North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

Am looking forward to the K1 returning in April. Nice to see what I described as a visiting engine returning....

Anyone got an update on the other motive power for the summer?

 

Rumour control has it that 45212 might make an appearance later on but it is only a rumour, not to be confused with fact!
44806 was in steam today and turned to face south ready for its planned trip to Grosmont tomorrow. Stepping into the cab is a bit like going back in time to 1968. It looks like it is in 'B.R. condition' with nothing much seeming to have been done to it since then. Looking round it, it certainly doesn't seem to have been well cared for in recent times, which surprised me.

 

Not that I am in any way connect with Llangollen but the expression, people in glass houses should not throw stones, comes to mind...

 

NYMR locos may not shine as well as those on the Bluebell but their maintenance standards are probably second to none. That's why locos are failed so often. The NYMR wouldn't put out locos with inoperative sanders and blowing steam brake valves, as examples. (And I can't understand why the LL.R generally don't have operational sanders on their locos. 80072 came with instructions not to use the sanders when it came to the NYMR.) General opinion on the Railway is that 44806 is in need of some TLC. It's already had a new blower ring and petticoat pipe. Obviously, those in charge thought it necessary to do this first as a prelude to working it through to Grosmont light engine.

I believe the plan is to do a few more required jobs then try it out towards the end of next week to get to know a bit more about it.

 

Hi,

I have a small question here.

Does anyone know when the Whitby platform extension work is due to start if it Hasn't done already and how long it take to complete.

Thanks

 

Start day is sometime next month I believe, it is due for completion around the end of June.
A lot of work has been done by NYMR at Grosmont getting signalling and track sorted so allowing platforms 2 & 3 to be used for Whitby services. The signal gantry has now got its dolls on and cabling etc back to box in hand.

 

My next question is

How will the work effect Current nymr Services while the work is going on.

Are the nymr running to Whitby or will they not be while the the work in going on as the timetable on the nymr site says they are.


Thanks

 

Normal Whitby service will continue as normal, but may have to top and tail on some runs? The sidings are still in use and point won't be removed until platform 2 and run round are operational.
Then from end of June it goes up to 5 trains a day into Whitby main season.

 

I think the latest plan entails Bog Hall sidings being available all the time and no need for top'n'tail but I'm not sure. Perhaps Bean Counter can be more precise.

I wouldn't bet a Mars Bar on it being ready by June.

 

Latest news

http://www.nymr.co.uk/2014/03/work-begins-at-whitby/

Steven

 

Steven: Interesting also to see that the NYMR has secured a £500k interest-free loan from your LEP up there, for capital projects along the railway. Would this at long last include putting something for both carriages and visitors on the Bellwood site? Carriage storage underneath, visitor centre/cafe/shop/viewing area above? ( just as a "for instance"of course....)

46118

 

I can't give full chapter and verse on this, but I think the 500K is pretty well spoken for, between topping up what is needed for Whitby above the Network Rail and Coastal Community Fund money and completing the associated Grosmont signalling modifications that include the Falsgrave gantry.

There is now gathering momentum behind a carriage storage project, but not at Grosmont. The "tidal flow" of traffic from Pickering toWhitby in the mornings and vice versa in the evenings means that what the NYMR needs is facilities for both loco and carriage storage at Pickering and options are starting to be explored. I don't think there is yet a clear idea of what needs to be done at Grosmont, but clearly more loco shed space must be on the cards, for both steam and diesel, and ideally with room to display demic locos. I don't think carriages will ever be part of the Bellwood site plans, or that the earlier grandiose museum plans will ever become reality, but a second carriage shed over at least some of the present carriage sidings will eventually be desirable.

 

http://www.nymr.co.uk/2014/04/no-services-friday-4th-april/

In order to allow completion of essential engineering work to prepare the Railway for our main season no passenger services will run on Friday 4 April. The new 2014 timetable between Pickering, Levisham, Newtondale Halt, Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby will start as planned on Saturday 5 April.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Giving our engineers access to complete this important work should enable us to operate a more reliable service for the benefit of all our passengers throughout the coming season.

Philip Benham
Managing Director

 

New timetable link for main season (subject to change following Whitby improvements)

http://www.nymr.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/p2836_nymr_2014_timetable_A4_aw.pdf

 

So why wasn't this published weeks ago? Rather suggests that 'we haven't a clue when Whitby will be complete'.

How the marketing people have been selling to coach tours without a timetable I know not, but at least there's now something to work from.

David

 

Times up to 5th July were published some time back - after that date, the information included on the link is subject to change when the additional Whitby services are implemented. However, the latest version of the new timetable keeps the same time for many trains between Grosmont and Pickering (and visa versa).

The main changes are the first train from Pickering to Whitby is 09:30 off Pickering (instead of 09:00). The first train from Whitby is 10:00, then 12:45, 14:00 (as now), 16:40 and 18:00, the last of these being to Grosmont only except in the peak season.

The new Platform at Whitby is a complex project involving a number of organisations and various different types of work which are, nevertheless, interdependent (e.g Platform construction, trackwork, signalling). The latest photos I have seen (on RMweb) show the track work as nearing completion, and platform work progressing but in order for the whole platform to be built, some land needs transferring from the Co-op. As ever, signalling work tends to be the final stage and require much of the other work to be completed.

Hence, the reason why the provisional timetable based on previous years is issued rather than a definite "it will be from X" where "X" keeps changing.

A couple of my pictures from last weekend - there has been considerable progress since then (there is track on almost all that ballast - indeed, as I am sure work is progressing as this is typed, probably all of it my now!).

Steven

 

The latest Whitby work report is available.
http://www.nymr.co.uk/2014/04/civil-engineering-diary-part-2/

 

Interesting photos. Will the new platform be the same length as the current one or will it need to extend further because of the space needed for the headshunt and pointwork ?

 

The new platform will run approximately to a line level with the front of the loco shed. It is designed to accept eight coach trains (plus loco), which is one more than can be accommodated in the existing platform 1.

 

The new track work is all but complete, and a video taken with a drone has appeared on You Tube showing its extent - "Whitby Platform 2 Progress" should find it.

It is pretty easy to work out the piece of land that is being bought form the Co-op on it (the drone is just about straight above it) and there is a road-railer parked just about where the Platform end will be.

Steven