All good things…
“N othing lasts forever. If you dwell on the past or future, you will miss the moment.” Those are the cautionary words of 13th century theologian Rumi. He wasn’t talking about John Cameron’s pair of LNER veterans, yet it’s an eloquent way of expressing what many of us have been feeling since the Scottish locomotive owner recently confirmed his intentions for Union of South Africa and The Great Marquess. Readers will now know all too well that Mr Cameron is to retire the engines to a static museum existence after 2019 - a sad footnote in an emotional tale that began on the cinder-covered ground of Ferryhill shed in 1966. The ‘A4’ is only just beginning to find its feet again after a prolonged spell on the sidelines, but time is running out to properly exercise its 6ft 8in wheels before its chime whistle sounds the final note in 2019. Its stablemate ‘K4’ was still hiking over the Scottish Highlands as recently as 2014 - and that has already run for the last time. Many of us took the ‘K4’s’ occasional presence on its home patch for granted as evidenced by the shock and emotion expressed over the plan for the engine’s fate since the turn of the year. Mr Cameron may have taken an active decision to withdraw his locomotives, but our other favourite machines might face a similar outcome, as could some items of rolling stock and infrastructure, if we adopt a laissez-faire attitude to the resources needed to keep the preservation wheels turning. Without a groundswell of support - physical and financial - we will be unable to keep all of them going in perpetuity, let alone think about taking on more projects. The scene above depicts the ‘K4’s’ 2-6-0 cousin, ‘K1’ No. 62005, snaking through the Horseshoe Curve on the latest ‘Great Britain’ tour - another scene that we might take for granted because we are so used to seeing
NELPG’s rugged ‘Mogul’ return to Fort William, year after year. But what if it, or other favourites, eventually follow Mr Cameron’s engines onto the plinth - and not by choice? Would you regret not having made more of an effort to make the most of it while you still could: to have volunteered time, offered small change - or to have simply travelled behind it through such splendid scenery? History is a reminder of such fragility… Think of the active lives that Hardwicke, Lion and the Adams ‘Radial’ once led, which are now but memories. It’s not just locomotives: there’s also Bulmer’s, Dinting, Ashford… We are only ever a decision, financial crisis, or heartbeat away from such losses. The sentiment is, therefore, to enjoy what we’ve got while it’s there and, through that, do everything we can to keep the flame alive. Dedicated ranks of volunteers, donors and members of our railways, societies and charities have got us where we are today. Let’s not take that legacy for granted as well.
Nick Brodrick, Editor