NRM REJECTS 5305LA CuSTodian bids foR olIver Cromwell ANdmiel SIr
Decision ends a 40-year relationship between NRM and association.
THE National Railway Museum will appoint a new custodian for ‘Britannia’ Oliver Cromwell, following its decision not to extend its agreement with the 5305 Locomotive Association. It has also ended a 40-year operational relationship between the group and Southern Railway ‘King Arthur’ Sir Lamiel, which may now go on static display at the NRM for the first time.
Oliver Cromwell ran for the last time at the Great Central Railway on December 31 prior to the expiry of its boiler certificate. It last ran on the main line on March 3 2018.
Even though the 5305LA’s bid to extend its custodianship of the ‘Britannia’ was rejected by the NRM, the locomotive may remain based at Loughborough because the GCR itself has emerged as the front-runner to take on the financial, maintenance and operational responsibility for No. 70013.
Explaining its decision to curtail the loans of ‘Cromwell’ and ‘Lamiel’, an NRM spokesman said: “We have informed the 5305 Locomotive Association that their proposals [for Nos. 777 and 70013] have not been successful. The reasons for our decision include a lack of certainty over the availability of funding and the availability of a suitable location for overhaul.”
It also said that only the GCR itself is currently being considered to take on the custodianship of the ‘Britannia’ and the process will not be subject to open tender because it treats the GCR, alongside custodian 5305LA, as a joint borrower of the engine.
It said: “The standard practice at the Science Museum Group and other museums is to offer the current borrower the chance to continue borrowing the loan object, in this case a locomotive, when the existing loan agreement ends (provided that the loan object is not required for use by one of our own museums). The decision to consider other proposals would only happen if the current borrowers were unable, or unwilling, to submit a suitable proposal that satisfied our lending criteria.
“In this case, there were two organisations party to the existing loan agreement who were eligible to continue borrowing the locomotive: the 5305 Locomotive Association and the Great Central Railway. Each organisation independently submitted initial proposals that did not meet our criteria. We are now in discussion with the Great Central Railway regarding their latest proposal.
“Proposals to borrow collection items are received regularly from across the heritage and museum sectors and any organisation is free to submit a request to borrow an item at any time.
“We are currently in discussion with the Great Central Railway regarding a new loan agreement and we will not enter into a formal tender process. In common with other museums, very few object loans meet procurement thresholds to enter into a formal tendering process.
“In this case, the main criteria by which we assess proposals in addition to standard museum loan requirements regarding security etc, includes whether the potential borrower can demonstrate their ability to overhaul, maintain and operate the locomotive, as well as establish their commitment to running on the main line.
“We have received one additional proposal to borrow and operate Oliver Cromwell, but as stated above, we would give the current borrower the opportunity to continue borrowing the item first, before considering other proposals.”
GCR Managing Director Michael Gough told Steam Railway: “Should we be successful then our intention and desire would be for it to be restored as soon as possible here at the GCR, and to main line standard.”
When asked about its future plans for Maunsell ‘King Arthur’ Sir Lamiel, which has been a fixture on the main line and preserved railways under 5305LA auspices since 1978, the museum said: “We have not received suitable
proposals for Sir Lamiel. We are now seeking an alternative venue to house the locomotive, which may involve returning it to the National Railway Museum in York.”
The ‘N15’ last ran at the GCR in 2016 and on the main line in 2011.
“If other organisations wish to borrow Sir Lamiel, then we would encourage them to submit a proposal which we would then consider. In the short term, the locomotive is under covered storage at the Great Central Railway. We would like to thank the 5305 Locomotive Association, and Tom Tighe in particular, whose involvement with Sir Lamiel goes back over four decades.”
Mr Tighe has declined to comment on the matter.
The group remains custodian of the NRM Class 33 diesel No. 33116 as well as the Draper family-owned ‘Black Five’ No. 45305.