Great Goodbye at Shildon alert !

Thank you Pete. I am sure almost all of us will welcome this return to sanity and mutual good will. Even when we disagree!

Peter in Manchester

 

The mind boggles as to what you think the general public/vast majority of people wanted. A bunch of similar-looking trains fenced off so you can't go near? Parked one in front of the other, side by side so you can't see the whole of all except one? Can you imagine all those people that visited pressed up against the fencing, jostling and trying to even see the locos?
Who gives a **** if you specifically don't want to ride in or cab them? There were people queueing for ages to get on board what was not only a real steam loco (Which many have probably never done before) or ride behind one of the fastest and most well known steam locos. People wanted to get up close, pose with them, get to walk around each one and see them from more than one angle.
If 100,000 people turned up and were asked to stand behind the barrier and then charged £5 for a photo, I doubt you would get many happy people.

Are you a troll?

 

My most vivid and treasured memory of trains is standing next to 60014 at the end of a journey from Kings Cross. Six years before I had a camera so no photo but I can still see her in mind's eye. Even as a keen photographer I can say in all honesty that it's not always about getting the shot.

 

Can I suggest a solution? The NRM has reportedly made over £1/2m 'profit' on the whole Mallard celebrations. So, how about you and all the other people who weren't satisfied with your lot getting together and doing the whole thing again. It would be a sure money-spinner, as the NRM have proved. You'd be a whole lot richer and have your master shots. A win, win situation for you.....

 

The Shildon event was not put on exclusively for photographers, it was put on for everybody. It just so happens that most people have cameras of one sort or another and want to take pictures.
Had the event not been a success it would have been easy to get the shots everybody wanted, however with a bit of imagination and skill there were many pictures to be had, http://www.flickr.com/photos/72759726@N00/sets/72157641360776895/, these are not my pictures but I wish they were. I don't know but I guess that there were quite a few people around when the pictures were taken, it just needed skill and patience.

 

I'm still suffering from 'shock and awe', in some respects, about the attendance level at Shildon. Absolutely amazing. I know Anthony & his colleagues now deserve a well-earned breather, and our very sincere thanks. What can now be done to better what we've just seen, particularly with a view to attracting the general public? This will be one VERY hard act to follow.

 

With 2015 being the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, I'd like to see a line up of BB Pacifics.

 

First memories of steam: putting pennies on the track at NCB Philadelphia Works for 4498 to run over them. Took some rubbish photos with a 120 black & white basic camera - but I was probably only 7 or 8 at the time.

Personally I don't understand the frustration of photographers trying to get the same photo as everyone else. It's the atmosphere, machinery in motion and dedication of the staff to restore/maintain/organise everything which does it for me.

Richard

 

Come on, we all know the Great Gathering was just the warm up act for 2022...

Tom

 

I think the idea from Spamcan is excellent but it would have to be at Waterloo although Wansford would do.

 

They're doing a big bash for my 70th? Brilliant.

 

Need somewhere like Shildon for that sort of line up. Eastleigh perhaps. The Spitfire was built just down the road too.

 

'fraid not. I think you are barking up the wrong tree, but if you keep rooter-ing around, you'll get my drift. It'll certainly be an A1 event!

Tom

 

(Deleted - double post)

 

Does that mean you'll be bringing Waddon back? Won't be as good as the six A4's, though, with only three A1'a.

 

We could probably ship her over by Fed Ex!!!
Peter.

 

Well given what you stated above then you seem to be in a similar position to myself but may be with different priorities so surely you must see my (& other's) position too, but then again. May be we agree to disagree but I will respect your thoughts never the less.

All I have stated "However, it would be nice to obtain one image of each outside - not much to ask for and I'm sure many others will agree but to limit it to a choice of one day in that period and for the last occasion they be here on UK soil, surely it deserves more?" If that is "criticism" of NRM / Shildon then I hate to imagine if some one did actually criticise them beyond that? I am not criticising the NRM / Shildon for what they have done, in numerous ways they done exceptionally well with considerable success but it dont mean they got everything right, simply by the fact there is human beings involved in this equation. As already stated, there is one day allowed for the two loco's in the open air which is weather dependent during a 37 day period which is a little risky on the face of it, so what is wrong with another one/two other days in that period to least have some sort of success? Again, all I (& many others I imagine) want is a outside / daylight image of both loco's (hoping) without a person in the frame and the 28th seems to be that day, which I will attempt to attend but putting the eggs all in one basket is a (calulated) risk given the weather clause indicated by Shildon. So again, is there any harm in another one / two other days being added in that time frame of 37 days? Is that too much to ask for but for some forum members, probably yes!

 

Again, as already stated, it seems rather unfair to be selective about your time frames of interest so as to total ignore all the other occasions the locomotives have sat outside (apparently fast becoming the second holy grail photo shot after the things being parked next to each other) during the 18 month period they've been in the country. Why don't you narrow the time frame to the next 27 days so you can whinge that they aren't being dragged outside at all during that period!

Of course I bet you aren't prepared to adjust your time frame of interest to a 24 hour window between 23:59 on the 27th March and 23:59 on the 28th - then you would have to triumphantly congratulate the NRM for dragging the engines outside and leaving them there for the whole of the time the museum is open to the public. Imagine how inconsiderate that will seem for those visitors who are desperate to see them indoors, and for whom the 28th March 2014 is the only time they'd be able to get to see them during the whole 18 months they've been over here - and they won't be able to see them under cover at all that day, so so unreasonable, and just to please a small group of individuals who claim to be enthusiasts and "supporting the cause".

Perhaps the staff who are authorised to perform the shunting manouvres have better things to be doing with their time (like getting on with their normal duties) rather than repeatedly dragging the blessed things 200ft back and forth along the same bit of track just to change the background view for upset photographers?

I wouldn't be surprised if the staff are wishing they'd never suggested the possibility of taking them outside at all now - simple answer would have been that the locos have finished the public engagements organised for their visit to this country and are parked up (indoors) awaiting transport back to their owners - end of story. After 547 days of being over here, surely there's been ample chance for people who want to see them to arrange things so they can.



Do "enthusiasts" who have to work day shifts and weekends have a valid complaint that preserved railways don't operate 24hr services, and those that do at galas only do it for one or two weekends a year. Surely it's not unreasonable for all preserved railways to operate 24 hours a day for one weekend every month, just for the benefit of enthusiasts who can't attend due to personal and work committements at other times?

 

To the post regarding to those good luck to those paying 90 pound to get uncluttered photos in the dark and rain I was one of those and you Know what I would do it all over again. Lucky enough to get a ticket and I know it was steep but I got what I wanted as it will never happen again, 6 A4's lined up uncluttered. I think the main question is if it were not for the organisers of this event you would have to pay over a grand for a return to one of the destinations over the pond to get not a great picture anyway of the a4 in their respective homes. Again people had plenty of chances to get pics of them at York, barrow hill, and twice at Shildon. Yes shildon was cramped but you get what's you pay your money more, no money you get what your given, pay money you get the incentive.

Martyn