c. cxcv), dated 6 August 1897 after several previous attempts to open a line to Grassington including one which would have driven eastwards from Gargrave.

[4] A passing loop was installed at Rylstone when traffic from the quarries at Swinden and Skirethornes (the latter via the 2-mile (3.2 km) tramway at Threshfield) increased in number.

[6] Passenger services on the line typically numbered seven a day in each direction, with one southbound working being split at Embsay Junction; the front portion of the train would go forward to Skipton, whilst the rear portion was coupled up to another locomotive, and would run east via Ilkley to Bradford Forster Square.

[12] After August 1969, the line was cut back to Swinden Quarry (9 miles 13 chains (14.7 km))[13] and it focussed strictly on sending out limestone.

In 1970, new owners promoted an upsurge in rail-borne traffic which necessitated a pipeline being laid to power the kilns with gas rather than coal.

[14] The YDR remains a freight-only line used for carrying bulk trainloads of limestone aggregate from the quarry to terminals in Leeds, Hull, Birmingham and Wellingborough.