[Dennis David]

Some more photos ...

 

[spongebob]

Here's a few from my visit in January...

An aerial shot from the footbridge inside the museum showing 55002 K.O.Y.L.I in fresh blue paint for the first time since about 1981.

The nameplate from the same it looks like one of those magnetic plates you get on the side of taxis rather than a cast item.

The HST prototype 41001 showing the reverse grey/blue pullman inspired livery and what has to be one of the ugliest cockpits ever designed imagine the visibility from that, no wonder it got redesigned.

The dual names applied to newly preserved 87001...
I think you forgot to take this with you!!!

A seemingly forgotten 47715 Poseidon sits in the yard.

The load bank class 86's have been stabled at York station for a while due to vandalism.The image is a bit bright but shows the inspiration for hornby's next incarnation of the class 86, prototypical too as these are powered from one bogie only.

 

[spongebob]

It seems the NRM are causing a bit of a stir by wanting to repaint the royal loco into BR blue and reapply the 2 piece fire fly nameplates to it. EWS are reportedly a bit miffed as they gave the loco a fresh coat of paint prior to the handover.
Personally I feel the NRM have a bit of a BR blue fetish at the moment with nearly the entire diesel fleet in this colour, the only exception being D6700/37350 or whatever its carrying which is in all over br green. This is hardly a good balanced portrayal of the BR diesel era is it? especially as br blue stopped being the standard livery over 20 years ago.

 

[Doug]

Perhaps they had a good deal on Blue paint and have to use it all up...

I notice that quite a few people get quite worked up (and I don't mean here) when the NRM changes a loco from one colour to another of removes smoke deflectors or adds some bit or another...

 

[Jennings]

It makes you wonder why they didn't accept the 56 that EWS were going to give them that was allready in BR Blue? ... Or did they want it in Loadhaul livery or something so they can repaint it back at a later date ...

 

[spongebob]

Apparently they didn't want 37350 when EWS gifted it to them yet have quite happily it seems accepted the 47 and 87 now. Not forgetting a class 101 dmu or 3! I have also read that the Flying Scotsman is to have a permanent display detailing the route, loco, and also the train as well and is to have No1 or the Deltic 55002 filling in when Scotsman is away. Not sure where exactly they have found space for it but the photo I saw looked like the room beside the turntable and stores area.
Just out of interest has anyone been to Shildon yet?

 

[John Webb]

I can confirm that the special 'Flying Scotsman' exhibition is in the 'Warehouse' section on the side of the NRM near to the ECML. We were there in September last year and they'd just shut it to start carrying out the modifications.

We were also up at Shildon a few days later - was there something you particularly wanted to know about? But they do move exhibits around quite frequently so what may have been there when we went may not be there now.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[ChrisE]

Does anybody else find the static sanitised displays at the NRM ( & elsewhere) very sterile & uninvolving? I enjoy a short wander around the round house but find it very unengaging.

I have been interested in railways for as long as I can remember but they have to have life. I like railways that smell & move, I love the ordered chaos of a goods yard or a loco shed, or the stains down the side of a well used loco even when everything is stopped but the sanitised displays at museums I find uninteresting & royal carriages etc totally irrelevant.

Does this make me unique or do others have doubts as well?

Chris

 

[Dennis David]

I take what I can get... when I visited the mummy displays at the British Museum I prefered that they were behind glass rather than walking about.

 

[spongebob]

They may be very uninvolved but at least you get to look at what they have to offer unlike the majority of preserved lines where if it aint running its usually locked away from the public gaze.
It explains why the "cab it" days are so popular.

 

[ChrisE]

Yes Spongebob I agree with that. Health & Safety excess again. It used to be great wandering around engine sheds but no more. I still find museums uninvolving but it does seem to be all that is on offer.

I really wish that there was an easy way that an individual could accept a risk & proceed. Health & safety has stopped so much & personally in cases such as this I was quite happy to accept the risk that they are protecting me from.

Chris

 

[Dennis David]

Can't say I agree.

I find museums very involving and not the ones with tricked up displays either. Whenever I travel to major cities I try to visit local museums. I can't tell you how many times I have been to the Rijkmuseum and after each visit I feel refreshed.

