Oz-ventures aboard the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Half term fun, 24 May – 2 June 2014

There may not be lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) wandering around the North Yorkshire Moors Railway this half term, but the rails may well have a slightly yellow-brick hue, when the heritage railway celebrates Wizard of Oz week, from Saturday 24 May until Sunday 2 June 2014.

During the week, visiting munchkins will be invited to complete a Wizard of OZ themed Tracker Jack Trail, hunting for Oz-themed clues at Pickering and Goathland Stations along the line with a chance to win family tickets, and on Friday 30 May, the Wizard of Oz story train will leave Pickering station at 10.00am for a family fun day in the company of Dorothy and her friends on the NYMR Story Train.

“2014 is the 75thanniversary of the original Wizard of Oz film starring Judy Garland, which is truly a classic movie and brought the world created by L. Frank Baum to a global audience.  The film is just as popular today as it was then, and in fact, we’ve had a number of further Oz adventures in the last couple of years, with ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’, and this year’s ‘Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return’,” comments NYMR’s marketing manager, Danielle Ramsey.  “When we heard that the Pickering Parish Church flower festival would be celebrating the Emerald City, we just had to jump on board – this is an adventure you won’t want to miss!”

Those travelling on the Wizard of Oz Story Train are invited to come in costume as any of the favourite characters from Oz, with characters to meet on the train, and fun activities at the stations along the line, with a stop off for lunch and exploration at Goathland, and games and entertainment at Levisham (depending on weather – this may be Pickering Learning Centre), before Dorothy clicks together her ruby slippers to take travellers back to Pickering, arriving back at around 2.40pm.

Once everyone is safely back in Pickering, visitors will also be invited to follow a trail of scarecrows from the station to Pickering Parish Church, to see stunning floral displays following the Oz theme.

The Wizard of Oz trails can be picked up from any NYMR booking office  from 24 May until the 2 June, and returned to any booking office, shop or tea room to be in with a chance of winning a 2014 family ticket.   Services run daily between Pickering and Whitby from 9am, with trains departing most hours on the hour.  For up-to-date timetable information, please visit www.nymr.co.uk.  Day rover tickets are priced from £9.50 for children and £19.00 for adults (Pickering – Goathland/Grosmont) or £12.50/£25.00 for Pickering to Whitby. 

Tickets for the Wizard of Oz Story Train are priced at £45 for a family ticket (two adults and up to four children), with pre-booking strongly recommended as places are limited.

For more details, or to pre-book,  visit www.nymr.co.uk or call 01751 472 508

ENDS

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel:         01904 500698

Email:    jay@pyperyork.co.uk