Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 58 (p32-p37) Feature : World Railway Museums (part 2) The UK’s National Railway Museum Steve Davies MBE |
Introduction |
It is a little while since my predecessor, Andrew Scott CBE, wrote an article on developments and philosophy at the National Railway Museum (NRM), and I therefore welcome this opportunity to contribute a short thesis on the current situation at York. It also gives me the chance to explain some of my own thinking on how we are to take forward this amazing institution, and to provide some detail on our plans for the next 5+ years. |
NRM Mission, Vision and Brand Values |
The NRM needs to bring greater focus and substance to our relationship with the contemporary and future railway story. We tell the story of the past well; we must get better at engaging with the present and the future. This sits naturally and comfortably with existing broader museum objectives, and provides the firm what’s-in-it-for-them basis for a successful and collaborative, financial and sponsorship relationship with the modern rail industry. |
Our Philosophy |
A key thread to note in our mission and vision, and brand essence and values, is the emphasis on past, present and future. We have, I believe, a part to play in promoting railways, and our audience should at the very least gain a greater appreciation of railways as an efficient form of transport. This is a central pillar in promoting a relationship with the contemporary railway industry. Guided by a clear understanding of our audiences, we must also ensure that our collections tell coherent and compelling stories, that they are visually stunning, engage the mind, and are fundamentally entertaining. In this respect, we must focus on the family audience, and also overcome any sense that we are a ‘static’ attraction. An operational experience— both live and simulated—is therefore a key element of our strategy. We must also meet people’s expectations about where, when, and how they want to connect with our collections and stories—making full use of web, mobile, and other emerging technologies to extend our reach, capture new audiences and engage them in new ways. The focus on the family audience and the exciting interaction of our visitors with our collections must not, though, be allowed to undermine the fact that we are a serious museum with equally serious purpose as guardian of our nation’s priceless railway heritage and knowledge. In other words, everything we undertake must not upset or offend the fundamental dignity of our purpose. |
So Where Are We Going? |
A number of developmental threads will shape our business over the coming years. Some are a natural consequence of our audience research; some reflect business-in-hand; others are a product of the Director’s well-trailed personal judgment in determining how we are going to achieve enhanced national and international acclaim. Collectively, they amount to a vision of a museum that gives the public genuine choice in deciding how to spend its leisure time, offering a broad range of activities, a genuine family experience, an experience that extends well beyond the physical visit via the web, and a reputation for academic, intellectual, and cultural excellence. The individual policy objectives designed to help shape our journey to those goals are outlined below. Every department in our museum is involved in delivering a range of cultural programmes for all of our audiences—exhibitions, events, talks, tours, workshops, shows, etc. We must exploit the full synergy that comes from working together to exploit the expertise of our learning, cultural planning, and exhibition teams. The Cultural Planning Group within the NRM ensures that coordination takes place across all departments, but we must nevertheless strive to identify ever better ways of delivering a programme that fully incorporates, and takes into account, the needs and contribution of all departments, and—significantly—the needs of our audiences. Key to this is the articulation of our cultural programme many years ahead so that planning is structured and timely, and not short term or reactive. |
Simulation |
Simulation and digital interpretation must be a feature of our future offer. We have already begun a dialogue with Japanese counterparts, including Mr Araki at The Railway Museum in Omiya, Japan, with a view to developing a steam locomotive driving simulator, the eye-catching central feature of a driver experience gallery that will also include modern traction driving simulators. There would be a commercial return on this investment. In addition, we seek to better interpret the sectioned Pacific Merchant Navy Class locomotive Ellerman Lines. This unit is the product of an earlier technological age (sectioned in the early 1970s) and requires interpretation by explainers to bring it to life for a modern, non-expert, audience. Digital projection methods, perhaps including modern audiovisual technology, will be investigated to bring this important feature up to today’s standards. |
Railway Operations |
The NRM will continue to play a full part in main-line operations, both steam, diesel and, potentially, electric. But this will only occur when we know we have a sound business case, and that the NRM is in a position to reap full credit for what it does. This means that we will increasingly focus on locomotives that have unique appeal, in order not to duplicate already crowded markets (the UK main-line steam operation is very busy). The South Yard operational location will feature in our future ambition to allow the public closer access to the spectacle of locomotive servicing. We will also continue to loan locomotives for operation on preserved railways, but under increasingly tight contractual conditions to ensure that engines are not irreversibly damaged during the period of loan. We will also further develop the standard gauge train ride experience, and introduce a new 2-ft, narrow-gauge track, as described in the section on South Yard. We will also maintain a miniature railway. |
Engineering and Conservation Capacity |
We have developed an outstanding engineering and conservation facility, whose capacity has been recently enhanced to ensure the successful on-time delivery of Flying Scotsman. It is our intention to maintain this capacity, and to move on to other projects beyond Flying Scotsman’s completion. Our engineering facility must be justified primarily on the basis of the statutory responsibility placed upon us to maintain the National Collection in good condition—preserved railways have a choice in this respect; the NRM does not. |
Academic |
