Work gangs were finally able to battle through the weather to cut up the existing deck and remove the supporting frames which then allowed the lifting out of the old beams.

To do this, scaffolding was put up at the site and thermic lances used to cut the cast iron.

When the preliminary works were completed a Kirow crane was used to lift out the old beams.

The severe weather conditions have hampered progress in the past week, but with the snow easing and temperatures rising, there are high hopes that work can progress with more pace.

Phil Bustard, marketing and external affairs manager at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, said: “The work has been planned through the winter, so as to enable the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to have a new bridge in place before the start of its main running season, which begins on 27 March.”

Experts have been called in to do the work, with the project being overseen by Leeds-based Construction Marine Limited.

“The movement of materials to site was aided by rail freight operator DB Shenker and AV Dawsons of Teesside. Volker Rail has provided its Kirow 1200 crane to do the heavy lifting,” Mr Bustard added.

Bridge 30 spans the Murk Esk at Darnholme. The current structure is 145 years old and is at the end of its working life. The new bridge was moved from Mabey Bridge in Chepstow to Tees Yard by road, then transferred to rail for the journey down to site.

The new beams for Bridge 30 are 28m long, 2.55m wide and 1.75m high. The two girders and bracing weigh 36 tonnes in total.

The cost of replacing Bridge 30, estimated at £650,000, has been the subject of a major fund-raising campaign by the railway.