Didcot "we need small engines to survive"

someone earlier gave the Society's mission statement. Doesn't mention BR livery or class 14s never mind hired in saddletanks. Hardly temporary I'd say

 

just to repeat what was quoted earlier "to preserve, restore and operate as a permanent public exhibition and museum, steam and other railway locomotives, rolling stock and equipment with particular reference to the former Great Western Railway, both for historical and educational purposes

• to make available for public reference the history, equipment and operation of the former Great Western Railway" The website seems to have been altered to allow the Class 14 into the picture.

 

At the 2015 AGM followed by EGM, a resolution was proposed and passed to amend the articles of association to allow the aquisition of items dated from the period following nationalisation on British Railways Western Region. Note both 6998 and autocoach 231 were both build post nationalisation.

 

Perhaps they should hire out some of the locos to heritage railways to generate some income, rather than just having them sat around doing nothing whilst the boiler ticket ticks away

 

I think that sums up my thoughts entirely.

 

I've often wondered why they don't do that, both with locos and stock. Regarding stock, I know they are all kept undercover at Didcot, but if a more long term agreement was made with a railway, they might be persuaded to build a carriage shed to accommodate them - a sort of a "If you build it, they will come".

 

I looked up class 14, an unsuccessful design that only lasted a few years, nothing to do with the Great Western at all, the Gas turbine clearly was. Didcot is unique in being able to be able to almost recreate the atmosphere of a typical steam shed and it would be a shame if that is compromised.

 

It's because Didcot is a collection, not a branch of Enterprise Loco Hire. The collection means something all together. It's a conscious decision NOT to hire stuff out, there was an article about it in a recent magazine.

 

Class 14 built at Swindon. Not unsuccessful in itself but the work it was built for disappeared almost as it was being built. Lasted for many years in NCB usage, hence why a fair number are preserved.

 

It's their collection and they can do with it what they will. However it would have been nice ( cue PaulH) if they had acquired one of the branches nearby to run the stock on.

 

And yet 3650 is in perfect condition to run when the BBC comes calling...

 

Absolutely - if the GWS was a heritage railway rather than a centre I highly doubt there would be calls for them to hire their stuff out. From an enthusiast's perspective, it just seems a little bit of a shame for it all to sit in a shed unused most of the time. Certainly a WIBN, but when lines like the SVR are having to use unnecessarily large Bulleid pacifics just to get by, when there are perfectly suitable locos sat in Didcot not doing anything...

 

Get a mainline connection installed at Cholsey...

 

Precedent been set now though, so you'd have thought subject to limited number of days something could be agreed.

Seems a shame to have an ideal loco, with a boiler ticket, sat redundant causing the GWS to hire something in. It's not as if they're running up the Conwy Valley line at full line speed.

 

Class 14 unsuccessful by design, or because its purpose (trip working) was already disappearing?

 

Authentic Victoria cafe and toilets too, I suppose? And safety standards?

Museums have to be practical and commercial. They can't be governed by authenticy.

 

Have you ever been to Beamish? The whole point of a museum is to conserve and present our heritage, a museum not governed by authenticity is not a museum

 

The Black Country Museum in the West Midlands comes close to Beamish in its objectives and presentation.
Well worth a visit.