Steve Davies leaves the National Railway Museum

National Railway Museum head Steve Davies is to leave it has been announced today, with just  two and a half years in post.  A series of well flagged issues surrounding the 2012 Railfest and the restoration of Flying Scotsman are associated. A lot more needs to be said but that will be on reflection and when some substantive information from the museum is available. Meanwhile as of today two A4s are on the quayside at Halifax Canada and one must ask what will happen to them?

Press release here #1692 .

By the end of the day Museums Journal had a feature ready with some useful insight. Heritage Railway report. For an insight into what this is all about Steam Railway 405 and 406 should be obtained. There the interview David Willcock and Steve Davies may turn out to have been significant. Other stories in issue 406 would have made unpleasant reading in London.

Lively links for today

Interesting links of the sort it is easy to miss (and which I wish to remember), all showing today by googling Commercial Cultures National Railway Museum

http://www.darntonegs.com/Portfolio/Culture/NationalRailwayMuseum/tabid/147/language/en-US/Default.aspx

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9492537/National-Railway-Museum-hit-by-nepotism-row-as-curators-husband-wins-contracts.html


The Daily Telegraph story is about nepotism at the NRM. Is this a silly season story? Will it appear in the railway press? I am far too far away to take sides or offer an opinion although I note a typically assertively expressed statement of support by Steve Davies for his staff. It does suggest someone somewhere in the museum is unhappy or has an axe to grind. 

(also see http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/go/news/article/1146799/national-railway-museum-nepotism-row-contracts/ , it seems this started as an "exclusive Yorkshire Post" investigation http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/yorks-s-national-railway-museum-hit-by-nepotism-row-over-work-for-painter-exclusive-1-4854822 .)

http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/irs/irshome/news/news.htm  (promise of an interesting exhibition relevant to ourselves) "The project will result in a major exhibition at the National Railway Museum from late 2012, along with an app which will deliver geographically relevant historical marketing material to travellers on today's East Coast train services."

And while on links seen today, this one found separately records a definite one off moment
http://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/news/an-a3-and-an-a4-in-black-together .

And very topical this week on Youtube (seen via NRM twitter flow) Dwight D Eisenhower arriving Halifax in a VERY LONG train http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMDlfHkwIuw&feature=youtu.be .

Dwight D Eisenhower on the move in the USA

A really interesting photo set from Moveright International whose own master website is very interesting

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moveright/sets/72157630805686936/with/7707085126/ . One tangential message social media are becoming first points of contact before the prime website. I mean by that the current job with all the focus is on Flickr and not the website. I might be wrong, tell me.

4472's next few months

There's an NRM update on where 4472 Flying Scotsman goes in the coming months and the work left to do http://www.nrm.org.uk/flyingscotsman/see.aspx .

NRM official line on the Mallard 75th record anniversary

From Twitter brand new on NRM press site, the A4 story http://www.nrm.org.uk/PlanaVisit/Events/mallard75.aspx

 

great spectacle, a few RNF raised eyebrows, "35 A4s were built, but only six survive". 6/35ths of the class? How many more is there room for? How about an entire new build one with which to break Mallard's record?

Canadian perspective on the A4 move to Britain

Really interesting to see the Canadian angle on the A4 move. Of course when they say the British museum is funding the move, that is slightly elided. The shippers involved are paying all the fees as a sponsorship deal for the museum. http://www.easternrailroadnews.com/2012/05/04/cn-to-move-historic-steam-locomotives-to-halifax-ns-in-july/ .


Note the Canadians suggesting one could be used to break the speed record !!!!!!

Six A4s in a line: Railway Magazine August 2012

Just now I am clipping in an interesting discussion from my Facebook arising from reading Steve Davies' leading feature in the August 2012 Railway Magazine. I am torn in knowing what to make of it although I am sure it is a remarkable piece of writing.

The discussion from this morning:

Robert Forsythe

3 hours ago ·

Will the thought of seeing six A4s in a line rather than four during 2013 change how you spend your money? (Railway Magazine August 2012 feature).

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  Robert Bray likes this.
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    William Snook ill certainly be going to see that spectacle. Really looking forward to it! Hope the two returnees are in steam!
    

    3 hours ago ·
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    Robert Forsythe according to the feature, the two returnees are not in steam but will have quite a lot of attention, one with valences and bell and LNER garter blue
    

    3 hours ago ·
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    William Snook One of the two is in a very poor state, which one is it?
    

    3 hours ago ·
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    Robert Forsythe dunno
    

    3 hours ago · Edited ·
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    Jonathan Clay Simple answer. No!
    

    3 hours ago ·
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    Frank Richards · Friends with Steve Robb and 68 others

    They'll be 3 static (Mallard & 2 visiting ones) and 3 in steam (Bittern, Sir Nig & South africa)
    

    3 hours ago via Mobile ·
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    William Snook Robert, its 60010 Dominion of Canada that is in a bad way. 60008 DDE is in a fairly ok state for its length of static display
    

    3 hours ago · · 1
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    Alex Betteney Would love to go and see them, but why the money issue? Unless of course the nrm are going to charge £50 entry fee?
    

    3 hours ago via Mobile ·
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    David Brown ‎60010 has had cosmetic attention recently but at least was kept indoors while many of Canada's own heritage locos sat rusting in the rain. Of course, if it hadn't gone to Canada it would have been scrapped here as it had been badly robbed after storage by BR. It would need a lot to make it a runner again.
    

    2 hours ago ·
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    Brian Elliott Nope, probably saw them at Haymarket in the late fifties
    

    46 minutes ago ·
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    Robert Forsythe where has the £50 entry fee come from Alex? that was not in Rly Mag. it is very pertinent. as you can see my question is about audience testing which in the light of Railfest visitor numbers is relevant. From the Rly Mag article there is little evidence that the decision to do all this is based on an "evidenced study" of likely numbers or that it is how it appears to me. It looks as if the director faced with a perceived need to celebrate the 75th anniversary "spectacularly" came up with the project very swifty. The article opens "Soon after arriving at the NRM..... action would need to be taken quickly". It is a hugely clever wheese but with 4472 not yet in action my prayer is that this will be shown to be exactly the right thing for a public funded museum to do at this moment. Your reactions and those of more folk are very interesting (to me anyway). Will I turn out? To Shildon if it is free, yes. To anywhere if I have to pay "Railfest" level prices? Shake shoulders, I was not at Railfest and my enthusiasm is hard to beat.
    

    2 seconds ago ·