North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

I’m not clear here, are you saying that the van is mechanically beyond repair?

I appreciate you taking the time to share what I assume to be the official NYMR line on policy. Can I suggest that in terms of improving the business, it would be a good idea if someone in a similar position dealt with the flack the railway is getting on the review sites? Doesn’t the CEO see this as important?

 

Despite the website (Bahamas link ) saying it does 1.5 trips on blue timetable it’s now doing one and a Whitby .
5428 back to Pickering tonight .

Excluding the half fullish half brake on the front I counted 101 passengers between Goathland and Grosmont on the 930 to Whitby on a nice sunny Sunday at the start of school holidays .

interesting the two in front of me at Pickering for one ticket window open were on the little taken up annual passes ..and when I asked for a day rover was asked Whitby or not ?
Is a non Whitby rover if you’re not paying for it ?

 

I'm not sure that anything is beyond mechanical repair if you throw enough money at it! Perhaps it's more likely that steam heat plant could be recovered and installed in a different vehicle but that still leaves the asbestos removal cost to fund.

 

I've made clear in the past that my posts on here are in a personal capacity only. Inevitably they will tend to support the official policy because of the fundamental principle of board collective responsibility. Any trustee or director can, and should, argue their case in the board room. Challenge is important. However once a majority decision is reached the luxury of posting a contrary personal view on social media disappears. Any director or trustee either supports publicly the majority decision of his or her colleagues or must resign.

In common with a number of other organistions, including heritage railways, NYMR policy is not to engage officially on social media.

 

My knowledge of Brush 4s stops with the 47/4, I'm afraid

 

47/7 will only ever be the 12 Edinburgh-Glasgow push/pull versions… it all got terribly confusing when I wasn’t watching…

Simon

 

47 /8 ..
47/7 were 100mph push pull fitted for Edinburgh-Glasgow

 

Numbered 47701-47717!!

 

Okay I am sure you have but I highly doubt people wake up early, get there and have their whole day plans go out the window purely down to traction, for all you know they may have left their child's favourite toy in the car!

5428 only arrived at 0900 on Wednesday morning into Pickering with the ECS from Trout Farm. I had long collected my advance ticket purchase by then and so had many others. If it had been 37264, so be it.

Prices have gone up across the board everywhere. On a red timetable it is possible to do 3 return trips between Pickering and Grosmont. Very good value for money. The thank you voucher also means the up front cost is not the actual cost.

 

Is this when a last minute swap or an advertised swap well in advance of your arrival at a railway? The carriages, route and scenery are the same.

 

It's been on this webpage for many weeks!

(@Steve )

 

We have certainly opted not to travel when there hasn't been steam and it's been diesel or DMU on more than one occasion (not at the NYMR, elsewhere).

Similar to mentioned above by others, wife is tolerant of steam, kids like it.

Neither wife or kids are interested in going diesel hauled, kids would rather go and mooch round sheds and look at steam, wife would rather sit somewhere sunny and drink tea.

Chris

 

I think the bigger question here is why the NYMR enters into run and repair deals, or buys locos/rolling stock when they know they have no intention of repairing them when required.

It shows a shocking lack of forward planning and moral if not legal responsibility to simply use these historic items and then to simply cast them aside when repairs fall due.

will we eventually get to the stage that “viewing the work of the charity” is impossible because it doesn’t have anything operational? It sounds extreme but I wouldn’t bet against it with the way things are currently going.

When you defend the staffing levels on the NYMR, perhaps you should consider the lack of financial, engineering and operational planning and (referring to the tripadvisor reviews mentioned above) what the marketing/pr/customer service staff are doing.

 

Not sure how the 1705 can be 45596 if it needs to be on the 1035 off Grosmont next day anyway, seems a mistake.

Goathland was a popular exit point on the 0920 Wednesday in my experience, including passengers that had boarded at Levisham, therefore a Leivsham to Goathland count would have been more beneficial.

By the way, it is not the start of the school holidays for everywhere in the UK. Many places still have another week of term to go, including those in nearby Newcastle & Middlesbrough.

 

I've certainly decided against buying a ticket in such circumstances - people's plans aren't always that fixed. A stop off 'on the way' can be skipped or changed for something else. I've certainly witnessed conversations with ticket office staff that have led to people deciding not to purchase tickets because of traction or cost, at multiple railways. Customers won't just put up with things any more - and neither should they.

On the 'three return trips' point - if I suggested that to my wife she would soon tell me where to shove that idea.

Sent from my SM-S926B using Tapatalk

 

No way is anybody stopping off at the NYMR on the way. It is a full day out.

 

As far as I'm aware there is only one "Run and repair " agreement ( 34101 Hartland). I doubt that the NYMR will ever make the mistake of concluding another one! It's certainly avoided the situation on another large heritage railway where there's a multi million pound backlog with the inevitable consquence that many stored locos are realistically unlikely ever to steam again. The main problem is sometimes the rose tinted ambitions of owning groups who, by the time the second or third overhaul falls due, have become a lot older and struggle with the time and fundraising effort required. That's why we see locos like 80136 and the J94 donated to the railway. There's no avoiding the huge cost increases in materials like steel that now mean an extensive loco overhaul can cost well over £1million. The figure that strikes home for me is that's also the combined total cost of the NYMR's coal bill and insurance premiums. With costs like that avoiding a delay when locos and stock reach the end of their service lives is unavoidable.

 

What is the status of the 101 at Levisham?

I feel like the NYMR are missing a trick not running this in the 1055 ex Pickering slot. If the extra views a DMU allows was well publicised, it would be more appealing to some visitors I think than a 3 coach Mk1 rake that is currently running.

Would also save stabling a second steam loco at New Bridge too, as well as the associated costs of running steam.

I don't think it has seen much action in recent years, a training gap maybe?

 

That is true but I would say that then going on the NYMR is not stopping off on the way as Whitby is that day's plans.