NYMR Spring 2010 Steam Gala - Giant Gala of Giants

The NYMR is one of the few railways that use the locos sanding gear. I'm sure that 60019 being a mainline engine has working sanders so there shouldn't be a problem.

 

Latest forecast is looking drier but still cloudy - looks like tomorrow may be the only chance for decent photographs may be tomorrow!

Steven

 

Pray tell why?

A4's don't have back sands anyway, and we've been managing just fine with 60007 for quite a number of years.

 

Think I'm right in saying the pacific wheel arrangement leads to the weight shifting on to the trailing wheels (ie off the driving wheels) and so giving less adhesion on starting.

 

Well if you turn it round, a 2 - 6 - 4 t is about the most sure footed loco you will ever get on!

There's no particular demons with the A4, beyond those that you get with any big wheel type.

 

Aye but that has the weight of the water over the driving wheels, which helps. I'm sure there are plenty more variables than simply the wheel arrangement - balancing, valve timing, etc spring instantly to mind - but it would figure...

 

I'm surprised the Q6 isn't out saturday as it was suposed to be finished by then.

 

NYMR Website update;

07-May 1744 44871 45428 53809 45407 60019 76079
08-May 1744 44871 45428 53809 45407 60019 76079
09-May 1744 44871 45407 53809 45428 60019


14-May 1744 45428 53809 60007 76079
15-May 1744 30926 44871 45428 60007 53809 76079
16-May 1744 30926 44871 45428 60007 76079 53809

No mention of 63395, but shows 30926 - subject to change, as 60019 and 45407 back on the big railway by the final weekend with 60007 due back.

HTH

 

When I came to prep the N2 last week,the sandboxes were empty. When I went to fill them, I was told not to bother as they didn't work! I suppose, the GCR (its home base) has no need of such things.

 

Does anyone know what the problem was with the valve gear ? Glad to hear it should be ready for next weekend and hopefully Sir Nigel too .

James

 

Just had a immensley enjoyable 2 days this week-end, both on trains on all the routes and also in the Beautiful Countryside.
Very many thanks go to all who worked so hard visibly and behind the scenes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TULFReuqUTc
Alan.

 

Added more pictures from the weekend, Bottom of this page - http://markt79.fotopic.net/c1843639.html

 

A very enjoyable weekend spent at the gala. Thanks to all involved at the railway for their hard efforts to keep the show rolling despite a number of locomotive problems over the weekend. Part 1 of my video from the weekend can be found here;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdWWddDQey8

 

Thanks to all at the NYMR for yet another brilliant weekend. Nice to have 53809 back in traffic; caught some really explosive running from her!! Let's just hope the line-up can be boosted with 45428, 30926 and 60007 next week.

 

Umm - what can I say - I went along saturday to find that after one hour, services were down by 40 minutes, all freight trains had been cancelled. The N2 did one run of the track and was dispatched back to the sheds. 76079 was taken off the Levisham shuttle and returned to Grosmont . By this time , the published timetable which I took from the internet was assigned to the nearest rubbish bin.!!
Good points - As said above, some sterling performaces from 60019 & 53809 were the highlights of the day for me.
I did a 250 mile round trip to this gala and probadly would still have gone knowing what I was still going to see - but letting people know what is happening is not one of NYMR attibutes as I found out a couple of years ago with an incident at Pickering, everyone in the dark for hours - staff keeping silent knowing of the problem.

my pictures here - http://john-robinson.fotopic.net/c1847610.html

 

Part 2 of my video from the Gala which includes 'Bittern' streaking along at Egton can be found here;



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhqsUDByDOo

 

"letting people know what is happening is not one of NYMR attibutes"

As John has said things went awry on Saturday but it was still a good day. The staff at Grosmont never fail to disappoint with regards to a lack of information about what is going on. When I asked about the N2 no one had a clue whether it had failed or not, and noone could be bothered ringing the shed to find out if it would be out again that day. When asking what the delay to the timetable was they couldn't tell me nor did they know whether the freights would run. What is extraordinary is that the person who does know, Mr Palmer I think he is called, is there at Grosmont dashing about organising things, why don't they ask him whats going on? They've also got a tannoy system, use it! Couldn't someone put up a board saying "45428 won't be working today due to problems with the main steam pipe".

It was great to have 53809 working again and the trip behind 45407 was very enjoyable as although it was taking the bank slowly it was very noisy. Despite the unprecedented problems with this gala it has still been well worth going to. I would suggest that in future the array of trade stands is brought back to Grosmont so that we have something to look at whilst waiting to see what turns up next. Standing around on the platform with the staff won't produce enlightenment.

 

I visited the NYMR for their Spring Steam Gala last weekend and I have uploaded the film to YouTube. Because of the difficulties the railway experienced over the weekend there wasn’t enough footage for separate films for each of the three days so I have amalgamated the best sequences into one ten minute film.

Locations are Darnholm, Bridge 30 and Beck Holes for Friday; Fen Bog and Darnholme for Saturday and Moor Gates, Darnholme, Lease Rigg and the bridleway (the erstwhile horse tramway) at Moor Gates for Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU5j3jeUaeA

Regards

 

Enjoyed my weekend up at the railway, nice to get some sunshine on Sunday. First two parts of video from me from the weekend just gone now online...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_7huIcmFxo features mostly Bittern with addtional footage of Eddystone at the 2006 gala
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEfC7bPZzFs features mostly the S&D 7F with additional footage of the Super D during the 2006 gala

 

I agree that communications is one area that the NYMR needs to get a grip of. It is not just with the general public; as a driver there, I frequently have to go and search out information as to what is going on. However, having said that, I do very much know of the problems that the Railway has had to overcome over the last few weeks and, quite often, the decision making has had to be made on the run. The person in control this last w/e has performed miracles in keeping things moving and minimising the amount of diesel usage in an endeavour to give people what they wanted.
It is very easy to criticise the operation when things go wrong but I defy anyone to do better. No other railway has to take into consideration the rigidity of running on Network Rail and the additional problems that this entails. Only certain locos and certain crews can do this so you can't just swap things willy nilly. They have to be in the right place at the right time. There are also finite time slots, so if things are running late some fast thinking often has to be done. There is also the challenge of operating Grosmont station, which is by far the busiest and most complex operation on any heritage railway and it is so easy to get boxed in if you aren't constantly thinking ahead.