North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

I think you are saying basically the same thing as me. Depreciation or any provision doesn't equal cash.

 

And this is where judgment comes in. I'm talking about roof repairs in the context of an asset that has no economic value (it will never be sold), and where even major capital repairs (for example the ~£600k of spire repairs a decade ago) are at such intervals (1760s, 1940s, 2010s) that a standard approach to depreciation obscures the economic reality - especially where funding is grant based.

 

Judgement died the day the Americans were let into the international accounting standards body. It's all rule based now.

 

In which case the Treasurers who dealt with those accounts, and the Independent Examiners, completely failed to apply those standards.

 

Well that is a matter for them and the standards board.

 

Or they applied the standards correctly in accordance with the relevant Charities accounting rules. Given my knowledge of the individuals concerned, I'm prepared to be quite strongly on the latter.

 

Charity rules don't override the standards, hence why the SORP has been. Completely rewritten to reflect IFRS. The only get out is that the companies act still requires the accounts to be a true and fair view.

Anyway, we are a million miles from the NYMR and this isn't accounting today, it's national preservation .

 

A SORP that is only coming into place this autumn - and therefore (going back to NP scope) leaves significant scope for how historic accounts have been prepared, even if changes are looming.

 

I happened to be in the north last weekend and called in at Grosmont and Pickering on Sunday, a bit of a depressing experience - a lot going on in Pickering (heaving!), with the 40s weekend, of course, but the NYMR completely missing out, with only a couple of trains each way, and very light-looking loads. Even the diner didn't look to be fully booked - only three coaches of the passenger vehicles in the set were in use. The present management seem to be just incapable of doing anything resembling commercial enterprise even to try to fill up the trains that were running. The diner doesn't carry non-dining passengers - why not when it takes up a path and leaves people waiting for another train that doesn't arrive till it's too late to be of use? Someone from the station staff told me that there were hardly any of the usual weekend volunteers around, and Pickering didn't look much better. Ironically, next day my copy of the latest Moor Line arrived, with the usual advertorial articles proclaiming a new era of enterprise on the railway. As a scientist by training my first thought is always "show me the evidence" but of course there was none of that, and none whatsoever of the financial success resulting from it.

 

In a church context, don't ever assume "it will never be sold". My late parents (both heavily involved in church matters - one a vicar and the other a lay preacher) retired to a village where the church had long since been closed and sold off as a private house. Where I live now, 3 minutes from my front door is a church which has been closed and sold within the last couple of years - from the signs it's going to be some kind of religious/cultural building but for what community I have no idea as the signs are in a foreign language - tamil or something, probably. And only recently there was news that the CofE themselves are going to demolish a grade 2 listed church down in Truro. I'd politely suggest that any church building is only ever one major repair bill away from these sort of considerations, especially given the increasingly secular society we live in (i.e. lack of donations in many communities).

 

Fair comment, but with a Grade 1 listing and a significant position in the area, the likelihood is less. As importantly, and back to the accounting, we are talking about items that sit ill within a classic accounting asset definition because their purpose is not economic.

 

That seems a very good question.

 

Is it a consequence of the truncated platform 4 road at Grosmont where the diner stock is stabled i.e. there isn't room to add any more coaches?

 

Yes, with Jenny at the back and indeed sometimes, particularly with a larger loco booked, on the train straddles the track circuit necessitating a “yellow flag start”.

At present the brake BG E80509 used on the diner is carpeted throughout, so dogs are not allowed on. But previously, when passengers were previously allowed on at the guard’s discretion, some still came with dogs and others with muddy boots (making a mess of the carpeted floors and thus necessitating a deep clean ). Plus, there is simply no room for pushchairs and the like, though passengers still expected them to be carried. In addition passengers booking Travel and Treats travel in this coach, then meaning no space in any event. So overall this was leading to mixed messages, on whether (and which) passengers could travel or not in the BG.

However, I would hope (my personal views) that if Car 79 can be completed for the start of next year (subject to volunteer assistance) it can replace both the existing BG and one Pullman coach. This would hopefully enable the attachment of a standard Mk1 (assuming Jenny can be wired through), so providing at least limited passenger accommodation. And maybe when Platform 4 is sorted then one more MK1 could also be attached.

ps I now hope that Members have now taken the opportunity to vote for their preferred Trust Board candidates.

 

How can that be true? How do they add the GW saloon if needed? In any case, there were was an empty BG(D) on the back, presumably providing a brake, and with only five coaches in total it should have been possible to add a TSO to provide up to 100 seats for non-dining passengers on this path Not worthwhile, or just too difficult to be bothered. And if the carpets in the BG(D) are a problem, why not replace it with a BSO? I mentioned this to someone else (not an NYMR member afaik, but lives in the Pickering area) and received this comment : "You are right about the NYMR, I live round the corner at xxxxxxxxxxxx. They stopped the WW2 event because it could have potentially offended someone, who I am not sure. There are this and a lot of other times that they show less and less ability to run a successful railway. Some friends of mine have stopped volunteering in mild protest as they see it getting worse and worse."! So it isn't just me who feels that way.

 

Why is it truncated? How long will it be truncated for? Can it not depart from platform 3 and be lengthened?

Sawdust.

 

Nope, it is because it ran at a financial loss (trains packed but with little revenue to match) whilst carrying the risks associated with holding the event in the town. At the time none of the businesses were willing to pick up those risks, despite themselves benefiting from the event and despite being asked.

I noted the station last weekend was also packed, but the majority of people seemed to only wanted a trip to Levisham and back (even if the timetable had been specially improved). Whether or not the railway next year could run shuttle just to and from Levisham would depend on paths being available, be practical and whether it would make a financial surplus.

 

Again I point out that when it ran from Pickering ( diesel hauled on an evening) the dining train was seven vehicles, with a minimum of four carrying dining passengers, if there was space on either the two SO carriages or BSO then none dining passengers were welcomed.

Sawdust.

 

I did use to say that events should be rested periodically to counter falling income, certainly the early years of the WTWE did make money, before those organising it, expanded it to take over the town. The reason it started was to have a mini gala to coincide with having 3672 and 2253 both running. It certainly didn't begin with free travel for those in period costume and once it grew to become established that should have changed to a discount for them. I think it got out of hand because personnel at various levels within the railway enjoyed it too much and forgot that it was meant to be profitable. It doesn't mean that a carefully planned event couldn't be profitable again.
WTWE, classic car events, 60s weekends even Thomas weekends were all started in the 90s to counter recession as was post Christmas running. Volunteers and staff worked as a team to keep the NYMR on track.

Sawdust.

 

There are mine working at the Whitby end of platform 4, causing subsidence. Network Rail are presently investigating, and so the the timeframe for solutions are in there hands. Yes the Pullman could depart platform 3 (as occurred with Rail 200 exhibition train occupied platform 4), but it looked it looks an awkward manoeuvre (as access is required to the Pullman during meal preparation) whilst normal service trains are simultaneously deprting and arriving from platform 2 and 3.