North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

The 10.35 ex Grosmont to Pickering, 12 noon Pickering to Grosmont and 14.40 Grosmont to Pickering services all operated full to capacity today behind SNG. Even the 9.20 ex Pickering to Grosmont service was fully loaded, as many passengers were intending to return back on the 10.35 ex Grosmont before then travelling back out on the 12 noon.

As previously suggested, do book in advance to avoid any disappointment as priority is given to pre booked tickets.

 

Sir Nigel Gresley in action on the 30th October (plus an extra sequence from 1st November) - and some after dark scenes at Grosmont station with 5428 and 80116(80136)

 

York Area Group Meetings have resumed and are well attended with a variety of subjects.

The next meeting is Wednesday 8th on Colonel Stephen's railways, details attached.
https://www.yorkareagroup.org.uk/

With the following meeting in December on the Isle of Man.
https://www.yorkareagroup.org.uk/#&gid=1&pid=1

 

Flipping heck, Bryan, It's a long way to go to the Isle of Man for a meeting. Why can't you have it in York?

 

Looked in on NYMR web cams today to catch 4528 & 92134 operating with three coach sets. No scheduled sevices listed so possibly crew training or leaf clearance?

 

Yes I wondered what the Black 5 was doing.

 

Siemens had chartered the railway for the day

 

Wondered why we had a number of groups of visitors being shown around one of the tampers at Newbridge.

I believe Lambton 29 is on charter duty on Saturday.

 

Anyone know what's pulling the 'diner' tomorrow (12th Nov)

 

I’d expect Eric.


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https://strongmanarchives.com/viewAthlete.php?id=584 ?

 

From the NYMR website:
Winter Services: 28 December 2023 to 7 January 2024. More information to follow shortly.

 

It was Eric, plus the 9f was 'loitering' at Newbridge

 

Is the Yorkshire Post article about Levisham Station yesterday genuine or some minor issue they have blown up to make a story?

 

I haven't read the article, but there is some truth behind it. The Levisham Station Group have been disbanded, and some members banned, but the general feeling is that is a result of a heavy-handed and insensitive response by the "professional" managers. Possibly, I'm naive but I think with some goodwill on both sides the situation could have been sorted out if only some more effort had been made.

 

I do not know any of the details of what has happened but if breaches of the Safety Management System (or similar) have occurred then this can create a very challenging situation. If an employee by act or omission is found guilty of gross misconduct the sanction for which is dismissal then a volunteer carrying out the same act (or omission) has to be subject to a sanction which would have the same practical effect as dismissal ie banning.

All cases turn on their own individual facts but nevertheless there has to be consistency. Organisations have disciplinary procedures which have to be followed. Failure to do so can give rise to very significant issues. It can be very tempting from a managerial point of view to try and find solutions to issues which do not result in dismissal or other formal sanctions but often this just eventually comes back and bites even harder and then casts a shadow on the managers who were involved in resolving the original issue.

 

Maybe effort *was* made?

 

I'm not fully conversant with what happened but I do know that the Levisham SM (one of those banned) works for NR on the signalling side, so I'd be a bit surprised to learn that he wasn't conversant with safety regulations. There are smoke signals coming out that the disciplinary hearings were arranged to be held at times that were not easy for volunteers with a "proper job" to attend, for example. As I wasn't involved, I don't know what went on, but I am not convinced that the LSG volunteers were treated fairly or even properly. The outcome certainly suggests that they weren't.

 

A lot of ifs in this statement but IF the Levisham SM was conversant with safety regulations and IF the matter was a safety related issue then one MAY expect a harsher sanction to be applied because disregarding a regulation can be seen as a more serious breach than being ignorant of a regulation.Further more by virtue of being a SM then a higher standard of behaviour / responsibility may be included in the role description.

IF the disciplinary hearing was held at an inconvenient time for those required to attend then how was this unfair? Unfair because they could not attend? It would not be unreasonable to ask for the hearing to be rescheduled with the reason being given but disciplinary hearings usually have to be held within a specified period of time as a failure to do so could be perceived to be unfair. Holding hearings in evenings is not desirable because it could be argued that at the end of the day the individuals involved could be tired likewise holding a hearing at the weekend "after a busy week" and thus be unfair. Those organising the holding of the appeal have to have regard to these matters.

Presumably NYMR has a laid down procedure for disciplinary matters which must be abided by. One has to be careful not to link what is perceived to be an unfair outcome with an unfair procedure. An unfair procedure would usually give rise to an unfair outcome but what may be perceived to be an unfair outcome does not necessarily mean an unfair procedure. The procedure will include a right of appeal which may be exercised by those involved if they consider they have good grounds of appeal.

If, as I have seen suggested on another website, those involved had previously been warned about their behaviours, then that may have automatically resulted in a certain sanction being applied if the behaviour was found to have been repeated.

Without being in possession of all the facts making any form of objective assessment is impossible.

Nevertheless what ever the circumstances it is sad to read of issues such as this within the HR movement.

 

Having read the article by the Yorkshire Post, it is quite clear that it was written by someone with no or very little knowledge of the matter, and has a number of glaring errors! Id be interested to see the newly built turntable for a start. (Though I am aware of a waggon turntable currently stored in pieces in the car park).