its door for a new season and explores how they tackle a potentially large problem after hiring a star steam engine, Royal Scot, to headline for the week.

The programme will show how for general manager Chris Price, it’s an expensive gamble as the big and powerful steam engine was designed to thunder from London to Glasgow on mainline rails but the heritage railway has much smaller platforms and bridges.

Until Royal Scot arrives from her London base and goes through a gauging run on the line they don’t know if she will actually fit the railway.

Commissioned by DSP, part of the Endemol Shine Group, The Yorkshire Steam Railway: All Aboard has been given a Friday night primetime slot.

Viewers will be taken back in time to the golden age of steam, as a tireless army of staff and volunteers provide the inside track on what it takes to run a heritage railway. The programmes will see them welcoming coach trips, wedding parties and train spotters alike in what they hope will be the railway’s busiest year yet.

Earlier this year, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded the railway £4.6m as part of NYMR’s £9.2m Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey appeal. The appeal aims to boost investment in the infrastructure and the activities of the railway for the next 50 years.