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National Railway Museum

Discussion in 'National Railway Museum' started by admin, Apr 18, 2008.

  1. OldChap

    OldChap Member

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    ... I think because London doesn't have the Peak District, the Lake District, The Cairngorms, The Cotswolds, The Moors of Yorkshire, Dartmoor, Snowdonia... only a large population, a large tourist destination, and some old buildings... the rest of the nation is has the lion's share of 'the good stuff'

    I think its fair enough to give London a few museums :)
     
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  2. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    why the aggression? it's only an opinion
     
  3. Platform 3

    Platform 3 Member

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    So why is that your opinion?
     
  4. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    I agree, we must be the most insular nation on Earth, York is a three hour drive up the A1 from London but to the average Londoner it's another planet. York is a city worth visiting for a variety of reasons and makes a good day out for anyone.
     
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  5. Wenlock

    Wenlock Well-Known Member Friend

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    Living just outside London, I get the best of both worlds. Some of my colleagues and friends in London rarely get out of the area except for their sunshine holidays by air. I love taking a train to other parts of the country, or driving.
     
  6. simon

    simon Resident of Nat Pres

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    The French national railway museum is in Mulhouse, some way away from Paris. I'm not sure whether other countries have nation railway museums outside their capitals, although the Italians have a railway museum in Naples.
     
  7. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Isn't the German equivalent in Nuremburg - a long way from Berlin.

    Tom
     
  8. simon

    simon Resident of Nat Pres

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    Double post.
     
  9. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    York is only a couple of hours by rail from London (one might assume that railway enthusiasts enjoy train travel but I know some on here don't!), and many, many other places - it is a good, accessible location.

    Off the top of my head, Belgium is the only country I can think of where I know that the 'National Railway Museum' is in the (centrally located) capital. As @simon has mentioned, Mulhouse is certainly not really a day trip from Paris, even with the new LGVs - it must be nearer the capital of Switzerland than France and is a long way from almost anywhere in France! Berlin has a great technical museum, centred around an engine shed and a good railway collection but the DB Museum is in Nürnberg (and some of the 'private' museums seriously rival both). Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands all have Railway Museums not in their capital cities, but arguably placed more centrally to the country (the 'centre' of Norway is in the middle of nowhere really). Many Capital Cities aren't that centrally located!

    Steven
     
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  10. Tim Light

    Tim Light Well-Known Member

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    York is a good central location for the NRM. You can get a direct train to York from many parts of the UK, not just London. Maybe the balance could have been redressed by locating Locomotion somewhere else. Shildon really is a bit out of the way, and it has a poor train service..

    I agree that the NRM at York lacks atmosphere, and it's gloomy.

    As for interpretation, I have mixed feelings. I think some of the freight displays are good, and the excellent model railway layouts are a good way of telling a story about how railways operated. But please, please, please do not submerge the exhibits in interpretive panels and displays like they've done at Head of Steam and Think Tank. What's the point of having an exhibit if you can't stand back and see it?
     
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  11. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    It's been my opinion since I visited Clapham not long before it closed in favour of York.
     
  12. Platform 3

    Platform 3 Member

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    That hasn't really answered my question - why do you think the London area would be better?
     
  13. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    it's not any of your business
     
  14. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    Clapham was an awful place, a lot of exhibits crammed into an old tram depot. I thought the lesson about presentation had been learnt but looking at Tim Bright's pictures obviously not.
    I must say I'm not that impressed with stuffed and mounted museums anyway but at least the presentation could have some railwaylike surroundings. York was a railway roundhouse and could have had so much railway atmosphere but the powers that be decided to remodel it on the lines of a B&Q superstore.
    The last time I was there all sorts of clutter was getting in the way of the exhibits and the dumbed down interpretation boards or whatever they are called were not really necessary. I'm not in a hurry to go again.
     
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  15. Platform 3

    Platform 3 Member

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    I'm not sure you've got how this discussion forum thing works...
     
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  16. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    no i think that's your problem, my opinion is mine and it's nothing to do with you what it is or why. It's not open for discussion.
     
  17. Reading General

    Reading General Part of the furniture

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    yes I agree, if those pictures are typical then the place has disimproved.
     
  18. Platform 3

    Platform 3 Member

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    In all seriousness, I am fairly new to steam enthusiasm and very keen to learn from others. I have my views on things but can be persuaded with solid reasoned argument. You have set out a fairly controversial opinion on the location of the NRM but have refused to say why you hold that view. I have just tried to get you to say why so I can decide whether I agree or not.
     
  19. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Fair enough, but in which case, why bother posting it on a discussion forum at all?
     
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  20. simon

    simon Resident of Nat Pres

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    Well the top picture is Birmingham, I'm not sure where the second one is.

    It does highlight the need for space to let the exhibits breath but space is a premium in most capitals.

    Just remembered the Chinese railway museum is in Beijing, although not in the centre; the Japanese steam railway museum is in Kyoto.
     

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