True Preservation

Sorry for the delayed reply, RG, there are some pics in the Gallery section of Mangapp's website, particularly slides 12, 72 & 78.

We have renamed the station Old Heath, after the nearby farm, not the deceased former prime minister or any NP member!

 

Brilliant, I shall have to put Mangapps on my list. I wonder where it is

 

Ok so that's doable, I've been to Battlesbridge for the car show before and that area is charming

 

Just to jump in: there are some excellent "moments" captured there, some very evocative photos at Old Heath. Likewise, a visit will have to made!!

Cheers

Alan

 

Some of us hark back to a time well into the preservation era - my personal nostalgia is for my childhood memories: so all locos in green on the Talyllyn, Mountaineer on the Ffestiniog, mainline steam in pregrouping and big four liveries, and proper film photos where you had to wait and see how they would turn out...

 

I think that the question we heritage railways need to ask ourselves, is does what we do achieve a useful aim? What we all have is a collection of artefacts and objects some of which can be seen carrying out the job they were intended to do, albeit not in precisely the same way as they were originally used. What I wonder about, is whether we are sufficiently explaining the context of these objects. Whilst we are not museums in the manner of the NRM, I do think we could all work harder to be more like them. Either that or we become theme parks, which entertain, but do not inform. I don't think most of us really want the second option, but the reality is that at present most railways are neither.

In fact we could learn a lot from Disney in terms of consistency of execution and carefully avoiding things which "jar" or draw attention to the compromises that our visitors are often aware of, but don't want to have made too obvious. I think that there is perhaps something to be learnt from the railway modelling hobby too in this respect. The best layouts are not those with the best signalling, or the best locos or finest track. They are the ones where the standard is consistent in all areas and the each element adds to the scene. I am all for hanging on to historic items, BUT, if they are unrestored they must be stored neatly and preferable protected from further decay. If possible they should be grouped into one place - out of sight or clearly the "reserve collection" area. A tall order, but one which for a variety of reasons will become more important I think.