Whats next in the Q?

Taken from nrm website, due to be completed late autumn

Autumn 2008 onwards
Duchess of Hamilton Exhibition

Come and see the iconic Duchess of Hamilton locomotive restored to its original streamlined form. The locomotive is one of the stars of the NRM’s collections and will take pride of place in this new exhibition exploring the 1930s and links between fashion, engineering, design and the steam age. Please contact the Museum to confirm exhibition is on before visit.

 

And that is what the NRM does best - varying displays in varying locations to best advantage

The reason why 60800, 4771, is such a good ambassador for the NRM is that it is capable of co-existing with traffic on the National Network with economic loads at line speed, pottering about on preserved lines, matching teak when in apple green, and tip toeing over delicate structures to deliver the message to the widest possible audience.

No-one could expect it back in the queue now - but a well structured and appropriately timed return must be a sensible prospect to keep the NRM's name and reputation up there beyond 2010

 

I think a bit of info on the locos that are running at the moment wouldn;t go a miss with where they are a where they are going.

I think the thing also that maybe dosn't come accross sometimes is the argument behind some of the decision made. Using Green Arrow as our most recent example, it would be more constructive to outline how the museum reaches a decision to retire an engine, refering to the specific conservation policies, if anything just to help curtail uneccesary specualting. Openess would work best here to let people see the process of conservation of our heritage at work.

My other bit a niggle is the lack of info on the progress of Scotsmans overhaul on the website. It can be as simple as you like and nothing works better than photos but needs to be regular.

The NRM is a great organisation and should be celebrated as such, nothing says this better than live steam. However I sympathise that it is a tremedous decision how to manage this aspect of the museum.

 

And all this takes time and people, which, it may come as a surprise, we don't have a lot of.

Bear with me and I will try to put together an update on our working locos soon.

I'll also try to put down the rationale behind working some locos and not others - but it all requires brain power and time. Believe me it does make sense and each vehicle is assessed on its own merits - there is no blanket policy - hence what some percieve as hypocrisy over 4472. It's just treated differently, as is each loco, carriage and wagon, been working on a very interesting project today, more as and when it takes off - and it's not a loco!

Please be patient though folks, got to be here as part of the day job, which is taking a lot of time at the mo!

Thanks
Anthony

 

What about getting 4003 Lode Star back on the main line again that would be ACE just the right replacement for Green Arrow.
\/ \/ \/ \/

 

To be brutally honest - no chance. Forget the originality argument for a minute, but there is no work for another 4 cylinder GWR loco and our staff have enough work cut out with the ones listed in the other thread. Plus 70013 is a great replacement for 4771 if you want to look at the one in one out idea.

Yes, it would be nice, but at the end of the day, the NRM is a publicly funded institution with limited resources and operating locos isn't actually a core purpose of the museum. Nice it is and the best form of interpretation, but we have enough on our plates at the moment. Sorry!

 

Just out of interest what is the museums policy on steaming the older engines? For example engines like Gladstone, 737, Hardwicke etc? Are they "off limits" as it were, like the Star, or would the museum consider allowing these to be steamed again?

 

Each taken on its own merits - hence the 1874 Beattie after 30 years of static inactivity. It was assessed as it was dismantled, and work would have stopped if the overhaul had been too intrusive. So never say never - we sort of have engines which we would be comfortable to operate, those which we'd tink about and those which we'd say no to due to fragility/originality/uniqueness/age. That said, we do operate unique and elderly engines - part of that interpretation again!

Buy me a beer some time and you'd better have 2 hours to spare if you want more detail

 

In the time they've taken to re-streamline it, it could have probably been returned to steam, given enough funds, so I doubt it would be one to return anytime soon, as this would require more time out of the museum.

Unless Steam Railway/Tyseley/the NRM have pulled off the most cladestine overhaul going in the last few years? There's the makings of a great April Fool's joke in there I'm sure...

 

Didn't they have problems sourcing metal for the curved doors?

 

Yes we did. Will find out the latest tomorrow in between work if I can.

 

This topic is one of the more interesting ones relating to the NRM. I guess the reason the NRm gets so much bad press from so called enthusiasts is that most do not understand the conservation thinking that goes with modern museums. This is an issue that only the NRm can solve, and they can do this quite easily. The collections website is at the moment basically a list of items. If it were to be (gradually) upgraded to be more like the Bluebell's website stocklists http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/blueb ... _list.html , with individual pages for each item, then the conservation reasons for not re-steaming that item could be fully explained. I know that this is time consuming for the web people, but it would be of great benefit in explaining why things happen the way they do.

There is a simple answer to all the complaints about Green Arrow not being re-steamed, those who complain should put up the money to build a new V2. Its been done with the A1, so if people really want to see a V2 in action, they should put otgether a project to build one, then they are guaranteed one on the mainline for many years to come. The same goes for the Star an other locos the NRM won't steam. Personally I'd love to see a replica Gladstone on the Bluebell, but the Brighton Atlantic will be a lovely substitute.

Daniel