A SONGWRITER has penned a song about an abandoned railway to help towards its refurbishment.

Ron Mozart is donating all proceeds from his single, The Silent Whistle, towards the Yorkshire Wolds Railway.

Ron, a music composer for half a century, is currently volunteering for the Yorkshire Wolds Railway as a second man on the railway’s locomotive.

“The trouble is, we only have a few hundred yards of track and no proper station buildings, which we need in order to be able to run our railway,” said Ron. “My song tells the story of how Alfred Dickens, brother of the famous author Charles Dickens, built the line from Malton to Driffield in 1865.

“Some of the stations were miles away from the villages and road haulage started to take off after The Great War, which led to the eventual closure of the line.

“But, as the silent whistle echoes through Burdale Tunnel and the ghosts of the long-gone railwaymen look on, they now have company in the hordes of volunteers that bring new life to the railway.

“The silent whistle will one day be heard from Sledmere to Garton, over the Wolds and past Wharram to Malton, with your help.”

Recording his first single in 1976, Ron has turned to writing, recording and performing folk ballads, accompanied by a 12-string guitar. After retiring as a head teacher three years ago, Ron returned to his passion for music and the railway.

The Yorkshire Wolds Railway is open every Sunday, from April to September, over the few hundred yards of track with the locomotive called Sir Tatton Sykes. The railway is currently rebuilding a guards van to accommodate more visitors.

“This is a long, tedious and expensive job, so we need all the help we can,” he said.

“I encourage anyone to download a copy of this jaunty, tuneful song. Not only will you be helping us rebuild one of the most scenic railways in Britain, but you might enjoy The Silent Whistle and sing along to the chorus.”

To download the single, visit https://ronmozart.bandcamp.com/track/the-silent-whistle