North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

I think the normal daily hire fee at the NYMR IS CA. £800/day for a class 5 sized engine.

 

And to some of us, the thought that they are primarily a business (instead of a living museum).

Noel

 

I think they've a long way to go to make the museum aspect dominant - if it ever has been

 

If I book the 1055 tomorrow its £49.50

 

That’s an artificial distinction. Whilst the culture we mostly expect from a heritage railway is different from (for example Tesco) we also - as this thread demonstrates - expect well run heritage railways to make well founded decisions and operate a strong and beneficial strategy, or in other words to be well run businesses. The principal difference is that by and large heritage railways like museums generally, measure their success in more than just financial terms. They still have to be run as businesses though, because (and I speak from experience here) otherwise the bank won’t be friendly, the grant bodies won’t support you, the ORR will sit on you and employees expect to be paid on time (indeed that is a legal duty).

 

Loco hire rates vary tremendously. A significant factor is whether a loco is based on a railway and has a guaranteed usage, whether in miles or days. These arrangements tend to be much cheaper than short term hire for a gala. Small 0-6-0 industrials can command £500/ day for short term hire. A loco on the main line will generally earn significantly more than when working on a heritage railway. Supply and demand is another obvious variable particularly where a railway is wanting a particular loco. I know how much 60007 cost the NYMR earlier this year as it was inadvertently stated in a meeting. I’m not going to say what it was but it was significantly more than £800 and more than my guess for 60163.

 

That says Saturday 6th, not Friday 5th.

 

The ticket you are showing is a “standard rover ticket” which allows unlimited travel between Pickering and Whitby on Saturday 6th. However, the train you’ve selected, the 10.55 ex Pickering, actually terminates at Grosmont so if you do wish to travel onto Whitby you would then catch the follow on 13.30 ex Grosmont. A lot of people actually do this ie break their journey Grosmont or otherwise at Goathland (catching the follow in 12.55).

If you just wish to travel purely between Pickering and Grosmont then you’ll need to buy that particular ticket at £35 directly from the booking office (not available online). Ps all tickets do allow unlimited travel between the selected origin and destination stations.

 

If I'm booking online, how do I know I can get it much cheaper at the booking office?

 

And this just shows how stupid the NYMR’s pricing and tickets is. Book for tomorrow (5th) with a prestige loco and it is £30. Book on line for the same journey on Saturday with no defined motive power and it is £49.50 on line. Book the same train and journey at the booking office on the day and it will cost you £35. (I think! I’m sure @Sidmouth4me can confirm or shoot me down.)

Edit: @Sidmouth4me has done just that whilst I was triping.

 

Good question

 

That's all understandable enough. My figure of £800/day was based on what I've been told NELPG have been missing out on when Tornado took its place on scheduled services in August.

 

Yes I seem to remember when the 3 station ticket was launched the website was going to be updated. I see it still only shows a 1 or 2 station option.
About as good as the National Network ticketing clarity really.

 

The primary purpose of most businesses is to make money. There are very few museums of which one could say that. (Maybe the 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame' - if one considers them a real museum; I'm not sure I do.)

Seems like a pretty simple and obvious distinction to me.

Sounds like most hospitals and non-profits (e.g. the Red Cross). Does that make them all businesses?

Noel

 

What

I could never understand last year is I bought 2 adult tickets and was asked if I wanted to do the gift aid I said yes of course but they only took my details not the other adults details so would they of just claimed for 1 of us or both?

 

Yes in the sense that they have to be run in a business fashion. The trick in all non profits is to recognise that success is measured not by the budget surplus alone. Of course organisations that derive all their funding from grant/government shouldn’t end up with much of a surplus, but it’s still generally sensible to build some reserves. Where heritage railways are concerned, you HAVE to run it as a business even though, and this may be what you’re trying to articulate, the aim is not to make profit to distribute to the owners. The aim is to sustain and improve the railway.

 

They would have claimed for the total amount that you spent buying tickets. You bought the tickets, therefore the gift aid claimed was set against your tax, and so they only needed your details.

 

If the tickets wee bought solely for members of your family the amount would qualify for gift aid. If you bought for a friend he/ she would have to complete a gift aid declaration.

 

I’m not sure, not being an expert, but I’m not sure that’s correct. The make up of the party isn’t relevant, the fare being paid is treated as a donation and the only relevant thing for HMRC is that the person making the donation has paid enough tax to cover the gift aid, so they only need the details of the donor (in this case ticket purchaser). Perhaps someone more knowledgeable will confirm, or not.

edit: Technically it isn’t a ticket purchase. It is a donation. The railway then provides a ticket as a thanks.