North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

The issue at NYMR is less that MK1s predominate - that's a basic question of the number of vehicles in the fleet - and more that the operation has become more and more focused on servicing the Whitby operation, with heritage (including the LNER stock) getting significantly less attention.

That's ultimately a question of soul, where the uncomfortable sense is that pragmatism is leaving little or no room for that soul.

 

Never going to get the perfect person for the job. Its a small field so hiring someone who just likes to play trains doesn't work at this level. Similarly, there are people in the sector who are more familiar with pure commercial operations so the murky add on of volunteers and heritage does come to loggerheads.

 

The fact is, though, that lines like the Bluebell and IoWSR have consciously made the effort to try to portray an earlier era than 1950s/60s BR steam and they seem to be generally admired for doing so, and generate an atmosphere that appeals to visitors. The NYMR has some unique advantages over other lines that it makes virtually no capital from - how many other heritage railways were built by George Stephenson as a horse-drawn line with a rope-worked incline and using the same flotation techniques at Fen Bog as were used at Chat Moss? These are things that really should be made to jump out and come alive to the average visitor and draw them in in the first place. Communications are acknowledged by just about everyone on the railway to be dreadful. Interestingly, I've just been watching a piece on the BBC News about Bovington Camp's success with its YouTube channel - it's ironic that Chris Price is something of a technophile but the NYMR has never used anything like this in his time there - hopefully his successor will be a bit more clued in.

 

Apart from the YouTube channel that could have more content but still there: https://www.youtube.com/@NYMR

 

An interesting watch

North Yorkshire Moors Railway Trust AGM 2023 | North Yorkshire Moors Railway - NYMR

Jon

 

As you say, an interesting watch. All about the commercial and safety matters but absolutely nothing about heritage developments (unless you count the recent award of a 350K grant for new MIC facilities) which are what attract many of the volunteers and visitors. There has been a lot said about the NYMR promoting itself as a "living museum" as part of its rebranding exercise associated with claiming gift aid on tickets, but it wasn't mentioned at all.at least perhaps in passing (I went through some of it on fast forward!).

 

The 'Sir Nigel Gresley' services for the LNER 100 anniversary handily extended through to half term so we visited yesterday and travelled for the first time in 10 years as we are spending the first half of half term in Yorkshire. We arrived at Pickering yesterday with the plan to film the 10.55am departure, then 'Sir Nigel Gresley's' 11.40am arrival before getting the 12.00pm to Grosmont. However when we arrived it was announced the 10.55am was cancelled due to issues with the coaching stock which obviously left a busy station platform, and when we went to pick up our pre-booked tickets the ticket office were turning customers away saying it was too busy! They tried to presuade my wife to have a refund and come back another day but having travelled 80 miles she said we would risk it and thankfully they let us have our tickets. Although it was busy we found a table for four on the 12.00pm train (6 coaches) and there were plenty of banks of 4 seats with 2 or 3 people in, several people were turned away including a nearly 90 year old man in front of my wife who only wanted one ticket and had travelled 50 miles. We only pre-booked the night before as well so that was lucky!

After that shaky start we had a great day, the run to Grosmont behind 'Sir Nigel Gresley' was brilliant and we then had three or so hours at Grosmont filming and having a look round the sheds. 92134 and 2392 were in action on the other steam hauled services with 31128 on the Grosmont to Whitby legs. We finished the day with a more sedate but no less entertaining run back from Grosmont to Pickering behind 2392. We now have our free return passes for 2024 so will hopefully be back a at least a couple more time before they expire!

Video from Pickering and Grosmont, pictures to follow...

 

Unfortunately there was an issue with one of the coaches for the 10.55 when the loco was attached to the set in the carriage stable and the brake test was carried out. One of the coaches brake cylinders stuck in the 'on' position meaning that it couldn't be moved until the brake rigging had been dismantled, not an easy job when it is under load. It then had to be shunted out of the train and the set reformed as a three coach one. All this took a good amount of time and meant that the 10.55 and return had to be cancelled. 80136/80116 was also in service, taking the last train from Whitby onwards from Grosmont to Pickering.
I'm briefly seen driving 92134 at about 11.00 minutes.

 

Ahh I see! We were pleased when we saw the 3.20pm arrival at Grosmont later as we had got the train at 12.00pm not really wanting to have to wait until the 5.50pm to come back so were hoping the stock could be fixed! Unlucky that should happen on a lovely day weather wise and the extra draw of Sir Nigel Gresley running.

 

The Sir Nigel Gesley event is proving rather popular prompting the following update on the NYMR website:
“Due to the popularity of these services, pre-booking is required as priority for boarding will be given to those who have already booked a ticket, this includes people using an Unlimited Annual Pass re-visit ticket. Please note booking a ticket does not guarantee a seat on board. Thank you.”

 

Booking a ticket doesnt guarantee you a seat on board?! What are the NYMR staff smoking!

I'd be pretty pee'd off if i'd bought a ticket and didnt get a seat

 

Are the tickets being sold for specific trains?

 

Interesting question as it does not on the National Network nor it seems these days even if you have a seat reservation in many instances.
I tend to agree with your view from a passenger experience point of view, but as it also did not in BR days perhaps that is a true preservation recreation, although back then a reservation would have meant a seat. I guess pre booked tickets do not come with a seat number in a specific lettered coach?

 

When we booked Sunday night it asked for our outward train but not the return. We got seats on the 12.00pm Pickering-Grosmont and 4.40pm Grosmont-Pickering but both trains were full. Easier said than done I’m sure but both trains could of done with being longer as customers were being turned away at Pickering who were willing to part with £45 each.

 

It’s all well and good saying trains could be longer, but where do the extra coaches come from? All available coaches are currently in traffic on the railway

 

Interesting that the NYMR seem to have been caught out by the popularity of that old stager Sir Nigel Gresley while the poor old Swanage Railway have struggled to sell tickets for their "newbie" T3 which hasn't run for 80 years. Who would want to be a heritage railway GM/CEO?

Peter

 

N YMR are endeavouring to give priority to pre booked ticket holders, but they just cannot guarantee a seat. The only way to do that would be return to the seat reservation system they introduced during COVID but which then received criticism on forums such as this.

The railway does ask the intending passengers to nominate their outbound journey so that they can monitor potential train loadings but then the passenger become free to travel on any other subsequent services that day if they have bought an all-line ticket.

With the current SNG event the railway is now monitoring the numbers of passengers on board so as to give priority to pre booked tickets by as necessary restricting the sales of tickets booked on the day, particularly on the 12 noon departure from Pickering, eg yesterday ticket sales for the 12 noon departure closed at 11am when it became clear the train would otherwise become so full as to make it difficult for passengers with pre purchased tickets to board the train: better to disappoint an intending passenger arriving without a ticket to annoy one with a pre booked ticket IMHO.

 

I find that hard to believe! Are you saying that there are effectively three seven coach trains in operation this week - and no spares? How many are there in the Gresley set? Surely, it ought to be possible to shorten one of the the other sets and add it to Gresley's to minimise disappointment? One of the sets this week, I think, it the teak one so that's only two sets of Mk 1s out.

 

Monday was load 6 x2 re Whitby ,load 3 on the interval (2 teak and a mark 1) ,31 dragging genny wagon and a mark 1 about and lots of stock in the stable ..no doubt being prepared for train of lights or stopped .

 

Thankfully not any longer ..