 

[John Webb]

The beauty of the NRM is that they have many locos and other items not preserved anywhere else. It is sad that many of the locos will not steam again, but even in static display there is still that lovely oily-steel smell around. And for those interested in the colour of particular liveries the NRM is particularly rich.

Two things the NRM has lost since it opened in 1975, and which I miss, are the cafe overlooking the ECML, now part of their conference facilities, and the art gallery off the main entrance. On the other hand their '0' guage layout keeps getting better and better. Also on the modelling side is the signalling training layout being restored in 'The Warehouse' and various scale models displayed there.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[spongebob]

I suppose nowadays museums do try to make things a bit more interactive for visitors. One highlight of a visit to the NRM is to see what is in the workshop undergoing repairs or restoration work. Usually not a lot of work going on whenever i've been but I did see City of Truro a couple of times.
As for the Esteemed Health and Safety executive I often wonder if they work from home as it must be very dangerous having to leave the house.Imagine the risk assesments involved!

 

[John Webb]

Having spent 28 years in a job which had connections both with public safety and with the HSE - one of my former colleagues went and joined their Factory Inspectorate - I am convinced that the 'H&S cop-out' is in fact a convenient way of companies taking action (or more likely inaction!) to avoid potential suing by members of the public for damages and subsequent extra insurance payments.

What can be done to allow visitors safe access to work areas is visible at the NRM in the Workshop; another excellent example is at Ingrow at the Vintage Carriages Trust museum/workshop, where a gallery runs round the perimeter of the interior, complete with wheelchair lift. It is also noticeable looking at other preserved railway websites and in the columns of the various railway magazines that new workshops and sheds, particularly when Heritage Lottery funded, are being built with viewing facilities for visitors.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[spongebob]

I definitely agree John the carriage trust and the Bahamas society certainly allow a look at exhibits close up, some of which are virtually irreplacable nowadays. The loco works at Haworth used to be open to the public until about 18 months ago when there was a flood. Since then every time i've been the doors are always shut and it is a pity especially as i looked forward to seeing the progress being made on City of Wells and other loco's both steam and diesel.
I don't know whether it is as a consequence of the flooding putting insurance premiums up or what their reasons are it's virtually the only bit of the railway that is off limits.

 

[ChrisE]

I am sure the whole thing is driven by two desires which I put in no particular order.

Firstly a wish not to see injuries & secondly a desire not to be sued. The advise we are given as a provider of public facilities is that notices etc are of no effect as children, for example, cannot be expected to read them & take notice. The easy solution is thus to limit everyone to what you can fully control. In railway terms this keeps visitors out of engine sheds etc.

As I said I just wish that it was possible to accept the risk as an individual & be given access but it is not.

I agree some of the modern facilities are providing viewing facilities but that is not the same as wandering around engine sheds whilst locos are being prepared etc. Still I guess that it is the best we are going to get.

Chris

 

[drummond]

Well I never thought that my starter for this subject would get so much feedback and interest.On one point I feel that the Royal 47 should stay in the Royal Maroon livery as I think that is why it was donated. If the NRM don't want it then they should consider selling it. I think that if they used the loco for public trains and use it with Maroon coaching stock they would sell all the tickets everytime. It would be especially interesting on short trips such as the York to Scarborough. If the public were made to realise it was used for Royal Train services I think it would be a sell out.

 

[5696Arethusa]

Guess I'm quite lucky that GCR is my local line. they do still allow alot of access to their shed and I agree that the best way to see a railway is to be in amongst the oil and soot.

 

[spongebob]

Yep i've been around Loughborough shed and as you say it is nice to see what is going on even if it isn't always much. The only way to see even slightly into Haworth shed is to go round to the picnic area down the side of the shed and you can see what is happening in the yard and just about squint into the dark interior of the shed.
With regards 47798 I think there is some unwritten rule that says former Royal loco's cannot be used to earn revenue hence most are scrapped on withdrawal (read it in a magazine report this month).
Why paint another loco in blue? as the loco carried inter city executive(47609) and swallow liveries( 47834)so why the same old scheme as everything else?
Presumably as it was repainted into executive colours it only wore the names with blue for a couple of years although how long it then wore exec before receiving the swallow livery is anyones guess though the pics on the class 47 gallery website show the loco in swallow livery in sept89 and may 94.
My god i can't believe i am actually debating the choice of livery of a loco on here i must be getting sad!