Six different locos on the NYMR

No gala but loads going on in late October and some gorgeous Autum colours.
Anyone interested please have a browse.

http://crjennings.com/preserved steam nymr/nymrIndex 6.html

http://crjennings.com/preserved steam nymr/nymrIndex 5.html

http://crjennings.com/preserved steam nymr/nymrIndex 4.html

 

As you say some lovely Autumnal colours and I like your use of portrait mode on "Gresley" leaving Grosmont, a fantastic exhaust display.
Great shots. :smt023

 

Thanks for that Stuart. Its funny all the years of seeing Gresley on the main line I never had any luck with decent exhausts, but every time I see her leave Grosmont its volcanic.

 

All Whitby timetables need at least 4 locos in steam. If one of the two stabling at Pickering is being changed, then you can have 5 in steam. As one of our drivers has commented, some places that would be a Gala - for us it is an ordinary day! Diagraming locos and crews can be a nightmare because of the complexity, and we try our hardest to minimise the number of locos required but 4 is the minimum. Off peak timetable Whitby is 260 miles, peak 360.

It is a great tribute to the Grosmont MPD team and the loco owners where they are responsible for repairs that we have had only a very few occasions when insufficient steam locos have been available to cover the required diagrams unless there has been a last minute or during the day failure.

Great pictures - Autumn is the best time for a colourful landscape in the Moors.

Steven

 

Love the recording of 53809. Rather nice listening to it sat on top of Devonshire Tunnel. Hopefully she will come west again soon - we have a blue one you can borrow!

 

Thanks for having a look guys.
Couldnt agree more with the tribute to Grosmont MPD, also the operating dept should get a mention as the loco changes at Grosmont are very impressive and very professional.

 

53809 does sound very nice now, and your a man after my own heart listening to her above Devonshire tunnel.

 

Very nice. I particularly like the shot of 825 with the smoke ring, a bit of luck!

 

I could be wrong but I think Grosmont is the only station in the UK that does daily loco changes (on the Whitby trains) - usually in under 10 minutes! This is something that supposedly can't be done on the national network, hence the number of diesel trains that run under the wires now and are likely to in the future!

Steven

 

Clearly something has changed for the better at the NYMR since I visited in August 2006! Then there were only two engines in steam for the last weekend of the school hols and a very tatty Derby/Sulzer Type 2 diesel grumbling around.

It's good news that they NYMR has changed its policy and is running more steam engines, I might take a B&B next year and pay a visit.

Regards

 

It's not policy that has changed - it is locomotive availability and reliability - hence the glowing tributes to the MPD and loco owners! We have even repainted the Sulzers! The policy has always been a substantially steam service on most occasions (Summer Saturday used to be the day one diesel was planned for use, this year it was Sunday).

I am afraid that you probably caught the low point, with a couple of "in ticket" locos missing for long term repairs and the end of the school holidays probably when boiler washouts couldn't be left for any longer. It was rare but we were well aware it wasn't what passengers expected. Unfortunately, there have been occasions when the Type 2s have had to be used this August but, even more frustratingly, this was due to a shortage of steam crews rather than steam locos - and training driver can take even longer than repairing engines! Our footplate link is entirely volunteer (we have staff who are employed in other roles and can drive, including the Operating Manager, and they are used in emergency) and are undertaking more turns than ever even with the occasional day of short-fall. Full credit to crews therefore as well.

Steven

 

One of the days we were there the 7F was stopped with a broken tender spring which threw things out a bit, the diesel stood in and 825 was dug out for the last train of the day, 825's fire must have been a bit cool by then and it was a tribute to the crew that they got to Goathland as by Darnholme she sounded in pretty poor shape.
A fitter dashed off to pick up a new spring for the 7F and the next morning she was sitting on shed all ready to go, no sign of a diesel.