We are guardians of the nation’s priceless railway collections and knowledge. There is therefore very serious purpose to what we do, and we already give unparalleled access opportunity to the general public and specialist alike in a number of ways; the Search Engine archive retrieval facility is notable in this respect. We also promote academic understanding of railway history through our partnership with York University. The Institute of Railway Studies and Transport History (IRS & TH) delivers high-quality academic and research facilities, and is an integral element of everything that we do. It also has a major role in singling out the NRM for special recognition internationally. Two policy strands must therefore be pursued: first, we will ensure that the IRS & TH is absolutely central to everything the NRM does, including being in at the very beginning of all project and event planning, in order to help underpin accuracy and interpretation, and to ensure intellectual rigour in the face of very discerning academic audiences; second, we will work hard to develop its national and international reputation. |
Loans and Partnerships |
Traditionally, we loan items and rolling stock from our collections both in recognition of the lack of display space available at NRM sites, and as an active element of outreach objectives. If one considers the NRM to be as much a national and international concept as it is a fixed geographical location, then it is in our continuing interest to reach out to a broader audience through an active loans policy. However, we must do this in a way that achieves public recognition for the NRM given, for example, that many people travel behind one of our engines on a preserved line but have absolutely no idea that it is in the National Collection. We currently have 43 locomotives on loan at 21 locations, the majority being a single unit. Four locations have four or more of our engines, and are thus better placed to give us the brand recognition we deserve. Therefore, it is our objective over time to reduce the number of loan locations, but to increase the number of units placed with those partners we continue to do business with, thus enabling greater NRM recognition opportunities. This will be achieved in a carefully managed way, with redistribution coinciding, where possible, with the end of existing loan agreements. In a small number of cases, we will develop particularly strong partnerships, and seek to establish formal footprints across a broad range of locations further to spread the NRM brand. As described earlier, we will continue to engage in main-line operations. This is an excellent way of contextually interpreting the operational prowess and history of the principal members of our fleet. However, we must recognize that access to the main line may one day cease or become prohibitively expensive to maintain. This may be an unduly pessimistic outlook, but we must nevertheless, in my judgment, consider alternatives to the main line to allow a number of our locomotives to operate in an appropriate setting, context, and at realistic speeds. |
International Relations |
As the country that gave the railway to the world, I need hardly reinforce the point that we deserve a strong international profile. This will be fostered through reputation, as well as the active pursuit of international policy objectives, the principal one being the development of formal relations with a number of our international contemporaries. We are in great demand to be associated with a significant number of museums and preserved railway operations across the world, but we must be particularly focused on limiting the number of partners with whom we develop relationships in depth. Japan features highly on our list of priorities. It is my intention that a broad range of staff should be engaged with such international partners, and that this does not become viewed as the privilege of senior management. There is much we can learn practically from each other in our quest to become the world’s premier railway museum, and we should not be afraid or too proud to adopt some techniques we find elsewhere. |
NRM Site Developments |
Planning for the refreshment of Station Hall, a former freight\ warehouse displaying trains in an authentic station setting, is ongoing. The Royal Trains will receive greater prominence, potentially through re-positioning of the display, and the opportunity will be taken to improve visitor flow paths and vistas. Station Hall will be developed with the intention of providing an even better main-line station feel and experience. We will ensure that the space is optimized for events and commercial gain. This work is intended to ensure that Station Hall does not require additional attention for at least 5 years. South Yard is a major external space and deserves a significant facelift and we now have an opportunity to generate something operationally spectacular. The Great Hall has had much alteration and modification since it closed as an operational steam locomotive servicing shed in 1967 and this makes it difficult to interpret it as a former engine shed. Add to that the observation that we are viewed as ‘static’, and the opportunity therefore presents itself to develop a major operational feature in South Yard. Illustrative designs and artist’s impressions are at an advanced stage which will see the following elements potentially contribute to a major family and enthusiast-focused experience: • A half roundhouse, served by a brand new turntable, potentially incorporating tiered seating. This facility will enable close access to our operational fleet of locomotives, and those visiting for service. It will provide support facilities for main-line operations. The seating feature would enable shows—science, railway and theatrical performance—to be conducted in conjunction with regional and city partners. This would be the principal central feature of the South Yard development. |
Summary |
The NRM highly values its partnerships and sisterhoods with Japan, and I feel it important that your readers have a broad understanding of where we are going over the next 5+ years. Last year marked the 10th anniversary of our sisterhood with JR West, and of course this year marks the 10th anniversary of the arrival of the Series 0 shinkansen at the NRM. It is therefore doubly fitting that I extend the NRM’s warmest and most sincere greetings to its Japanese friends and we look forward to a further period of prosperous partnership. |
Photo: A3 Class Pacific steam locomotive Flying Scotsman at its formal public unveiling (NRM) Photo: Duchess Class streamlined Pacific steam locomotive Duchess of Hamilton (NRM) Photo: Series 0 Shinkansen in Japanese Railway Exhibition in Great Hall (NRM) |
Steve Davies MBE Mr Steve Davies was appointed Director NRM in February 2010. He previously enjoyed a distinguished 33 year military career achieving the rank of full Colonel. A lifelong railway enthusiast, among his many achievements was the establishment of the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum whilst engaged in military duties in West Africa. |