North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

Bridge 42 renewal the current priority

 

So what sort of railway related events (apart from galas) do you think the NYMR or any other Heritage Line should be running "to pull more customers in"?
If you look at the Bluebell for example who have many events running, the greatest percentage these days would appear to be non railway related, but held at the railway. So for the rest of this month they have World of Wizardry during half term and Jay Millar's Circus. OK there are regular dining options GA, fish and chips etc and of course they have the opportunity to still run steam. But what I call "railway events" consists of the Rail 200 NRM exhibition train visiting, 65th Anniversary "Gala", Diesel Gala, and Giants of Steam during the last 7 months of the year.
AFAIK the NYMR has a Diesel Gala and a Steam Gala in the schedule, they have has SNG and Bahamas as visiting locos already so what am I and the railway management missing?

 

Do events have to be "railway related"? The NYMR used to have a wartime weekend, a '60s weekend and a wizarding weekend for example, and there's no reason why it cannot run smaller scale events such as food fayres/wine &b cheese events along the railway - but it doesn't any more! I'd also mention that it has cut back on Santa Specials and abandoned the "Train of Lights" as well. All these events - and more or others - could be used to draw in visitors. Why aren't they doing anything other than - well - very little? We were, after all, assured by @Lineisclear that the paid special events team was working hard to put together a programme of events for this year - so why have we still not heard anything of it? And if they are still being paid, are they really worth it?

 

To be fair, its not that it has to be railway related as such, but more that there is plenty to go at that would be in keeping with the theme. The kind of events that tend to spring up, other than the regular galas, don't seem to have any tangible connection. I keep quoting Paddington, but thats not the only licensed event in recent times that cost more to run and don't bring a lot in.

In my over bloated opinion they should run things that are better suited to either the railways, the period they are replicating, or the area they are in. Some of the things on the Whats on are at least making use of facilities to bring extra money in through workshops, but they shouldn't be classed as main events. They should be extra. Where is the Gothic weekend, the Wizarding Days (Harry Potter connection), The Dracula train, the return to the 60's event?

With the diner they have pushed themselves into an expensive corner by only offering a particular price point. There isn't any Fish and Chip special here. Or a good value afternoon tea.

If so many other railways can do all this through almost purely volunteers, why can't the NYMR with its paid events team (I welcome corrections on that one!). There is a constant theme with this particular railway of being strapped for cash and on the verge so to speak, but they don't seem to be going down fighting. Its almost like a capitulation.

 

At the Bluebell at least we seem to have gone heavily into adding additional events. To take just June, we have:

31 / 1 - Jay Miller's Circus
7/8 - Dinosaurs
14/15 - Gruffalo.
22 - Land Rover weekend
27/28 - Model Railway Weekend


21 June is the Society AGM - I'm not sure if that takes its theme from "Dinosaurs" or "Gruffalo" or the Circus!

So that is something every weekend, plus a number of mid-week Railway 200 events, and numerous dining trains at both "fish and chips" and "Golden Arrow" price points. Diversity is the key.

In the main, such events are put on at the normal admission price - I think it is only the big enthusiast galas (Branch Line, Diesel Weekend, Giants of Steam and, this year, our 65th birthday bash) that have enhanced ticket prices. So all the family events are really something extra to entice people to come along.

For things like the Gruffalo or Dinosaurs - is there a railway connection? Not really, but if it attracts extra people, it's a price I feel is worth paying for the extra revenue generated. (For the model railway weekend we normally run a bit of an enhanced service, but the family events are just the regular service, so very little additional cost beyond whatever we pay to the external agency providing the dinosaurs / Gruffaloes / Storm troopers / whatever). You can be snobbish and not like the wandering dinosaurs in the loco shed. But you could also look at how many pre-nationalisation carriages we are planning to put out in August for the 65th anniversary (nearly 25 separate vehicles I believe, dating from the 1880s to 1940s), or indeed how many we put out in daily service at the weekends.

I can see a difficulty for the NYMR in trying such a strategy, which is that - in the main - the attractions are "off train" and the NYMR has solidly nailed its colours to the mast of "get them all off teh railway and along to Whitby quick". If you aren't basing your service round intermediate stations, it is quite hard to build an event that requires people to detrain at such stations ...

Tom

 

Passenger numbers seem to be very much down. I've heard staff say they've never seen it so thin.
Is there a marketing department? Can a special discount diesel fare be introduced for the period? Or a free return trip with every purchase.
Can steam run to Whitby? I don't think there's a ban on LNE.

Where's the ambition to hold big events? Gresley's visit was a success, but consider the timing, and the high quality prestige event being offered at much lower prices than normal just at the start of the season, thereby flattening demand in April and May. A kind of Black Friday event against itself.

Are people staying away because of the high prices? I think so.

If I could buy a year's ticket for just under £50 last year, but this year pay the same for just one day, I'd be feeling ripped off. This is at the heart of the problem and the steam ban has exacerbated it.

The lack of the oil burners, just when needed, has cost the railway dear.
A final irony may be that the steam ban may be lifted just in time for the diesel gala.

