North Eastern Railway Worsdell 'S' class 4-6-0 No. 2009. Built at Gateshead in June 1900 and withdrawn in July 1931 as LNER No. 2009. To take a top class action railway photograph some 120 years ago needed a very skilled photographer and top class equipment. This is a northbound excursion train leaving York in 1901 and passing Clifton - before the construction of the new carriage sidings. The old Clifton signal cabin is seen in the background.
By any standards this is a superb image restored from a railway album print dated 1902.

© Steve Armitage Collection courtesy of Martin Hoyle