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ghost's Recent Activity

  1. ghost liked Old Kent Biker's post in the thread Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development.

    I think the L&B could do well to stick to what it knows: we have well-established and authorised heritage underframe and bogie designs, so why not utilise those, and build lightweight modern-image or heritage-style aluminium/steel/fiberglass...

    Aug 16, 2026 at 10:41 PM

  2. ghost liked DaveE's post in the thread Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development.

    Colin, I really do admire your enthusiasm :) That said, while it can be speculated over and over here on loco and rolling stock options, the person who really knows what's needed or is viable is Stuart Nelhams our General Manager. He is very...

    Aug 16, 2026 at 7:02 PM

  3. ghost liked Pete Thornhill's post in the thread Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development.

    A railway doesn’t need to own their own engines as the be all and end all. Look at the GWSR as an example. They only ever owned two small saddle tanks and sold both of them. Not one of their current or past steam fleet (with the exception of the...

    Aug 15, 2026 at 8:16 PM

  4. ghost liked Old Kent Biker's post in the thread Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development.

    To be fair, an unwritten rule isn't worth the paper it isn't written on. If these rules were to apply (and by 'rolling stock' I assume you mean 'locomotives'? There is a difference!) at least half the locomotives at Woody Bay will need to be...

    Aug 15, 2026 at 8:14 PM

  5. ghost liked Flying Phil's post in the thread Windcutter Wagons.

    To provide a summary, we are working on three wagons at Rothley, B560676 (Floor and fixed end etc), B573403 (floor etc replace), B590067 (formerly B279702) new floor etc. We hope to have all three completed this year. Meanwhile at Swithland,...

    Aug 14, 2026 at 8:43 PM

  6. ghost liked 35B's post in the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    [My emphasis] The whole point of this, and previous, discussions is that the messaging about the role of ordinary members is not nurturing engagement.

    Aug 14, 2026 at 3:34 PM

  7. ghost replied to the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    I don't believe that any member (of any railway society) has ever felt that, never mind communicated it in writing. Volunteers are a different matter.

    Aug 14, 2026 at 3:18 PM

  8. ghost liked Steve's post in the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    without going back and finding the posts, I'm pretty certain that you have on more than one occasion denigrated the general membership as more of a nuisance than an asset. Even now you are saying that their financial benefit to the railway is...

    Aug 14, 2026 at 3:16 PM

  9. ghost replied to the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    Well if you listen to Lineisclear, that person with the bequest is not that important because they are 'just' a member/supporter and he would rather time is spent chasing Arts Council grants than looking after the members and supporters who have...

    Aug 14, 2026 at 12:39 PM

  10. ghost liked jnc's post in the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    There's one aspect of bequests that's worth thinking about, it seems to me. It feels like part of the mess at the NYMR is ('was', really - it's over, now, mostly) a struggle over power. One faction/group (I'm not sure how many there are,...

    Aug 14, 2026 at 12:21 PM

  11. ghost liked 35B's post in the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    I made no comment on their level of commitment. I describe them as third parties because they are independent organisations, not formally part of NYMR, and have their own pressures and drivers which may cause them to change approach to NYMR...

    Aug 14, 2026 at 12:20 PM

  12. ghost liked Jamessquared's post in the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    There is another way to look at it, which is that if 10% of your members volunteer (*), what could you do with another 200 volunteers if you could get that membership up to 10,000? (*) And actually I suspect that is a rather impressive ratio Tom

    Aug 14, 2026 at 12:18 PM

  13. ghost liked 5944's post in the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    But dismissing the membership out of hand isn't going to help either. Ignoring 50% of your annual donations is incredibly foolish. It sounds like you expect other bodies to give to money and grants whenever you ask for it, and you need that free...

    Aug 14, 2026 at 12:10 PM

  14. ghost liked jnc's post in the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    As you point out, many lines face this problem. However, most of them seem to have found a way to answer it. Why not the NYMR? You seem to be looking for an answer inside the usual 'business' box. Perhaps you need to think/look elsewhere - as...

    Aug 14, 2026 at 11:23 AM

  15. ghost liked jnc's post in the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.

    The recent NYMR Trust Strategic Plan was mostly marketing waffle, but did contain this pithy, brutally on-target, observation: "The Trust is dependent on its income from visitors and donors to fund its operations. It has no underpinning public...

    Aug 14, 2026 at 11:20 AM
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