 

Do you have volunteers to run more food experiences than you have now? It has been said on various threads catering is not something that appeals to most volunteers. Especially if you can get at least minimum wage in a pub or restaurant.
Many lines, including my local one have outsourced/worked in partnership (depending on your view, as I do not know how these work) with Fox & Edwards, who I believe is run by an enthusiast I would assume they pay a fee for using a coach or coaches on a train. Certainly here at Swanage fish & chips appears to be one coach on a regular service train. From observation despite being a seaside town with 3 chip shops and many other eateries they seem to load well.
From looking at this they do more than just Fish & Chip trains, even for the Bluebell who of course organise a lot of their own.
https://www.foxandedwards.com/

 

Volunteers seem to have very little place in the catering line-up at the NYMR, so they really ought to have enough flexibility (which could be increased by working in cooperation with other local businesses). Otherwise, the conclusion has to be the paid staff believe themselves to be so understaffed that they can't possibly be taking on more..........

 

Heartening to see this morning the first Whitby train pass my signal box heavily loaded with passengers. Hopefully steam will be back soon but in the meantime that’s an encouraging indication of robust demand.

 

Posted in the galas thread about the latest 2 announcements for the diesel gala. Although thought it worth a mention here that D05 Preservation Ltd have put on Facebook that 37688 will be staying for the season to assist with Whitby shuttles.

 

There are some signs of rain in the forecasts from this weekend but I don't know how much would be needed before Steam is released from the sheds again. This year will be an interesting one for mileage accumulation by the end, with some of the diesels probably at the higher end of the annual totals. At least the steam shed teams have had chance to get on with maintenance and overhaul work while this dry spell has been underway!

 

Discount tickets still available using Travelzoo.

 

One issue we have always had at the moors is Land and access.

Another is free access when we did the Levisham concerts people drove and didn't use the train I don't have the answer for this who does.

Some good points made on the NYMR Unofficial forum by someone who has been involved in special events on the NYMR in the past. I think that one of the take-home messages here is that for most events, it's better spread them along the railway in order visitors to use the railway to sample them. With a food festival of some description, perhaps different combinations of produce at each station? It isn't too late either, how about a harvest festival? - and to address staff issues, try to get local craft producers involved to take up a stall and staff with their own people? They get to advertise and sell their produce at a nominal cost that just covers whatever stand provision/facilities they require. The railway wouldn't earn from them, the money would come from (hopefully!) enhanced ticket sales. The same basic premise could be used for other events - e.g. a literary event.

 

I have no particularly fixed idea about anything that's happening (or not happening) at the NYMR, but I think this is a very ill-thought out idea. I'm not sure exactly who might fall under the umbrella of 'local craft producers', but any 'maker' with a worthwhile product is unlikely to want to give that product away at a 'nominal cost' that doesn't cover their time, effort, and labour. If they already have a regular trading pattern/platform (e.g. shop, market stall, website) they would probably incur costs over and above the norm if they are not already geared up to attending events (e.g. if the event occurs at a time when they normally trade elsewhere, there'll be staffing and logistics issues to consider). If they do trade at events (particularly if they mainly or only trade at events), they may well already be fully committed over the next six months or so. And the idea of stall holders working to simply cover their costs because of the supposed value of 'advertising' puts me rather in mind of my musician friends, most of whom have at one time or another been asked by a bar owner/restaurant manager/event organiser to perform for free 'because of the publicity you'll get'. To which the usual reply is 'I can't eat publicity'.

 

Presumably the "weekend" in Land Rover Weekend refers to the fact that the Land Rover Owners will have set off on Thursday night will have broken down several times en-route and will finally arrive at the Bluebell on Sunday, many on the back of a recovery trailer?

 

I think the idea is the other way round, that the cost to the trader is purely nominal, and that they get the benefit of sales and publicity. Whether that's practical when already approaching the summer season is of course a different question.

 

I'll wait to see the rain with my own eyes. When I walked Goathland to Grosmont at the beginning of the month (via Darnholme) everything was very dry. It'll need a decent rain over the course of a week, not quick maybe showers.

 

Perhaps all the Park Street staff should leave their offices, take to the Moors, and perform a rain dance. It would get publicity!

 

I offered it as a suggestion, not a dictat so you are, of course, welcome to offer a differing opinion! However, it is not uncommon for producers to give away small samples of their produce in the hope of selling a full packet/bottle etc. if the customer likes it. Perhaps I'm misobserving, but this would almost be a scaled up village fete type of event, and I don't see trade events of the type you are referring to being held every weekend, so fitting something into the programme ought not be that difficult - probably out of the question for this year but ought to be feasible for next year.

 

I know where your coming from as we’ve had it at work about what ‘great publicity it would be for you guys to support our college and showcase your beers’ however we’ve also done certain events where we’ve paid a minimum amount for a pitch, once it’s gone over that amount we’ve had a profit share agreement regarding takings, it’s not that difficult.

Regarding your musical friends, I’ve also had to deal with those that want charge a fee for Bono but are an anagram of his name to deal with (minus one vowel)
It works both ways sunshine.