The Whitby Flyer 7/04/18

Thanks Peter, now it I've got the name, the face, the job and the NP name - there is the chance I might remember. Crew details are far easier with one loco and a chance to have a look, so thanks again for your info (and patience). I've several more trips arranged during the coming months so no doubt I will see you again.

I hope that the points got sorted and that the trip is able to run to plan - Mrs W's hairdresser is booked to travel (in dining) at my recommendation, so we all know who will be to blame if everything doesn't go to plan.

 

A very long day, we undervalue the time spent by many individuals without who these trips would not be possible. I haven't had a bottle of Spitfire for many years, but I do remember it being very good. No doubt we will bump into each other again and good to meet you. As you see it took two and a half attempts to get the crew details sorted - it is Phil Akester and not as per my poor attempt.

 

I was disguised as a chimney!

 

Good disguise, had me fooled

 

Some images from Saturday for you, hopefully a little better weather this weekend, although I shall be looking at some English Electric power over on the S&C ...

Easy Sunny morning by Inspiring Images, on Flickr

200 miles to London passed ... by Inspiring Images, on Flickr

Back on the mainline by Inspiring Images, on Flickr

Crossing the Esk by Inspiring Images, on Flickr

Sights of the SIxties by Inspiring Images, on Flickr

Sunset(!) at Yarm by Inspiring Images, on Flickr

 

I do not know and that is why I feel as a steward I made such a poor job of looking after the welfare of the passengers. I regard them as my responsibility on and off the train other than when they are actually at the destination so I feel I let them, RTC and WCRC down badly on Saturday.
I would normally stay on the train and clean it, but when I had finished cleaning the toilets the front was still platformed so I got off to try to get a quick hot lunch, I guess having been up from 0330 I was more hungry than usual. Of course by then all the passengers were eating and everywhere was full so I went back to the station but the stock had gone out. So I got stuck eating late and did not get back until about 20 minutes before departure and was surprised at what was happening.
We have many destinations where a train pulls in with most of the passengers on the platform, but other than Carlisle where the train at times get turned (and anyway the platforms are very wide) most tend to either be roughly in the right place or are all walking in one direction. Here we ended up with passengers going up the platform, back down from the train towards then station barriers when the train moved and other walking at 90 degrees across them. Add to that many were angry that they had walked and stood in the rain only to have to walk back again. I should have foreseen what was going to happen, grab some other stewards and tried to do something about making it safer.
I did think a few days on that actually it would fade, but I actually feel far worse about my lack of proactive action now than I did at the time to such an extent that I am unsure if I will continue stewarding.
So if anyone should be "on trial by social media" it should be me.

As I said I hope this weeks trip goes better and maybe arriving on time will allow the servicing of the train to be far more relaxed and the stock is back before the passengers.

Oh and thanks to those that have posted some great images.

 

At least you put your self forward into the firing line and tried,a thankless task you are not always in full control of and had to try to rescue the situation. Many do not even try.

 

It is unfortunate that platform 2 at Whitby is very narrow and for the most part at the absolute minimum. This is why the NYMR have a crowd control procedure in place, preventing people from going onto the platform until the train is in the platform. Hindsight is wonderful but it would have been much better to have put the run round loop on the wide platform 1 and use platform 2 for the Northern trains. Having said that, I do not know whether such a scheme would have been a practical proposition as I do not have the necessary information to draw it up. The proximity of the old loco shed might make it a non-starter in preventing platform 1 from having the necessary extension.

 

The length lost on Platform 1 for run round would have been an issue - there is room for about a one coach extension towards the Loco Shed and the buffer stop is a good distance from the end of the platform, so probably doable. Platform 2 could have been much shorter if only used by Northern. The Platform 2 Project started as simply laying the 'middle road' to create (for the first time) a run round in the station but developed via other ideas which ended up not being the final position!

I think the biggest issue with Northern using Platform 2 (i.e. this was how the route would ordinarily be set) would have been expensive changes to the signalling system. I think there also was a separate suggestion of effectively installing a mirror imagine of what is now there - make the seaward Bog Hall Siding the main running line straight (slwed under the New Bridge to connect with the existing running line) into Platform 2 with a point to the left to access Platform 1 and then the old running line and middle road as the sidings and loop in the station but connected to Platform 1. Again this was seem as more complex and expensive.

Steven

 

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