NYMR Whitby to Battersby trains in May and June

Reports earlier this year of "last chance to travel behind steam on the Esk Valley line" have provided to be somewhat premature - the NYMR is pleased to announce a rare opportunity to experience "mainline" speeds at more heritage railway prices this month and next:

http://www.nymr.co.uk/2014/05/battersby ... -and-june/

Steven

 

I correctly interpreted the write-up of RTC's 'Esk Valley' as the 'last chance to travel behind steam on the Esk Valley line' from the rest of the National Network. NYMR operations are one thing, but getting steam there from York or elsewhere will be more difficult between Battersby and Middlesborough. It was an absolute non-story from Heritage Railway if you ask me.

 

I notice that there is no mention on the website of the trains being steam-hauled. Given that the NYMR is currently a bit short of steam power, what are the chances?

With the short turn-around times at Battersby, I'm assuming that even if they have steam on the front, these trains will be top and tail with a diesel, as they were on at least one day of the early May gala.

 

At the moment, the answer is "both". Due to the works for the new platform at Whitby, all trains must be topped and tailed and unless the Class 25 needs scheduled maintenance (as happened a couple of weeks back), the Class 25 is on the North End and a Steam Loco (61264, or 75029) on the South. This formation has to be the same all the way to Battersby and back.

Subject to availability, it is likely to be 61264 as these runs are part of the commemoration of the withdrawal of passenger services between Picton and Battersby on 14th June 1954, when a B1 worked the last train. I believe 61264 is currently carrying the identity of the locomotive in question.

Steven

 

Thanks, Steven. Very helpful.

 

Below is a photograph from this evenings trip:



A total and utter waste of time turning out! As an enthusiast, one of several who made the effort tonight, I was completely miffed and perplexed as to the outcome of tonight's train (putting it mildly using very soft language). What is the point in running a train tender first like this. Why at least not have the loco on the other end?!?!?
As one fellow photographer pointed out his photo album is full of family photographs with the locomotive, not the tender, so it isn't just photographers who are loosing out! Prior advertising, "the services are scheduled to be worked by the B1 wearing the identity of the loco that headed the last train (61034 Chiru)" was rubbish, yes locomotives can fail but there was no effort what so ever tonight, the attitude of 'well its got steam on it', in my opinion, is not good enough for a heritage railway. And quite frankly in recent times the NYMR struggles to be classed as a heritage railway, running as a business for profit.
I only hope that tonight's train was popular enough for it to be repeated in future months and years!

Richard

 

I am currently several hundred miles away from the NYMR and have yet to see today's Control sheet, so cannot comment specifically on why the B1 did not work this train. However, I would comment that there had clearly been considerable effort for the benefit of the passengers on the train as ordinarily the last train to Whitby currently has the steam loco lead into Whitby so the diesel leads out and takes the train forward solo from Grosmont. That arrangement has clearly been swapped around so that the steam locomotive was working for the outward journey with the longer rising gradients. I am sure the sound in the train would benefit from the chimney being next to the carriages, as a number of my fellow travels of recent days have commented elsewhere!

The NYMR is owned by a charity - so if it seeks to minimise operating losses and make an overall profit, it is for the benefit that ownership body alone and not for the normal "business" reason of paying dividends. If it doesn't, overall, generate the cash to enable it to continue to maintain its infrastructure, locomotives, rolling stock etc., then it would cease to operate. Not, I add, a risk at the moment, but any railway that organised its operations for the benefit of creating good photographs alone would probably find itself rapidly in difficulty.

I am sorry that those who turned out to photograph the train were disappointed - and thank you for posting a very nice shot (which is always appreciated by those involved in working the trains and therefore not enjoying the sight of them running through spectacular scenery) despite your disappointment but hopefully the passengers enjoyed what I have always, as both guard and passenger, found to be an excellent experience on the Esk Valley run.

I am afraid that it is a fact that any heritage organisation has to balance the needs of conserving it assets, aiming to provide a recreation of the thing it is preserving and ensuring it remains financially strong enough to do both these other things. That balance is at the basis of an amazing amount of the behind the scenes time spent ensuring steam continues to operate so widely in the UK.

Steven

 

Thanks for your response Steven - Yes I understand the reason for having the loco on the north end but to have it tender first when its is hauled back by diesel is still unbelievable. Had I been recording sound, the acoustics were brilliant. In my view its a publicity thing - our photos are posted on the internet and in magazines, when the loco is right way about, showing the success of the trip. It helps promote and advertise for possible future trips. Spectacular scenery behind the right engine for the line (B1) on an evening train, what could be better! Its just hugely disappointing what it doesn't turn out especially since it was advertised as to be just this.
Richard

 

75029 is currently tender first out of Whitby to even out tyre wear I understand? I think Bean-Counter could confirm this?

45428 should hopefully join the Whitby pool of locos soon.

 

There was every intention to put the B1 on the train but, when locos are declared a last-minute failure, as the B1 was, there wasn't much choice but to put the Standard onto the train, nor any chance to change things around. And, if you're old enough to remember BR steam, tender first running was quite a normal course of events, especially on branch lines. I'm sure that Treacy, Anderson, Gifford, Krause, et al never complained at such things. That's life, get over it.

 

Thats the NYMR and more and more people are getting over it Literally

 

IMHO there are too many steam loco photos appearing here and everywhere that are basically the same.

I like this photo. It is a bit different from the norm. And shows a moment of time on the NYMR with a story to go with it.

 

Don't see how a pretty picture shows how successful the trip is. Bums on seats is all that matters. If it was lashing down with rain, no one would care which way the loco was facing (except maybe the crew on a GWR loco working tender first!). Even on a lovely summer's evening, I doubt the passengers have two hoots which way the loco was facing.

The Moors seem to be having a very hard time with steam locos at present, so it's understandable why the advertised loco didn't work the trip. If I was travelling I'd have been annoyed if it had been the other way round, with steam on the Whitby end and only actually hearing it work for a fraction of the journey.

 

I agree and I like the photo but as Richard says he wanted it chimney first. He wouldnt have gone out if he had known it wasnt chimney first
H

 

Correct. New tyres are on order, indeed probably en route.

I am told 45428 has been starting gentle running in after mechanical work, but will have a short period of NYMR work before joining the Whitby pool.

Steven

 

Maybe we should campaign to decommission the NYMR turntable, then they'd never be any ambiguity in which way round the engines were!

I do sometimes wonder if people realise just how lucky they are with how easy it is to see or ride behind a steam engine in this country, relative to almost every other country in the world.

Tom

 

Well done for driving to a passing place in the Esk Valley. Well done for buying a tank of petrol. Please explain to me how doing those things entitles you to bitch about the NYMR when on your latest visit you evidently went nowhere near its metals nor contributed not one halfpenny to its operations.

 

And when every last lineside photographer has toddled off to Rothley and Ropley to complain about a red 8F and a 'Nelson' in the wrong shade of green the NYMR will still be there and still serving its customers. By 'More and more people' what you mean is 'More and more people who don't buy a ticket.'

 

Hahaha No i know a lot of people who are going further afield for steam now rather than their local railway which happens to be the NYMR
H

 

I can't help thinking that the gentle running in would be better on the near level run to Whitby rather than the trash up to Goathland!