GCR Announces Spectacular New Project

I wish the GCR well with this, but seriously: how many outstations does the NRM need?

 

7.

 

Another way of looking at it is the GCR benefits from the museum giving more of a 'destination' at Leicester North, rather than the arguably harder task of extending into Leicester. With a museum, there's a reason to alight from the train, or something else to look around rather than the current, rather sparse, set up.

 

Any more outstations and you might as well close York down, I am all for protecting the National collection but in my opinion the NRM is a shadow of its former self.

 

I think a more pertinent question is "How many people will come to visit the Museum who DON'T use / arrive by train ?" as the Museum should be a visitor attraction in its own right.

Another aspect - which few have noted - is that the late David Weston was a local artist who was both inspired by the GCR and gained one of his early major commissions from the NRM therefore it may be worth adding a permanent display of his caravan and some of his works as part of the new collection.

In this context the museum outstation could give a major boost to the local tourism as well as publicity for the NRM York centre.

 

I don't think it's been the same since they put that 'orrible new roof on it.

 

I like the roof. Also with the new wave of trains introduced across the country and the phasing out of older stock, the collection is sure to grow. Many items are stored off-site already, larger ones with no cover at all. An outstation will hopefully offer the opportunity to display more exhibits than before and allow for rotation of stock between venues. For those of us in the south, leicester is a darn sight closer to home than york or shildon.

On the roof, it lets in lots of light, feels like a grand museum rather than a low, dark place. We have barrow hill for a more authentic roundhouse experience at least.

 

Corbs is right, the NRM has many items large and small that cannot be displayed, or are out on loan, or simply stored. Also our railway history did not finish in 1968, or when the first generation diesels were retired, or whatever. It is ongoing.

I bet that Anthony could already fill the proposed Leicester outstation many times over!

Lets hope the Lottery people look kindly on the application.

As an aside, the new museum would be an ideal place to tell the story of the "last main line". Because it was built so late in the day there is an excellent photgraphic archive, starting with the work of S.W.A. Newton.

46118

 

In addition to this there has to be a case for a small outstation in the West country and another in the South east. One thing at a time though.....

 

There are already two such outstations - The Bodmin and Wenford, with the Beattie Tank and the T9, and the Mid Hants with the Schools, Lord Nelson an(currently) "Winston Churchill".

 

You can be a "railway city" without having a works. I would be a fitting place to display some NRM GC and Midland artefacts as Leicester was served by both.

 

Well it certainly doesn't look like a railway shed any more.

Whilst on my last visit there was more diesels than I was used to (western, 31 HST, 55 and 47.. Just a bit of ecml bias) with more out stations the oppourtunities for displaying tempory locos out of ticket that are of interest grows considerably..
Wouldn't it be nice if 71000 or 6100 were displayed here instead of rotting outside at Crewe waiting for something to happen.. There's lots of stuff that used to run sitting outside around the country which if NRM out stations grew a little could allow preservation to offer some exhibits in return.
With 925, 850 both up and running away from the NRM, how about 777 being displayed now its tickets at an end?

 

Leicester may not have been a railway city but Loughborough can certainly claim to be a railway town; Brush made steam engines as well as the ubiquitous diesels.

I would agree that siting this at t'other end of the line would enhance the overall experience.