North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

If it was likely that the line wouldn’t be open throughout then that’s a fair comment. However, the railway is telling us that it will be and, if they seriously think it might not be open, they should come clean on this.

 

Can anyone tell me why the railway will have one in steam for the Easter Holidays, and then start two in steam immediately after the holidays?

And why the Thomas event, which will primarily appeal to pre-school children, is taking place during half term?

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The second part is easy. Many pre-school children have school age siblings. 20+ years of Thomas events at the MHR make that very obvious. You’d hugely cut down on the visitors if you ran in term time.

 

I'd suggest with a complex engineering operation like this, nobody is certain. It's all a case of probabilities. The issue is that the Nymr has to have the financial plan in place that gives the best chance of survival whatever the outurn. That's the Thomas event not three empty trains between Pickering and Goathland or possibly Whitby.

 

Whilst accepting that the NYMR needs a plan in place, and good for them in doing so, I wouldn't exactly call propping the bridge a complex civil engineering operation. The cost tells you that. When it comes to the repairs then it is a bit of a journey into the unknown but, again, not complex.
I suppose the question becomes which would make the Railway more money; through running to Whitby or the Thomas event? The Railway hasn't held a Thomas event for a good number of years so it is a step into the unknown. If at all possible (and I suggest it is), I would have liked to see some through trains being accommodated. Whatever, I would question the decision to shut down on the Thursday during what is usually one of the busiest weeks of the year.

 

It leaves one with the question whether the railway isn’t being run for the benefit of the staff, or at least bent around their needs to an unhelpful degree. Is the tail wagging the dog a little too much?

 

It does seem odd to close at all during half term week. Constantly pleading poverty then not maximising revenue, bizarre situation.

 

Out of interest, how far is Pickering - New Bridge? I always thought they were virtually the same place?

 

I think they are about a mile apart, give or take a bit.

 

That's what Google maps is suggesting as well.

 

Same management who reduce ticket prices when demand everyone else believes greatest in school holidays ?

 

I keep saying that the management are clueless and useless, but I seem to be in the minority...... But I also think that the paid management, if not exactly lions, are still being supported by donkeys on the Trust and Plc Boards.

 

Pickering station mileage marker is at 6m 50ch. New Bridge yard is at 7m 51ch and that is probably where they will stop, just before the signal for the token section. About a 7 minute journey, allowing for the two short sections of 5mph and the 10mph general line speed between the two. New Bridge crossing gates have to be open to allow the signals to be cleared so it is pointless stopping before them, even if only going a 150 yards beyond them is all you can do.

 

Somebody posted the 2006 DOWT events listing on Twitter the other day and the majority of the events were held during school breaks if they weren't just Sat+Sun. I would've done my first DOWT aged 5 so certainly not pre-school, and I am the eldest child.

 

Update on the bridge 42 situation, shared on Facebook by the Co-op at Grosmont rather than the railway themselves.



I'm struggling to understand the figures they've posted. £250,000 to prop the bridge and they have currently raised £190,000 according to the website, plus £50,000 from NYMNP, so the total seemingly stands at £240,000. Yet the letter states they still need £150,000 to fully fund the propping.

6 weeks before the line is meant to reopen and they don't have a contractor in place to do the work either.

 

I'd noticed that discrepancy too - but their letter is also confusing in other ways (under several possible readings, they're already there)! It says "The temporary propping ... is estimated to cost £250,000 in total. As a registered charity, we have secured a 20% discount on these works, saving over £35,000." Well, to start with, 20% of £250,000 is £50,000. Yes, £50,000 is "over £35,000", so if that's the correct reading, technically they are accurate.

Unless their missive is simply poorly phrased, and the £250,000 is after the 20% discount. But if 20% of £X,000 (the full, un-discounted, cost) is £35,000, then £X,000=£175,000 - not £250,000. So, the propping should cost, after the discount, £175,000-£35,000=£140,000 - but as you note, they've already raised £240,000!

Alternatively, if their £35,000 is a discount off the £250,000 - then £250,000-£35,000=£215,000, and again, they've already raised more than that. Maybe the writer simply can't do math, and £X,000-£35,000= £250,000; so £X,000 is actually £285,000 - but then the discount is not 20%.

If the reader is confused by all this, you all have company (me). Perhaps I am simply misunderstanding the letter - and if so, I'd be grateful if someone could point out how. (As you all can see from the above, I have tried every way I can to make the numbers jibe - with no success.)

Noel

 

It is a classic case of “well I knew what I meant”.

 

I spent a lot of time looking at permutations of figures, and also plausible typos. For example - does to the figures work if £250k should have been £350k? No. What about if the 20% charity discount was actually 10%? No. So I have no idea what the cost is.

The only thing that does seem to add up is that if the propping costs £250k and the permanent repairs £550k, then that is the £800k figure that was widely discussed earlier this year. But even that must be subject to some doubt, given they haven't yet appointed a main contractor for the propping, let alone for the repair works. How do you know what the quotes are before you go out to tender? (If I were of a more Machiavellian bent, I might wonder if they have pitched that figure high, and when the actual price comes in, they can have a good news story about procuring the works well under budget and making a saving ...)

Given the sums involved, I hope they have a rigorous process for selecting a contractor, even if for the purposes of early budgeting, they have alighted on one figure.

Tom

 

I was equally baffled, and just gave up in the end, as my brain hurt.
Can someone remind me when the railway was claiming they’d reopen to Whitby, and how that’s looking after this latest statement?