Great Western Coffee Shop

I attended this excellent event, in company with two other members of the moderator team on this forum. The following pictures are offered to give you just a few of my impressions of the day;

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight fly past:

(http://i.imgur.com/4fOHcds.jpg?1)

The Hogwarts Express:

(http://i.imgur.com/RdWhx31.jpg?1)

East Coast No 91110, renamed 'Battle of Britain Memorial Flight':

(http://i.imgur.com/iQG7Fhi.jpg?1)

A worm's eye view of First Great Western power car 43159:

(http://i.imgur.com/M0GbkRF.jpg?1)

A video post from the National Railway Museum covering the opening ceremony at Railfest 2012:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUKUZuT8OUc&feature=player_embedded

There have been a few stories winging around (like this one (http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/10465483._/) in the York 'Press') which suggest that the Science Museum may be considering closing the NRM.

As a lifelong railway enthusiast I have to say I think the NRM is disappointing. Leaving aside the fact that they've spent a huge amount of (our) money on restoring, dismantling, restoring and re-dismantling the Limping Scotsman (why?), I found the whole ambience a bit dull when I was last there a couple of years ago.

'Steam' at Swindon is a much more interesting prospect. Of course 'Steam' has the advantage of not needing to find space for the artifacts of lesser railways outside the GWR, but that aside it sets out to tell a story and does so very well. The highlight for me is 'Caerphilly Castle', which is displayed as what it is - a work of art.

But 'Steam' costs ^25 to get in, with the family. Is that the NRM's problem? If they were allowed to charge for entry, would it be so bad? Would they invest it in improving the visitor experience?

I was always taught "you get what you pay for".  Accepting the fact that ultimately the cost of the NRM comes from public taxation, I would not have a problem paying admission if it meant a better museum.

I will admit to having a GWR bias and the fact Steam is on my doorstep, but I find much more to see and absorb than at the NRM.  I haven't been to the NRM for four or five years now but I remember thinking I "got round" it rather quickly compared to the time I can spend in Swindon.

With our country's railway history we should have a national museum to show off its achievements and a sensible scale of admission charges should enable this to be maintained.

Just a scare story to resist Departmental cuts.

Why would Govt put the RHC powers in the NRM's hands, just to abolish the lot months later?

Both Bradford and Manchester come below York in impact and National importance.

They might lose staff and budget but not close.

I still find the NRM breathtaking (and heaving with visitors).

OTC

The Railway Heritage Committee (RHC) powers are being transferred to the Science Museum Group, not the NRM.

I agree that this smells of a scare story though; whatever your opinion of the NRM it is hard to see how it could possibly close. However I suppose it is possible that one of the others in the SMG (Museum of Science and Industry (Manchester), National Media Museum (Bradford), National Railway Museum (Shildon)) could.

Or maybe it's a ploy to reintroduce admission charges?

There was a report on Radio4 this week where exactly the same point about 'scare stories' was being made to other museum trustees who were publicly consulting on what to close.  The thing is, some scare stories are frightening because there is something to be scared about.  The trick is to know which ones are genuine.

It would be awful if the railway element at MOSI was to close. When I visited a year ago, my visit to every part of the site was accompanied by a living, breathing, whistling, puffing steam, smoke,  fire and  water engine shunting a few trucks up to the 1830 station and back. It helped focus my  mind that nothing in the museum as it exists  would ever have been accomplished without the steam engine transporting raw materials, driving machines and exporting finished goods. You were aware of the sight, sound smell, and taste of that engine wherever you went.
The volunteers running it that day said that they were on the verge of being cut, with the museum having to make economies, the price of steam coal being just one factor. I wrote an impassioned letter to MOSI making the very points I have made above, and I am glad to say it was still running six months ago. Entry to MOSI was free with donations invited. For me it was the number one attraction in Manchester and there is a lot of competition in rival attractions. I would urge everyone with the slightest interest in any aspect of industrial heritage to pay them a visit ...you will be richly rewarded.

Acronym aleet!! :-)

I can made a pretty good guess at the acronym but "aleet" has me stumped?

 :P :-[ :-[

Well it seems that things are starting to heat up a bit (first strike and all that comes to mind)
From The York Press website http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/indepth/savethenrm/?ref=mmsp
Quite a few signatures on the petition already (including mine ;))