North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely, Swanage used to virtually close down during December and January each year. When the current Swanage Railway Project first operated Santa Specials, and the like, a growing number of shops, cafes and restaurants stayed open year on year as did the then much larger number of guest houses and small hotels in the town.
Some shops, etc do still close - so the owners can enjoy some Winter sun and heat abroad - but noticeably more retail establishments stay open now throughout the Winter than did 50 years ago.
Unfortunately, the general malaise throughout the country's hospitality industry, over the past several decades, means there are far fewer guest houses and small hotels left in Swanage. At one time it could boast over 400 such establishments. Today it's probably something nearer 15 - 20% of that at best. The town does seem to have a growing number of Air B&B if you like that sort of accommodation.

Apologies for thread drift. Gets coat ...

 

Whitby is a dramatic location which is attractive to many. The nature of the town has changed to meet the expectations of the more wealthy clients using air bnb. There's more of everything and people are willing to pay over £2000 for a 5 day let and £1000 for a weekend. The sheer number of people visiting in all weathers is a marvel. It's busy, not just March till Halloween but, almost every weekend through the winter. Small shops and bars have opened on previously dull streets and there's a vibrancy not seen for decades.
With the right ticket package at an attractive price the NYMR should be able to generate decent inbound traffic. The trains have to return from Whitby anyway so why not fill them at marginal cost?

 

I don't get your logic here. The demand you're describing is for people to stay in Whitby, so how does that compare with the summer demand which tends to be tidal, mornings from Pickering and afternoons from Whitby?

 

Meanwhile some top level muppetry we have come to know and love.

NYMR socials announced during the week via Paul Middleton that 80078 and 34072 would run again this season, watch out for more details - so far so good.

80078 has ran this week, although you had to find out via the usual "on the day" roster what is was working.

Tomorrow it gets better.

Roster is already out and like when Tornado visited they have rostered 34072 to work 1235/1410 Moorlander and then 1640 to Pickering, making it a pointless visit for anybody that missed it at the gala.

Assume Sunday will see it work 0930, 1240/1410 Moorlander

Another own goal.

 

To create a tide on the other direction out of Whitby up to Goathland etc. Standing in Grosmont for 30 minutes on this short journey doesn't help.

 

Which is fine in summer - but my question was about off season demand, where there's no existing traffic flow.

 

Where is the problem? 34072 broke down at the steam gala (ash pan or something). So good news to see it fixed and now out and about!

 

Except that the news is not being communicated especially clearly, and any possible boost in demand is suppressed by it working the Moorlander, so only having a single journey for normal ticket holders.

What should have been generating goodwill and, hopefully, a few extra sales is instead not because the messages are last minute and/or what's on offer isn't great.

 

The loco is entering service after its repairs at Grosmont and will be based at New Bridge with the intention of working the P2 diagram. The only way it could have done this and worked the 10.55 on Saturday would have been to send it through light engine first thing in the morning. That would have required an extra crew to take it and bring 80078 back to Grosmont and be wasteful of about a ton of coal plus . If all goes well it should work the full P2 diagram next week.
It’s pretty logical to me.

Edited to put the right loco number.

 

It's operationally entirely logical. My comment is more about the manner of the announcements, for both 80078 and 34072. There's a judgment call to be made about whether that extra cost could have been justified - quite possibly not. But at current NYMR prices, only a few extra returns make a useful amount of cash - certainly enough to cover a ton of coal.

 

It's easy to say these things but not exactly easy to work them into a timetable. I've gone into a detail in a previous post (7345) on the problems of timetabling and making things fit. The 30 minute wait at Grosmont is to cross the 12.00 from Pickering. The train has to leave Whitby when it does to release the EVL for a Northern train. Changing the times of the 12.00 ex Pickering would have a huge knock-on effect on the whole timetable. It is what it is and there's not too much that can be done about it.

 

Simple unless you are booked at the diner the chance of riding behind it is 1640 only.

That's my problem

Should have been on the 1035/1440 ex Grosmont if anybody had any sense.

 

The anti Grosmont railway strikes again.

Might as well have all trains from Pickering next year.

1035/1440 would have been my choice as plenty of loco swaps have taken place all season.

 

It's not a question of being anti Grosmont and that's a ridiculous statement. It's a question of common sense. If you put it on the 10.35 then what do you do with the Whitby loco which the train is diagrammed for? Have it sitting around for the next couple of hours? And, if you do this tomorrow, what do you do with it for the rest of the week? The same again? And again? Loco swaps may have been common this year but they are not diagrammed into the T/T and have been for necessity for various reasons. And don't say it would be easy to use a diesel on the Whitby bit because people have been complaining about that every time it happens.
I can be quite critical of the way the NYMR is being run at times but this is not one of them.
What you are saying is that the railway and footplate crews should put up with an inconvenient roster because it would suit you.

 

Can I suggest it's something different - namely that the railway has promoted something as being done, and then appears to not be acting to maximise the value of that for potential visitors.

 

The ex Pickering arrives at 1315 after a longer wait at Goathland. But the ex Whitby waits a further 15 minutes before moving.

 

It does. It has to cross the 14.10 from Pickering at Levisham so has to lose another 15 minutes somewhere. It could do this at Goathland or Levisham but I suspect it is preferred to do this at Grosmont as the longer platform does allow everyone to get off the train if they so wish. I agree that it's not ideal, though.