North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

Thanks for the explanations, both. It hadn't crossed my mind that those turns would require paid staff. Another example of the nymr being a different beast to most when it comes to the split between staff and volunteers.

It sounds more and more like this is a strategic decision and if so it should really be clearly publicised by the railway. The point about visitors getting mileage behind their choice of traction makes the argument for why doing so is beneficial to the railway.

 

A post on Facebook showed Piglets Tram "Lucie" has gone to Pickering for carriage heating - so it maybe warm to begin with...

 

I am similarly astonished that at the least the lighting on Saturday morning up isn’t covered by volunteers. But am also left wondering the extent to which the convenience of the operational team is being allowed to dictate what the customer gets as a service. Whilst diesels are more popular than they were I doubt very much that the number of people coming to get their fix outweighs the disappointment of those who were expecting steam, and that may not have a positive effect for the NYMR in the medium term. Unless there is statistically relevant customer feedback any attempt to justify the additional diesel usage is probably an exercise in self delusion I am afraid.

I guess at root the problem is that now that the sacred revenue is all generated at the Pickering end, the loco depot is in the wrong place.

 

The loco depot at Grosmont has been in the wrong place ever since the NYMR changed from being a proposed 6 mile railway from Grosmont to the summit at Ellerbeck into an 18 mile railway from Grosmont to Pickering and that was well before the start of operational services in 1973. The main problem was the lack of operational land at Pickering to utilise for this purpose. For many years a light engine ran through from and to Grosmont each morning and evening to power the first train of the day from Pickering and the first train off Grosmont was about 09.30 so as to form an 11.00 off Pickering.
As regards volunteers lighting up, it used to happen.. One of the turns each day for firemen was a charge cleaner turn, signing on at 05.00 and lighting up the required locos. However, it was noticeable how often firemen suddenly became unavailable when allocated this turn and a member of paid staff had to substitute. The C.C. role continued, though and is still technically on the roster but it is very rare that it gets filled as the railway struggles for crews much of the time. Contributory to this is that some of the days would be too long if worked right through and the need for PNB's so they are double shifted, which wasn't the case at one time when a day could start at 07.00 and work through non stop until 20.00 without a break on the now legendary three trippers (108 miles.)

 

The wife has suggested a mini break in Yorkshire as she enjoys the ride with steam into Whitby. If I tell her we’re quite likely to get diesel haulage, she will not be impressed and highly likely to suggest doing something else.

 

....and who can blame her. <BJ>

 

I seem to recall that when Chris Price became GM at the NYMR, one of his stated aims was to return the railway to being "a fun place to be involved" (or words along those lines). At the time it was a laudable ambition and he seems to have started well, but sadly it was a very shortlived aspiration, as witnessed by the closure of the volunteer accommodation at Levisham and Pickering, for example. It's a great shame because, now more than ever, it needs to get its volunteers and supporters wholeheartedly behind it if it is to survive.

 

The volunteer accommodation at Levisham is not closed!

 

A news article, yesterday, on BBC Look North about fire risk due to dry weather.

 

I was wondering about that the other day. KWVR had a number at their SSG two weeks ago and the weather has been mostly dry and sunnier than then.
Some rain would be useful.

 

Yes our annual Mon-Fri mini-break can already no include a Thurs trip on NYMR. Monday is travelling day so that isn't an option. Now Weds is looking like diesels in the afternoon, so this year , unless we travel on Tuesday (unlikely) it might just be Grosmont-Goathland one way, if anything.

Jon

 

I’m puzzled by the 5 days being Sat - Wed. I’d have guessed at skipping Mon and Fri giving the best return. Boilers probably warm enough not to need much in the way of warming on the off days too. Is this also the organisation running what is more convenient? And actually it looks like Wednesday isn’t really a full operation either at the moment being mainly diesel.

 

Just don't tell her. Same carriages! 31 has worked all Whitby trips so far this week anyway.

 

The railway can't help the weather!

 

OK, so I'm wrong - hadn't heard it was open - but does anyone actually use it? Like Stape, it is hardly an attractive location for the average volunteer. At least in the past there was a social group to make it more attractive.

It's interesting, too, that you haven't answered the point about bringing fun back as part of the railway's ethos. Presumably, in these dour days, it's no longer a consideration!

 

The weather isn’t the culprit for the dieselisation

 

Of course that depends on where people think the NYMR sits on the business spectrum. Is it a Heritage Line akin to say the Bluebell, or is it more akin to the P&DSR or even a TOC? Recent lengthy (worthless?) discussions on here seem not to have answered that question.
If it is the latter however I would argue most transport operations are run for the benefit of the operational team. Take Avanti's regular "No trains north of Preston" when the line is shut north of Carlisle. No attempt is made to put something in place. Removing drivers diversionary route knowledge fits the same boat as does the love of RRB's rather than any other solution.
Although I suspect there are other reasons to the forefront it could even be argues the WCRC Mk2 use fits an operational convenience.

What is wrong with the use of diesels on a published (or implied) steam services other than in times of failure or fire risk is not having it in the timetable that from what people I said it is not.

 

NYMR are a heritage railway, constituted as a charity and with heritage obligations. If they were, under their current structure, to choose to become a P&DSR type operation, I for one would be writing to the Charity Commission. They are most emphatically not a TOC.

@Steve has explained clearly why NYMR make limited use of steam for diagrams starting at Pickering. The use of diesels as far as Grosmont on the 1st train of the morning is long standing, and I have personally enjoyed many Sulzer powered runs on that duty.

In the short term, what they're doing isn't unreasonable given the operational constraints of the railway. However, the way this 5 day operating model is being run is further evidence for the proposition that the railway is losing its soul, and that choices are being made with insufficient thought to how the value of the railway's offering is maintained.

 

I think I read somewhere about having two consecutive days off being better for the staff as it's essentially their 'weekend' though presumably they don't all work 7 day weeks.

 

Well, I'll see how busy the railway is tomorrow. Fair weather and a visiting loco.