The Annual Steam Gala is the busiest weekend of the railway's year, with an intensive timetable, home-fleet engines and visiting star locomotives. For 2026 the guests include the A4 Pacific No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, the London and South Western Railway T3 No. 563 and the Great Western Railway's No. 4079 Pendennis Castle. Goathland station hosts a beer festival over the gala.
Multi-day hop-on hop-off tickets are available, and engines change trains through the day, so a timetable and a vantage point by the line at Levisham, Darnholm or Grosmont pay off.
