An A4 and a Royal Birth

The NRM knows about co-incidence. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23402103 is the breaking news about the new Royal Baby. Inside it however Prince Charles' schedule for today saw him being hauled by an A4 into the NRM Great Hall.

Also see http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/general-news/grandfather-to-be-charles-steams-into-yorkshire-1-5877817 .

Mallard 75

Everyone at the NRM will be very relieved that the Mallard 75 event is proving very popular and with lengthy queues (water and fruit provided) to see the engines. The event I read has far outstripped the 2012 Railfest.  There are some leads like the NRM's own take. A Daily Mail report. The Daily Telegraph story. I have not been myself but did go to Shildon to see the finished Dominion of Canada. Trip advisor has given very good reviews. More or less co-incidentally all the closure stories have been put to bed.

On he 19th July the NRM reported that 140,000 people had visited the A4s at York since 3rd July. A Flickr album for the event is here.

Slipped into the NRM Twitter feed on the 12th July was confirmation that Paul Kirkman who has been acting director since November 2012 is now confirmed in the post as director. " As we see record figures for #mallard75 we're happy to announce appointment of new Director, Paul Kirkman, who joined last Nov on secondment". 

A Daily Mail Story

A good read http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333385/Record-breaking-steam-locomotive-Mallard-goes-display-sister-trains-time-mark-75th-anniversary-126mph-journey.html and some wonderful pictures. But do you agree with the thesis?

The paper says

Record-breaking steam locomotive Mallard goes on display with two sister trains for first time to mark 75th anniversary of 126mph journey

• In a scene not witnessed since the Thirties the three trains sit beside each other at York's National Railway Museum

and it is based on Bob Gwynne's from the Museum's quote.
'This is a very special sight because here we have a scene that hasn't been seen since the 1930s. We haven't seen this for 75 years or so.' 

How accurate is this? Surely at any time through to the mid 1960s, A4s could have assembled en echelon? If the debate is about garter blue and skirts, one of them on display is not in that state. And even if you focus on that, presumably it was possible into the 1940s. The 25th aniversary of the record was in 1963. I shall look into what if anything was done then. Of course, the Germans think the record is theirs.  As you can tell I am simply uncomfortable when Daily Mail hype carries away a museum.One of two of the people who have left comments with the paper have wised up to this.

Then I opened Wikipedia and was reminded "On the weekend of 5 July 2008, Mallard was taken outside for the first time in years and displayed beside the three other A4s that are resident in the UK, thus reuniting them for the first time since preservation."

David Farms was there and wrote this "Sunday 5th July. Wikipedia is not totally correct though. Mallard in Steam having been outside on a number of occasions prior to this date, Sir Nigel Gresley in steam as stand by for the "Special" and Bittern cosmetically restored as Silver Link were displayed for about two hours outside NRM. Mallard having pulled a "Special" from Doncaster. After that I believe. it took the special to Scarborough and back. Scarborough council having paid for the turntable there to be renovated."  The question now is whether in 2008 there were three or four together at York?

And whilst you look into this an interesting resource is here.

 I grant that when the six are together that will be a novelty that cannot have happened since at least 1963 when Mallard was withdrawn.

A Railway Magazine feature  August 2013 p14 details a late occasion when six BR A4s were together. It was May 12th 1966 at Aberdeen Ferryhill shed. 

Dates for the six A4s at York

Railway Magazine August 2012 p17 Steve Davies "Current thinking anticipates all six being together for one month at the NRM, followed a little later by a further week, also at York". Railway Magazine April 2013 the "line-up of six A4s will start on July 3rd and will last a week".

This date is not exactly the same duration as in the NRM press release quoted previous post, till 17th July and in the R Mag p64 same issue.

York 26th February 2013

It has been a year since one of us was in York. Fiona was in this month in 2012. Does'nt time fly when aunts die, illness strikes and museum director's change. I managed to York and met Tim Procter the archivist who cares for The Forsythe Collection. It was very worthwhile. It is all now in a new roller shelving home. Two gentleman from Harwich were there for the day working on NRM materials including The Forsythe Collection. I used my time to make 250 pictures of items which will appear probably in various Facebook locations. Tim is preparing a detailed Collection Development Plan. Graham Cornish has been continuing to work through the binders making A4 descriptive sheets. It being 2013 it was difficult not to take a picture of A4s.

Mallard 75 Date

This just in from the NRM

Date is announced for the Great Gathering, part of Mallard 75 celebrations.

We're delighted to announce the date for our Great Gathering of all six surviving A4 class locomotives. On 3rd July, 75 years to the day since Mallard became the world's fastest steam locomotive, you can see all the remaining members of Sir Nigel Gresley's iconic class gathered around our Great Hall's turntable.

For the first time all six locomotives will be together to commemorate Mallard's historic achievement in style. Two of Mallard's sisters have even traveled 2,527 miles across the Atlantic to join in the celebrations with Dwight D. Eisenhower and Dominion of Canada coming from the U.S.A and Canada respectively.

One of these repatriated machines, Dwight D. Eisenhower, has just gone on display in our museum. Both Dwight and Mallard have recently been given a fresh coat of paint to get them on top form for the occasion and can be seen side by side in our Great Hall. Dominion of Canada is also currently undergoing cosmetic restoration which can be seen at our sister museum in Shildon.

The Great Gathering will be free entry and there is no need to book. Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for more details and images in  the build up to the event.

Find out more: http://www.nrm.org.uk/mallard75

Repatriation stops where?

The Railway Magazine March 2013 p49 a letter from John Cousins which I reproduce by typing it all in in full "Canada was obviously incapable of maintaining A4 60010 in an acceptable condition for which they should be ashamed, and, as a result, relinquish custody to the UK". A head of steam is being built up of which this is an example to campaign for one or both of these A4s to stay in Britain.

My take is that this approach is shameful on our nation and it disappoints me that a magazine as august as this would even print the letter, presumably it reflects their postbag.

Anyone who takes time to think this through will realise the North American institutions did as well by these two as many of our own operations including the National Railway Museum have done. An international deal was negotiated by the National Railway Museum on our behalf. You can argue about the merits over whether this was money well spent but there are no grounds whatsoever (within the boundaries of good taste and diplomacy) to undo the deal. We restore cosmetically the locos, we enjoy them this year, they go home in 2014. Four other A4s are in the country to enjoy anyway. Now find something more important to talk about or fund raise for in railway heritage. There is no shortage of choice.

 Also posted at https://www.facebook.com/robert.forsythe.39/posts/443066979100396
(BTW an interesting exercise would review all the Deltics (their lineal successors) in preservation in Britain and comment on their varying states).

The Trans-Atlantic A4s do go back. Period.

I have posted this at this group https://www.facebook.com/groups/10375912691/

"I will have to leave this group on several counts. The engines have been repatriated for an agreed loan term by the National Railway Museum. The owning institutions DO WANT them back and in the state specified in the loan agreement. It would be the utmost bad form and reflect badly on the enthusiasts involved and on our nation to backtrack on this. Accept what has been arranged graciously, enjoy them while they are here and wave goodbye to them knowing they will not be back for a long time. You have four others to enjoy. That is quite enough. You could build another one if you want to challenge the world speed record. But I will urge everyone that campaigning to retain one or both of the North American's A4s reflects very badly on our international standing."

And I shall add here in as many ways as possible, there is no other way to put it. The NRM is in the process of arranging inward loans as well. At many levels beyond those of the railway museum, Britiain relies on maintaining international credibility. Suggesting these engines stay here wholly undermines this, particularly if any head of steam was built up on the matter.