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Electric Railway Museum to Close.

Discussion in 'Diesel & Electric Traction' started by D6332found, Jul 10, 2017.

  1. William Fletcher

    William Fletcher Member

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    I went to the lectric railway m,useum lasr open day, thety are remaininf in existence in name ansd as a charity, lets see what happwns. They arnt giving up
     
  2. Luke McMahon

    Luke McMahon Member

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    For the time being they still exist although once everything has been cleared from the coventry site that'll be it as most of the collection will have moved to their new homes with their respective owning groups or with new owners.

    The 501 is a unit I'm concerned about whether or not if can be used again. I know 1 car is apparently devoid of its interior from when it was in departmental use.

    Also really hoping the 414 group will have by the time coventry needs to vacate they'll have raised the funds to buy 2HAP 4311. Also 4SUB 4732 will be a tricky unit to rehome as it's a 4 car unit so by far the largest set in the collection.
     
  3. William Fletcher

    William Fletcher Member

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    It won't be it - like I said, the team are staying together and the ERM remains as an entity and a chairty with the same aim.

    This is NOT the end of the ERM, jsut the beginning of gettign what they reallty want

    There are plans, the main thing is to clear the site in the short term,giving them breathing andplanning space.
     
  4. richards

    richards Part of the furniture

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    They need to have a serious think about what they can actually achieve. Collecting a field full of unrestored static exhibits with no train rides, on a site which they don't own is going to be risky - both financially and operationally.
     
  5. Luke McMahon

    Luke McMahon Member

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    Good that they're staying together just a shame they won't have much of a collection left to reopen another museum with if they choose to in future.

    After all the majority of exhibits are privately owned & some others sold onto new owners.
     
  6. William Fletcher

    William Fletcher Member

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    They will have a relevant and sustainable collection, and be able to collect for the future. A far better position
     
  7. Luke McMahon

    Luke McMahon Member

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    So what's actually left in their collection now?

    Somehow I can't see the owning groups or new owners wanting to relocate again or sell their units back to the ERM after they've only recently bought them.
     
  8. richards

    richards Part of the furniture

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    "Sustainable" - in what way? How is this going to be different to the current site?
    "Collecting for the future" sounds just like the existing site. A railway museum's job isn't just to "collect". It should conserve, restore, operate and interpret its collection for a wide audience.
     
  9. SERA01UK

    SERA01UK New Member

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    Couldn’t agree more.

    The business plan should not involve anyone with only short term future and insecure tenure.

    If, and it is only if at this stage, a future version or versions of erm emerges then it or they will have to address, from the outset, all the root causes that prevented the original from developing to its potential.
     
  10. Sadly, these sound to me like the thoughts of someone who really doesn't want to face reality.
    I can't help but be reminded of this...

    "Tis but a scratch..."
     
    Kinghambranch likes this.
  11. Luke McMahon

    Luke McMahon Member

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    This was sent to me last night by a guy called Andy Rowlands who's been involved with the ERM for quite a while & has helped with some restoration work on the 307 & the tyneside EPB:

    "At the moment the plan is to keep the supporters association, which is what basically ran the museum, as a 'virtual entity', keep it going as an internet thing for the near-mid future and to keep producing the newsletter"

    I'm not sure if he's a trustee or just a regular volunteer but that's apparently their plans for the time being.


    If the museum can reform at some future stage then brilliant & hopefully they'll be able to get a more secure site & collect some more emus. However as I've said above the new owning groups who've bought the 309s & the 414 group who are trying to buy 2hap 4311 I can't possibly see them wanting to sell them back to the museum again or relocate to yet another new site.

    It's in the long run for the best what's happened in a funny sort of way. It's meant that units are finding new homes & in the case of 309624 & the tyneside EPB they'll both be used as hauled stock & give joe public the chance to ride on these units for the 1st time in many years & make them available to wider audiences being based on working pres lines & hopefully too people will want to get involved with looking after these units into the future. Andy Rowlands has already told me he's staying with the tyneside EPB group & helping them with their restoration of the unit whilst it's still based at coventry & when it moves to its new home at the battlefield railway.

    Other units such as sub 4732 & the 503 both appear to be pretty big & lengthy overhaul jobs that'll probably take a few years to complete before they can be used as stock again. However though EMU preservation is looking bright, we've already got the following in use on preserved lines or soon to be:

    3CIG 1497 - Recently moved to the spa valley railway & will be able to run as hauled stock or in push pull mode with their 73/1 (73140)

    4VEP 3417 - In use by the bluebell railway on select occasions.

    4VOP 3905 - Only a few months ago moved to the east kent railway & being returned to passenger use again.

    3CIG 1753 - In occasional use by the network southeast society.

    3CEP 1198 - Has regular running days on the chinnor & princes risborough railway. Runs normally with an 08.

    Swanage Railway have also recently taken delivery of 1 driving car of the butterley 4TC with the rest to follow when it's ready & will work push pull with 33111. Also london underground use a TC on their heritage trains.

    So plenty going on & also the east lancashire railway have the class 504 being returned to active use as hauled stock. Loads happening & hopefully it'll continue long into the future.
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2017
    alfred roberts 2010 likes this.
  12. michaelh

    michaelh Part of the furniture

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    It's meant that units are finding new homes & in the case of 309624 & the tyneside EPB they'll both be used as hauled stock & give joe public the chance to ride on these units for the 1st time in many years

    Are you seriously suggesting that Joe Public would want to ride on these units?
     
  13. richards

    richards Part of the furniture

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    They may not get their recent units back, but that doesn't stop them "collecting" more units in the future. If only they focused their limited resources on one project and got it into a usable state which could then contribute to its own upkeep ...
     
  14. Luke McMahon

    Luke McMahon Member

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    Michaelh - Yep definitely so, they'll be people who'll remember travelling on them when they were younger & probably have fond memories of these units.

    Them being used as hauled stock is better than them sat in a museum or on display somewhere.

    My dad has good memories of commuting to work on 309s so there's 1 person at least so there's bound to be others.
     
  15. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Some would once have said that about the 100 Seaters or the Quad Arts.
     
  16. The Green Howards

    The Green Howards Nat Pres stalwart

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    I found yesterday that a good way to avoid the crowds on the NVR yesterday was to sit in the carriage fitted with the wooden benches of their CIWL rake...:)
     
  17. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    i can imagine the 4tc /33/1 combo will be popular at Swanage as some services might have been operated by these in between 1967 and closure and for those of us who remember the days of the 33/1 and tc's running to Weymouth it will bring back memories .
     
  18. GWR Man.

    GWR Man. Well-Known Member

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    But they normally have a steam engine on the front which makes a big difference to Jo Public.
     
  19. Luke McMahon

    Luke McMahon Member

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    Definitely, the butterley 4TC was dumped for many years with nowt happening to it so brilliant that it'll be used again.
     
  20. Enterprise

    Enterprise Part of the furniture

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    I for one would like again to rattle along in a quad-art at 60 or so behind a Class 31. :)
     

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