North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

44806 won't be back out this weekend.
5428 is to work the 0920 and 1410 from Pickering and the 1235 and 1640 from Grosmont tomorrow

 

From FB
“Service Update 19/4 16.05: Regrettably, due to a lineside fire, we’re unable to run any further rail services today. We’re currently arranging buses to return all visitors safely to their starting stations. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, please see our station staff for details if you are waiting for a train departure.”

 

From North Yorkshire Weather Updates on social media:
“17.50 Fire still ongoing A169 Eller Beck Bridge

Crews from Whitby, Goathland, Pickering, Lythe, Scarborough, Danby and Malton along with an argocat from Kirkbymoorside responded to a report of a fire in the open. Crews located a fire measuring 500m x 300m. **Incident ongoing**”

I would coin the saying if it rains it pours but not appropriate in this management “shower”.

 

Where is this as I cannot see anywhere the A169 crosses the railway.
What does this management “shower” as you call them have to do with a lineside fire, or are you suggesting everything should be diesel hauled?

 

It would make more sense if it was the Eller Beck bridge at Beck Hole.

 

Look at Google earth. Find Fylingdales camp, the A169 runs slightly west of it. Just north of the camp there's a hairpin bend in the road, over a bridge. That is Eller beck, and although the road doesn't cross the railway it is about as close there as it comes, and I suggest that's where the fire is.. I suggest that probably the "management shower" should have waited a little longer before resuming steam services. In the old (more enlightened?) times they would at least have had a diesel pilot provided to shuttle between Goathland and Levisham to pilot steam locos, as that is the section where lineside fires are most prevalent.

 

It wouldn't, I think - the A169 is miles away from the railway at Beck Hole!

 

I suspect they are refering to here - at the line summit, where the lyke wkye walk crosses the line.
Edit - 60044 posted a good description whilst I was messing around with maps.

 

It’s hardly like the relatively small amount of rain we’ve had recently was going to prevent the lineside fires. It would need to rain solidly for a few days for them to be less of an issue. A few years ago they were diesel assisted Levisham to Goathland if I recall. That would surely be the viable option.

Yes it all costs but it would be cheaper than the coaches needed to get passengers back to their cars & unless I’m mistaken the fire brigades costs for their response. On top of this the eventual breakdown in good will and understanding that’s in place between the railway, the fire brigade & the national park.

 

A meeting with no coffee or biscuits for somebody.

 

So does that mean you think every railway that has had a lineside fire in the past couple of weeks, and there are a number are a "shower"? I guess you also include NR in that as they let Tangmere run around the coast a couple of weeks back.
Was it very windy today because that image in post #5850 shows both lots of smoke a very long way from the line from what I can see.
It is all a balancing act, many on here last week complaining about lack of steam, others thinking a small amount of rain makes things fine. I am with @steamingyorkshire a good few days of continual rain needed that soaks in, not runs off. No idea what it is like up there, but yesterday afternoon in the pouring rain I was stood next to the results a burn I had not seen before on my local line, and on Thursday we had another heath fire at Studland that may or may not have been caused by human activity.

 

Surprisingly (to me, at least) tomorrows roster (@15.00) still has 926 & 5428 out and about, along with 31128 an the NER railcar. Whether there's going to be a change, I don't know.

 

The header on the website currently reads;
"We are OPEN TODAY and the Blue Timetable is in use. Please note our current Fire Risk Restrictions are in place.
We are next open on Tuesday 22 April with the Red Timetable"

No trains on Easter Monday?

 

https://www.nymr.co.uk/news/fire-risk-restrictions

"Update: 19/04/2025 20:40

We will be running all services with diesel locomotives until further notice."

To make it super confusing, the banner at the top of the page states

"We are OPEN TODAY and the Blue Timetable is in use. Please note our current Fire Risk Restrictions are in place. We are next open on Tuesday 22 April with the Red Timetable"

Schrodinger's timetable - open today or closed today and next open in two days?! Makes it sound like the line is shut on Easter Monday too, which is not the case.

For a line with someone who's worked in marketing their whole life, and with half a dozen marketing and PR people employed, they're making a right hash of actually attracting people to the line.

 

When you sit on a tinder box don't strike matches

 

From the NYMR FB page

 

Website was updated at 9.15. First train from Pickering to Whitby is 9.30, so even if they'd checked the website and Facebook page before leaving home, the first they'll have heard about the vastly reduced service is when they get on the platform at Pickering. I know it's Easter Sunday but that's not ideal.

 

I term them a "management shower" based on various cumulative evidence, not just one isolated incident, we have already been through that previously, so I don't think it is necessary to repeat it all again.

 

Update 20/4 11:30

We are now able to re-open the section of line between Levisham and Grosmont. Services will run with diesel locomotives and the following adjustments:

Pickering Departures

Autocar will depart Pickering at approximately 12.00.

Approximately 12.20 - Class 37 and set will form the service to WHITBY stopping at all stations – as booked.

13.10 departure from Pickering is cancelled.

All other departures are as booked.

Goathland Departures

Autocar will pass through about 1250.

1310 train to Whitby will run as planned.

No 1410 departure of the rail car to Grosmont.

Please speak to station staff for up-to-date timings if you are travelling today. Once again, we apologise for the disruptions to our services today