NRM will not celebrate the introduction of D8000.

[Trev]

Discuss.

The NRM will not be doing anything special to mark the 50th anniversary of the first main line British Railways diesel. I've posed a similar question in the NRM thread in the kettle forum, but nobody bit.

Personally speaking, I think it's terrible. It's about time that the NRM realised that it's the National Railway Museum, and not the Flying Scotsman Preservation Society.

[Shed Cat]

My thinking is that the NRM is not really a real museum, but a Tourist Attraction. Although there are (or were) some very knowledgable people, the NRM has been taken over by museum "professionals" who have no knowledge of the subject, but only think in terms of "Events". (The Science Museum and the Natural History Museum have gone the same way too)

These people only think one thing. "Will the proposed Event bring the punters in?", or more specifically:- "Will the event bring American Tourists in?". Remember that Flying Scotsman was not bought by the NRM to Save it for the Nation, but as a tourist attaction for the NRM "Theme Park and Fairground".

So, the question is whether D8000 will bring in the punters, and not only us Anoraks. I dont think so.

Maybe we need to organise a guerilla event of our own. All meet up at the NRM in July with flags and banners and decorate D8000 ourselves.

[pavorossi]

I think it is disgraceful that the NRM is allowing such a momentus day in the history of Britain's railways go by without marking it. A couple of years they marked Burns Night, complete with haggis and bagpipes (especially for the Flying Scotsman, obviously) but now they won't even have events on the very think the museum exists for, it's outrageous.

Adam

[Ian White]

I don't think it will not do anything special about D8000, i think it could do something about the introduction of deisel's on to the railway in some way.
but it seem's that deisel's are not a big part of british railway history,just rember the N.R.M is just the engine shed for the Flying Scotsman.
All the best,Ian.

[GBRf_66709]

In the latest Railways Illustrated mag there is a write-up saying that Barrow Hill will be celebrating 50 years of the class 20 or D8000 with 20 class 20s in attendance. A couple of 20s are to be repainted and one is supposed to be re-liveried in Railfreight Distribution.

GBRf_66709

[Gandalf]

Only a small percentage of the population know what D8000 represents (me excluded) but ask almost anyone about Flying Scotsman and they will know what it is. Gone are the days when events on the railways other than accidents have any 'News Value' so introduction of any modern type of equipment other than something by Virgin will only get a few words buried amongst the pages of who does what with whom.
Recently there was the bit about the theft of the number from the museum but nothing I saw in the national press made any mention but let an argument be shown on the TV and the press go to town. I'm afraid I have strayed from the rails slightly but unless the media promotes these lesser known items the public will not support events held for them.
End of rant, hope it makes sense.
John