LSWR T3 563

Be interesting to see what happens with the L&Y saloon. Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Medical officer's saloon for disposal from MSI

The fact that it has appeared on the disposal list suggests that no home has been identified. One wonders how easy it will be to place this, as it is not a particularly useful vehicle, most railways seem to be short of siding space (let alone covered accommodation), and there are things you could do with a loco, like sticking it in the atrium of a shopping mall, which is not going to work for a coach.

 

I have to say part of my initial horrified reaction was the idea of something in public (shared) ownership going into private hands. Actually though, railways is one of the few areas where the private or third sector has done a really good job of conserving national treasures for all. Tate galleries also come to mind and to a lesser extent National Trust but not much else. It'll probably do well at The Swanage and we probably need to accept that the NRM will be slimming down...it's probably a good decision, if badly handled

 

Tate aren't "third sector" though.

 

Good, but inconsistent. The NRM may not own the best preserved LMS 'Crab', for example, but they most certainly don't own the worst one either.

 

I am bemused by the peculiar modern philosophy that says one needs to adorn one's very obviously flippant remarks with smileys because nobody can understand the nuances in the written word any more. As far as I know a smiley is not a recognised symbol of punctuation; I've certainly never found one in a novel, and not all of those are deadly serious either.

 

I didn't like the idea when somebody suggested naming a ship like it, but there are a few people posting on this (and others) thread that could be called......

MoanyMcMoanFace

 

The mood seems to have lightened considerably since the dark days of impending doom 40 or so pages back. A little light moaning here and there is probably as good as can be expected in the preservation world.
A little like the english weather, sunny intervals should be considered a good day.

Edited to include the most random and unhelpful emocons I could find. Or whatever it is they're called

 

It was less a matter of nuances than an absence of any clear indication that the comments in question were meant to be sarcastic, especially when the initial comment was followed by someone else apparently taking it seriously and pursuing the idea. Although emoticons/emojis/whatever you call them (like much else) can be overdone, on a forum such as this they can help to clarify the mood of a comment.

 

It seems very likely that this will be the case, at least for the steam section. Given restrictions on space and finance it is inevitable that the steam collection will contract as the days of steam move steadily into the past. One might see the eventual collection comprising the first freight and passenger locos, the last freight and passenger locos, the fastest loco and the most famous. (no, not Thomas the Tank engine....)

Am I being facetious? Maybe - but just ask yourself how long "the last example of Swindon painting" (as an example only) will continue to be really relevant to the history of railways in this country as far as the general public who pay for it is concerned.

 

Part of me wonders if the modern traction could be concentrated at Shilton, and the steam era exibits at York? my reasoning is each museum could then be focased on that era, for instance shilton could then have a post 68 to modern day theme and york could then be able to show the steam story through to evening star and if it in the process frees up space at york to display more engines and steam era vehicles, Shilton could then be a stand alone modern traction modern scene museum and be an attraction in its self.

 

I fear the the modern traction museum would not attract sufficient numbers to be viable.

Speaking personally, I have a close connection with diesel traction ofvthe last 40 years, having worked with a lot of it. I don't believe the general public have that same connection.

Robin

 

Also, splitting the collection into steam and diesel would mean neither location could tell the full story of railway history and development.

 

Modern traction does not and never will attract bums on seats, steam is your only man.... (I'm not at all averse to a diesel and quite like to ride DMUs

 

It seems to me that there is a significant issue over the preservation of 'post 1st generation' Diesel & electric vehicles - I wonder who else apart from the NRM can look after a Pendolino/158/IEP/Whatever?

 

Or indeed, what "look after" may mean for such long trains.

 

Concentrating on the post-1968 railway would seem to throw away one of the reasons for having a museum at Shildon in the first place, which is the connection of the site to the very early days of railways, and to Timothy Havkworth in particular.

Tom

 

From the latest Heritage Railway magazine :-

" The Flour Mill has offered the Swanage Railway covered accomodation for the T3 (minus tender) over the winter and and has drawn up a proposal to dismantle it. The cost of the move to Flour Mill, and the dismantling would be met by an unnamed supporter."
It also states the dismantling is to assess what is required, to return the loco to working order.

 

Sounds like a very interesting scheme. I hope the numbers stack up. The Flour Mill chaps have done some good work, not least their restorations of T9 30120 and one of the Beattie well tanks

 

Swanage haven't said if they intend to steam 563

 

Indeed not. But this would have to be a first step to making that decision.