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 ·

Railfest

It is a bit like buses, you wait months and then three come along. So it is with my blogging here. A recent and very major event at the NRM worth considering has been Railfest. In terms of the exhibits assembled, it was a brilliant composition although I am told 4472 looked a bit incomplete. I say I am told because I was not there. I guess I could not expect to have been sent any tickets and what with a bit of  a downer health wise and the week co-inciding with one of the busiest half terms in history between the private and the national agendas we were never going to make it. A good friend did as a trader and he had a hard time. Now that a little bit of time is past I thought about finding some wash up. First I started in the Independent with this feature

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/railfest-onetrack-minds-7811828.html

On the  2nd of June it "estimated 100,000 fans begin flooding through the turnstiles at Railfest 2012 today". So how many did come? I raised the question on my Facebook and got this today "‎33,800 was the figure at Railfest over the 10 days......another 10,000 or so at the free museum entrance." I don't know if it is right and if anyone at the museum wants to send me official figures I will happily publish them. As a publicly funded museum I think it is important when organising spectaculars that a reasonable financial result transpires even if the gate number may not reach an estimate. I have no knowlege about the finances but hope that it is all hunky dory as I know a lot is planned around getting the A4s back next year and that would be a spectacle to draw me.

If anyone reading this can point us to other discussions about the success of the event, I should like to pull such threads together.  At the NRM press page there is nothing more recent than the 29th May as I write and so no helpful assessment there http://www.nrm.org.uk/pressoffice .

I can now add some links which confirm the figures I give so see http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9761391.Railfest_attendance_numbers_blow/ . And more with a lot on the museum finances http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/rail-museum-faces-200-000-bill-after-blow-over-ticket-sales-1-4845733 .

 

Railway Timetables on Facebook

It is always a concern to promote use of The Forsythe Collection. Whether that is in the core publicity collection in the Search Engine archive at York, whether in publication as in the preceding entry, or in the various elements like tickets which did not go to York. I have been using Facebook extensively. The principal forums being my own page https://www.facebook.com/robert.forsythe.39 or a page we have focused on material for sale https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robertatforsythe/148176968569660 . I am aware that there is a case for wider Facebook forums more targetted at subject content. To that end I have created two new Facebook pages. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Railway-Timetables/404742136234317 is to showcase items from The Forsythe Collection which will naturally involve in the main items at York. https://www.facebook.com/ThomasEdmondsonTickets is self explanatory! Unlike my other pages each is specifically designed to enable contributors to upload their own material into albums around the theme. Please do come and like these new pages.

Encyclopedia of Titled Trains

Railway Magazine, Nick Pigott, Chris Milner and others have published Encyclopedia of Titled Trains . 18 pieces of Forsythe Collection publicity are shown. Not everything available could be used naturally. Scotrail's Young Explorer is  a text entry but you can have an original leaflet from http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1067804 .