Beckhole Incline
| Beckhole Incline | |
|---|---|
The bottom of the incline, looking north | |
| Overview | |
| Other name(s) | Goathland Incline |
| Status | Closed |
| Locale | Goathland, North Yorkshire, England |
| Coordinates | 54°24′18″N 0°43′41″W / 54.405°N 0.728°W |
| Termini | |
| Service | |
| Operator(s) | W&PR, 1836–1845 Y&NMR, 1845–1854 NER, 1854–1865 |
| History | |
| Opened | 26 May 1836 |
| Closed | 1 June 1865 |
| Technical | |
| Track length | 1,500 yards (1,400 m) |
| Number of tracks | 1 (with passing place) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Highest elevation | 350 ft (110 m) |
Beckhole Incline was a steep, rope-worked gradient on the railway line between Whitby and Pickering, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England. Opened in May 1836 as part of the horse-worked Whitby & Pickering Railway, the line was operated by three railway companies before becoming redundant on the opening of a diversionary line to the east that allowed through working by steam engines on the entire line. Although the incline was closed to regular traffic in 1865, it was used for a very brief period in 1872, to test a special locomotive intended for railways with steep gradients.
The site of the incline can now be walked, as part of the Rail Trail between Goathland and Grosmont.