North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

Fire risk or not, the number of steam locomotives available for service has been very low this Summer, probably the lowest I have known. I'm not sure why 29 hasn't been used for service trains, but it seemed to start with 44806 holding the fort (which then was pulled for washout and maintenance), then a week or so of nothing except the occasional appearance of the S160, followed by Repton, plus Tornado's visit. If the fire risk magically disappeared overnight, or indeed there had been no fire risk to begin with, I suspect the roster wouldn't have changed much at all.

 

They haven't run steam regularly for a couple of months now (60163's empty stock workings excepted), well before the self imposed steam ban came in. 926 has only just returned from winter maintenance and has worked about 3 days. 2253 appears once or twice a week at most. 44806 was out almost daily until 6 weeks ago when it was stopped for a boiler washout. 92134 has been out of traffic for a couple of months, 45428 even longer. They simply don't have any locos available for traffic.

 

But being short of steam locos at a point in time is not exactly something unique to the NYMR. I can think of a number of railways it has happened to over the years. You can even say WCRC is short of steam loco suitable to be used on the mainline.
There have been many posts on here that seem to imply this is some sort of a majorly unique event.

 

It's certainly not unique, but I can't think of a time when the NYMR specifically has had so few steam loco's available. I'm not really pointing fingers on the reasons why either, as I think it's mainly down to "s**t happens" with the usual delays and complications. What I am saying though is the fire risk is nothing to do with the current steam locomotive availability.

 

Again, I repeat my question, did you not get the nationwide alert?

There has been no rain for an unprecedented length of time (yes, it is worse than 76). The moor is a tinder box. "Self-imposed" suggests that this is not a good idea.
I'm not involved, so I don't need to temper my words unlike others. The HRA is saying "don't run steam" on a virtually nationwide basis, the NYMR is on the east of the country (which generally gets less rain) and runs through a national park.

Read the runes.

 

You’re missing the key point of what me and other respondents have been saying.

They have been running hardly any steam locos way before the nationwide fire risk was announced!


As many have said, since the late reopening it was the two Black 5s but mostly Eric, the 9F which covered diner services, the odd appearance of Omaha whilst 29 was mostly allocated to driver experience. Then all steam was removed while Tornado visited for a couple of

It has become a chiefly diesel run heritage railway for the last couple of months a the fact is the vast majority of the paying public don’t want to pay £50 to sit behind a class 37 for 3 hours!

 

Which was why I flagged the points about "National Park" and "East of the country".
I get the point about lack of steam locos, but I've seen no acknowledgement the other way. This year has been low on rainfall since June at the latest.

 

Fire risk is acknowledged as being present, no doubt. But fire risk or not, it would have made little difference to the roster for the past two months IMHO. What strikes a nerve for me is to say fire risk is the reason, when the only available coal fired steam has been used during the given period.

 

Is it acknowledged? Don't see it myself.
As I've said previously, the detractors to the current regime shoot themselves in the foot by the continued conspiracy theories and attacks on the current board.