North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

Reality …?
Tickets not seat specific ..plenty of seats on most trains ..only really the lunchtime to Whitby with 60007 busy …it’s following run had about 10 in the front coach leaving Pickering and a nice connection at Grosmont to a train straight back to Pickering …question is do the ticket office suggest travelling later in the day or just assume everyone wants to go to Whitby behind 60007 and turn away rather than suggesting later trains?

 

Sunday saw the 1030 / 1200 (473) / 1430 (359) all full with standing, only 1600 had plenty of room. The numbers being from the "clicker" from the TTI.

 

The ticket office does suggest travelling later in the day.

 

I did say easier said than done! Just a customers observation from Monday where unfortunately people went to the ticket office with cash in their hand and they were turned away.

 

It’s hard when you travel a few miles to get there, especially with children. The 9.20am is way to early, the 10.55am tight if you hit traffic, the 12.00pm perfect as gives you 3 hours in Grosmont before 4.40pm back. The next option is 2.10pm which is too late. As it was we left Doncaster at 9am and returned at 8pm which was a long day for our 7 year old. The railway being too busy I would say is a good problem to have however!!

 

It does seem a strange contrast in end result. SNG I would have thought has little more general public appeal than any other steam loco. Yes it is in its "right area" but so is the T3.
Not sure what half term is like in Yorkshire, is it a big thing? It seems in Dorset to be reasonably quiet, although there was a long queue for the bus to Bournemouth leaving around 1600 so some folks must have been here today. (Hope many enjoyed having to sit in the open upstairs).
Does prove that sometimes planning and experience means nowt.

 

2 Sets of 6 Mk1s, a set of 3 and the Train of Lights which I believe is a set of 7 with 1 Mk1 on the Test Train. That’s not far off all available coaches

 

So no Teak coaches in traffic this week then? Sure we used to have 3 x 8 and one point, plus some spares, without the Mk 1s!

 

Not half term this week in North Yorkshire, is for us in Hertfordshire however.

 

Sir Nigel Gresley has always been a popular engine on the NYMR - something to do with its shape, perhaps and it's remarkable similarity to Mallard! Something that perhaps it doesn't share with 563........?

 

This is pure supposition on my part, but I think the initial high price for the T3 (particularly given that initially that price didn't cover use of another service as a feeder into Swanage for those wanting to park at Norden) has put people off. If you have gone along a thought process along the lines "I'd like to ride behind the T3 - how much?!! - I'll wait until next year when it will be in regular service" then the subsequent price reductions are too late: you've already written off this year and so aren't primed to even be looking out for new prices (and may well have made different plans anyway).

Ultimately, the marketing was pitched at a level appropriate to being a one-off rare opportunity when most people realise that with any luck the loco is likely to be in regular use for the next decade. As you say, "Who would want to be a heritage railway GM/CEO?" but unfortunately my view is that the Swanage Railway has pitched that one wrongly, and in a way that is subsequently difficult to rectify. I think having the first trains at a modest premium over normal fares was justifiable, but not at a level that was comparable with something like Flying Scotsman; and once the damage was done, even a reduction to normal fares doesn't undo the damage.

Tom

 

The NYMR is damned if it does and damned if it doesn't. Until Covid it was largely a case of turn up, buy your ticket and travel, pretty much the same as on all heritage railways. However, Covid caused the introduction of on-line booking and reserved seats to keep people as safe as possible. This did have the advantage of eliminating overcrowding, which was often a problem on peak trains, especially the last one out of Whitby, and was continued after Covid. This led to a lot of complaints from people as they had to book certain trains (i.e. those on the 09.20 ex Pickering had to come back on the 14.00 ex Whiby and not stay longer if they so wished, which a lot did.) Those on internal trains also couldn't hop off at intermediate stations and catch a later (Whitby) train. This year, it's largely back to the normal free for all with the exception that you can book on line but there are no reserved seats, bookings simply being limited to the number of seats on outward services.

 

I’d quite happily have a ride behind Gresley on the moors as we will do next week while we are up there as it’s not very often at heritage railways now it’s based at Crewe and a main line trip is just to much money for me 2 adults and 3 kids where as the moors is quite reasonable even if you don’t have the annual pass. but the t3 does nothing for me as I have no interest in it and the kids don’t even no what it is but they see gresley as a mallard and think it’s ace. that’s just my opinion tho so don’t shout at me for not liking the t3

 

Goes to show how different we all are. I was the booked fireman on Gresley on Monday morning and it was great to be on her again, having last fired her in July 2015. Since then I assisted in a modest way with her overhaul at York between 2016 and 2021. Nevertheless I would have gladly swapped the turn for a trip behind the T3 at Swanage. I get the appeal of glamorous top link locos but give me a basic simple Victorian/Edwardian workhorse any day - they can be far more challenging and interesting to operate.. I cant wait to find an opertunity next year to get down to Swanage to see the Adams in action.

Peter

 

Photos from Monday featuring 60007, 92134, 2392, 80116, 31128 & 44806...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/albums/72177720308788006

 

Just remember to book in advance (whether or not if you have an annual pass), either on-line or at any booking office, to avoid any disappointment.

 

To respond to two points made above:
Gresley has an appeal as an A4 to the general public. It’s also blue, like Mallard, albeit a different shade. It stands out as something more than just a regular steam locomotive. Plus lots of people will remember it from its years as part of the home fleet so may come specifically for that. The T3, to the average punter, isn’t much different from Keighley’s Standard class 2 really - it’s a green steam loco. As others have said, I think Swanage overestimated the demand for rides specifically behind it.

With regard to NYMR train length, it isn’t as simple as just whacking another coach on - it will depend which locos are in service, and also a has been stated, what is needed elsewhere. I think the J27/P3 is limited to 6 unaided so you couldn’t run a 7/8 coach set from Whitby if the J27 is rostered to take over and there’s no diesel assistance available. But I’m sure others understand that far better than I!

 

The A4 has generally been used on the Whitby trains between Grosmont and Pickering and, even without a star loco on the front these can be quite full, even outside the holiday season, especially if the weather is fine as people enjoy a day out in Whitby. This is far, far different to the use of the T3 at Swanage and can't really be compared.
Personally I would have happily paid the extra for a trip behind the T3 but I'm not into making a 540 mile round trip specially to do so.

 

It must be nice when after a week of load 6x2 and load three being generally full,the railway this week is able to reduce to 5x2 and 3x1 and turn a long queue of passengers away at 0905 .

22 empty seats in the rear two carriages leaving Goathland on the ‘full’ 0920 .

Nice to see the line is financially sound and I look forward to not receiving any more yellow begging leaflets ….

 

The sets haven’t been reduced to five and three by design. Problems with three coaches have led to this, along with the spares being on Light Spectacular duties.