The National Rail Museum

I don't have any real interest in trains but walked around the rail museum earlier this week. I thought I would look at the workshop area to see what was going on (given the Flying Scotsman is not on show?)

I was very surprised to see the general mess and disarray on show. I guess a lot of youngsters go to see the trains and will no doubt walk past the workshop along the overhead gallery. I would have thought that this would be one area the museum might have displayed old equipment and technology (as a matter of requirement) but also show modern equipment and engineering in an effort to inspire. How can we expect a new generation of engineers to be inspired if we don't try and show them the modern face of the profession?

Mark

Hi Mark, here is what goes on at at the NRM behind the scenes! This is Henry Oakley, we were in the process of moving her from one side of the York railway area to the other, as the NRM has two access points to the Big Railway and they are both on opposite sides of the main line. This means that a company like the one I work for, with main line-registered locos and a safety case/operating licence, have to make these moves. Henry, being part of the National Collection, had been out on loan and we had to recouple her to her tender as she had arrived by road on two low loaders. After running a temporary air brake pipe along her frames cable-tied to whatever we could find, she then had to be gently hauled from the North Yard, across the York Avoiding Lines, to the Leeman St access point, where we left her in the secure compound. This took almost six hours to do!

I have been fortunate to get a guided tour of these workshops, they are very much a place where the giant, endless task of making and keeping steam locos fit for use takes place, the viewing gallery is really just a bonus for visitors. Yes there is mess, but not any worse than other workshops. The only hazards I saw were the ones you would expect to find in a workshop, there was nothing untoward or that would make a safety inspector worried. I did, however, notice next to a lovely Harrison lathe a pile of 7 & 1/4" wheel blanks, so maybe 'foreigners' go on here!

Last time I was there about two months ago the Scotsman was in a bay with her motion down whilst a defect was fixed, just a day before her much-trumpeted 'return to steam'! Yes, they fixed her on time!

Regards,

John.

That is how the fitting shops were in LNER and BR days. We are obsessed with being tidy and Health and Safety, often you haven't time to put every thing back in it right place, that will come later when the job is completed if ever. Many steam depots didn't have electric lighting in the shallow pit in which the fitters worked in, they used paraffin flares as they were known as for lighting.The pits were often covered with water after the boiler were washed out and almost every thing was dripping with oil and grit. Passenger riding on the cushion inside the coaches had know idea what the maintenance staff put up with, it was primitive.John

Can anyone remember when the likes of Henry Oakley, Thundersly and the LMS steam locomotive 1000 were kept in the round house at Derby.

John,

I never mentioned HSE, although There were a number of walk ways obstructed etc with parts and equipment.

As a professional designer, I was immediately drawn to the pile of drawing prints languishing on a table (possibly an old drawing board) and in a pile on the floor. These would certainly have been treated with greater care in the period when these beasts were dominant.

My point was not to detract from historic practice and convention but to point out that I am surprised they are not doing more to promote engineering in a modern light as well as showing its roots. I have also had the benefit of technical visits to other "train" workshops. Notably, I went to the workshops where the then new rolling stock for Virgin was being built/assembled (near Sheffield or Leeds I think - It was a while back). It was certainly not like the York workshop and followed modern workshop practice. Everything was under control and fully organised. It would have been nice to show how this side of the industry has changed and evolved to help try and inspire youngsters - there must be a very high percentage of the visitors who will be young and impressionable. Why not make an effort to show the industry in a modern light as well as how things used to be showing how engineering has and continues change.

Mark