1442

+1 for having preserved the locomotive, but unfortunately one of those lovely old buildings was the original Birmingham Science Museum where City of Birmingham was much better displayed. In fact the whole museum had an atmosphere which is totally lacking in the modern carbuncle that replaced it. Still, that’s progress…

 

Because there'd be even more outrage if it wasn't on display?

All through the long years of the preservation movement, while even the country's leading lines were operating austerities and mk1s, when even steam fans doubted that the scene would get anywhere near where we've got to now, Birmingham council was quietly looking after *their* engine. In the warm, in the dry, in the condition it was in when they took it off BR.

In the 80s and 90s people used to knock it for only going backwards and forwards 12 inches or whatever on the demo track. Now it's knocked for not being in a perfect museum display (while being on display). And all the time, Birmingham council are quietly looking after *their* engine. In the warm, in the dry, in the condition it was when they took it off BR.

Given they can't even run their own bin collections I'm not in any way a cheerleader for Birmingham City Council - but they've looked after that engine (and no one forced them to buy it) for the people of Birmingham, and displayed it to the people of Birmingham, for getting on for 50 years. Free pass on not displaying it as we enthusiasts would like from me - even in what we might regard as a compromised setting, it's still the exhibit that draws the crowds of children.

 

From the way that is displayed and separated from it's tender they may as well have saved their money, as bad as that awful museum in Glasgow.

 

Really? Given the opportunity, you could hook up the engine and tender in a morning's work. Had Birmingham City Council "saved their money" there would be a pile of razor blades with which to attempt to reconstruct a loco, though no doubt one could arrange for it to be displayed in exemplary style once finished.

Tom

 

The point I was making was that there are two other Duchesses preserved and if this is the best they can do with this one then why bother.

 

We in Liverpool have been asking about Cecil Raikes for years now....

 

Why surround it with unnecessary obstructions when it's already partially obscured by other exhibits and pillars? Admission to Think Tank is not cheap ... about £13.50 for adults £9.50 for children, I think, so it would be nice if all those children could have a better view of the star exhibit.

 

Your last two posts are two of the most ridiculous I have ever read on this forum. Why is it that some enthusiasts think that there is only one way of displaying an engine? And how ridiculous to suggest that just because you can't photograph it in an 'authentic' environment that it has no value. This is a locomotive seen by more people every year than many 'preserved' engines have been in decades and which will remain in existence for decades or centuries to come. This just reads so arrogantly.

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meanwhile back at Tiverton with 1442.....................

 

The same situation applies. Let us be thankful for it and stop whinging.

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I've never been interested in photographing anything stuffed and mounted but what's the point in having a large exhibit stuck in a corner like that minus it's tender. The obvious thing to do with it would have been to made space either at New St or the new shopping centre

 

Yes, WIBN.

Meanwhile, back in the world of decreasing local authority budgets I'd cut them some slack for continuing to care for something they've cared for for half a century.

 

Hmmm. Birmingham City Council don't own and are not the guarantors of either of those things so I'm not sure it follows.

Meanwhile they spent millions coming up with a new museum that would accommodate it. They may well have got it wrong (in some eyes) but they've looked after their asset and they've got no interest in selling.

I suppose they could do a Rampton, and lock it away from everyone. Or give/sell it to someone else, but why on earth should they? They've saved Birmingham's engine, they've looked after it in historically important condition, and it's one of their most looked at exhibits even though the purists on here don't like it. Again, it's a popular exhibit that wouldn't exist or be visited if they hadn't (unlike virtually every other local authority) bought the damn thing.

 

Still sounds like you would rather it had been cut up than displayed in a non-photogenic manner to me..........

Scrapping is rather more final than a poor display!

I seem to recall my only visit to Darlington North Road since it became Head of Steam found most of the locos difficult to get a good view of due to the number of interpretation panels around them - far worse than the obscuring of 46235 from the picture posted

Steven

 

No I wouldn't want it scrapped now and I've already said photographing stuffed and mounted doesn't interest me but if it can't be displayed properly then Birmingham CC may as well have saved their money. Personally I'd like to see it working for a living, you can't have enough Duchesses.

 

Display properly? Loads of people can get up close and on it. As they can at Glasgow. How is that not "proper"? Isn't it great hiow us enthusaists can do the job ofthe curators better than they can when seated at the compouter

Like the NRM transfers of ownershuip, it's not like they've gone to Cashmore's is it?

And bacl to our thread, the Tivvy Bumper. It's a thing of joy to the local community. Leave it there.

 

It’s separated from its tender for a very good reason. It provides a rare opportunity for the disabled/elderly to access a locomotive footplate:

 

I have been to the Thinktank museum once and seen it there, but never the old museum. Why did this close and what happened to the old museum building afterwards ?

 

Agree about North Road, and what's worse is that it's one of Britain's most historic railway stations, and its natural ambience has been totally destroyed by the interpretive panels and partitions.

 

A good article on the old museum here:
http://www.birminghamroundabout.co.uk/2009/birmingham-museum-of-science-and-industry-newhall-street/