North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion

Bearing in mind that previous conversations about maintenance budgets for this railway the obvious question is how many of those failures were because of cuts to that budget, and how many were extended because of waiting for parts where those parts would have previously been stored ready for use.
Whilst the Q6 is unfortunate, the P3 was extended at Embsay after Leaky Finders were already finding more issues. There was a opportunity there to request it back that wasn't taken and I suspect it will go there again next year no matter the NYMR fleet availability though that's just opinion. Whilst not as big as some of the other engines that would at least cover the internals.
For 926, winter maintenance always goes longer than planned on the NYMR. Every year at least one or two engines are in bits for longer than estimated. Whether that's because of lack of labour or parts or some unforeseen issue, the delay is the predictable bit. Its just which engine(s) it will be that isn't.
I've seen nothing about the Lambton tank here. That engine could have covered the internals but wasn't used much for the vast majority of the summer except for Driver Ex's. A missed opportunity?

But going right back to the start of the season, the railway knowingly went into it with a lack of engines. From memory in March all that was available was 44806, Lucie and 29. If it hadn't been for the lower amount of trains running early on due to Bridge 42, it would of been a much bigger issue. I certainly remember all diesel days before Grosmont was reopened.

 

I suspect that you are unlikely to get an answer to this from our "management insider" unless it is completely wrapped up in spin!

 

There wasn’t a steam loco shortage ,it was down to good SMT management re the weather and the unfortunate location of the railway near SSSIs,but everyone’s ignoring what he’s saying !

His comments just highlight why NYMR is in its current situation .

 

Just spending a pleasant morning volunteering as a German Spy for the GWSR schools war time experience. Sorry to disappoint but despite my new found ability to unearth secrets I’m no longer by any description a management insider.

 

As Tom suggested even if Steam had been available it would have been wrong to use it in times of extreme fire risk although other posters have acknowledged that the NYMR was still able to run some steam when other railways were diesel only. Just for clarification it’s not just that the railway is near SSSI’s but substantial parts of its trackbed and lineside are designated SSSI’s in their own right.