STEAM will be making way for diesel this month on a heritage railway devoted to the locomotives of the past.

The North York Moors Railway is holding a diesel gala from May 9 to 11 on the line between Pickering and Grosmont, with some services running to and from Whitby.

The event is aimed at anyone with an interest in historic diesel engines and railway history.

There will be a special timetable and trains will run between Pickering and Grosmont on all three days. Trains will also run on the Battersby Esk Valley Line between Whitby and Grosmont on the Saturday and Sunday only.

The gala will feature a mix of the railway's own diesel engines and visiting locomotives The star attraction will be "Western Champion," a Class 52 and the only mainline diesel of its kind in existence. It was designed for express passenger work between London to Cornwall, West Wales and the Midlands when it was first built in 1963.

The engine was eventually withdrawn from mainline service in 1976 having covered more than a million miles. Its two Maybach 12 cylinder engines generate 2,700bhp.

Another attraction is the Class 55 Deltic "Royal Highland Fusilier." Built by English Electric in the early 1960s it was at the time the most powerful diesel.

Throughout the gala a shuttle bus service will operate between Malton and Pickering stations.