North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

A more interesting question would be what is leaving to make way for it? After all, the NYMR operates a "one in/one out policy" doesn't it, and it hardly needs another diesel shunter, even more so if it needs any work doing on it.

 

Platform staff tend to be from an older generation who want to be involved but are not up to anything strenuous, such as carrying a backpack spray. It’s good to know that there is no shortage of them and I’m sure that you’ll agree that for many, sitting around, drinking tea and chatting to likeminded people is one of the great pleasures to be had from our hobby. Long may it continue. I do agree with you, though, that the state of the weed-strewn track is not a good advert for the railway and something needs to be done about it.
As for 926, it has been out and about quite bit recently, including today, and is rostered for two round trips tomorrow.

 

Interesting rumour that was plinthed outside a steel works.

 

The Hull and Barnsley Coach that was at Hull college has returned recently so don't know what left in its place

 

Nothing would have had to, that coach was a long-time resident on the railway. The "one in, one out" rule only applies to things that the management really doesn't want to see there, it doesn't apply if the item in question happens to be something they do want It will be interest to see if this arrival really is the O3 being suggested, what state it is in, and why they might want it (and who has bought it, since that seems to be an important factor too)

 

There are some shots of her on Flickr in Italy.

 

https://features.rcts.org.uk/diesel...lass-03s-exported-italy-cairnryan/loco-03156/

 

Sorry for not being clear, I wan't making a link between the platform staff and weedkilling. They're all in uniform and so I appreciate anything potentially 'messy' would not be possible. And, indeed, their ages might preclude that. But I do think that one or two of those (un-uniformed) volunteers who were at the centre of the hoo-haa getting the goods shed gutter looked at seemed strong enough to do a bit of weedkilling.

At one point I needed to ask a question at Pickering and felt like an intruder because I had to break into the animated old boys' tea party. If I felt like that, you can be sure that others have too. It might be a great pleasure for the participants, but the experience of the public who spend the money should be considered.

I appreciate there's a balance between enjoyment and cracking the whip, but it would create a better impression if for at least some of the time in the long gap between trains they were doing something useful. Polishing or sweeping something, etc. Literally showcasing to Joe and Joanne public how the uniformed staff take pride in the railway. It all adds to the illusion of stepping back in time

Yeah, thanks for that. Glad the dratted thing is out to play while I'm several hundred miles away and can't afford the time or money to get (or stay) there now!

PS By the way, "I'm sure you'll agree" is a very passive aggressive way of saying "I'm right and you're wrong". Not cool.

 

Sorry, but (although you clearly don't agree!) "I'm sure you'll agree" is not "a very passive aggressive way of saying I'm right and you are wrong". It's more a figure of speech way of questioning your interpretation of what you observed and concluded from it!

 

Forcing volunteers to do other tasks. An interesting concept, were you a BA Senior Manager in a previous life by any chance?
I think @Steve covered it, if I vounteered to work on the platform and would not expect to be forced to do something else.

 

He did, but @73108 made a more important point about prioritisation. Whether that's volunteers available for physical tasks, or on station volunteers focusing on the customers who actually pay for there to be a railway for them to gather at, the perception of the visitor is all important.

That said, there's a certain authenticity in the latter experience, at least when compared to coming through the barriers at King's Cross Underground.

 

If I was a station group volunteer, I'd be looking to do anything that needed doing, provided I was capable and it was safe for me to do so. There was a time when such jobs would be done in the evening after the trains had stopped running - and there is a signalbox at Goathland that has to be manned if trains are running out of hours, so it's not hard to double check!

 

Whilst some dislike the weeds on the tracks many people these days prefer the no mow lawns, and the wild life friendly no chemical weedkiller approach, perhaps some also like the rather neglected branch line sight.