Thomas The Tank Engine at Embsay Station
   

The Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway is a preserved heritage railway founded in 1979. The line is part of the former Midland Railway route from Skipton to Ilkley. It is a standard (4'8.5" or 1.435m) guage railway. The line was closed by British Rail in 1965 as part of the notorious "Beeching Axe" but a preservation society was founded four years later with Embsay Station re-opening in 1979. A short section of line was re-opened in 1981 and extended to Holywell Halt in 1987. The restored line was extended to Stoneacre Loop in 1991 before being extended to Bolton Abbey.
The line connects to the main system via the Bow Bridge sidings and a part of the Grassington Branch line in Skipton.
It is hoped to extend the railway to Addingham one day and possibly to Ilkley. There is also a possibility of re-opening the Grassington Branch to passengers and incorporating it into the exisiting railway. The Grassington Branch (or Yorkshire Dales Railway) is currently used to bring stone aggregates from Swinden Quarry between Rylstone and Grassington.

         Looking up the line from Embsay                                    On the Embsay Steam Railway                                  Locomotive changing ends