LET’S HAVE MALLARD RUNNING FOR S&D 200

In response to the recent coverage outlining the National Railway Museum’s new policy on the future of its engines, it is clear that the directive and the mission of the Science Museum Group (of which the NRM is a part) is to inspire the next generation to achieve their potential in engineering, science or similar subjects, and to ensure the growth in ‘Science Capital’, as it calls it.

However, seeing great engines such as Duchess of Hamilton, Evening Star and Mallard being ‘stuffed and mounted’ in the hallowed halls of the NRM for the next 20 years will be nothing short of a travesty.

For me, there is nothing more inspirational than seeing an engine running in full steam.

I can speak with a little insight on this subject. As a volunteer at NRM Locomotion, Shildon, I opened the cab of Duchess of Hamilton for nearly a year. The questions that I was asked the most by visitors young and old were: When is it going to steam again? When can we see it in action?

At that time, the ‘Duchess’ was planned to be the next engine on the NRM list to be restored and was to run with a matching set of carriages.

What a fantastic sight that would have been. Alas, this will not be achieved.

We have to remember that we are only guardians for these engines for a limited time in our lives. We must then pass on the preservation torch, so to speak, so the next generation can look after them.

If we are not careful, the preservation movement will suffer because there won’t be any younger volunteers to take an interest.

This is starting to happen now, and it’s not just confined to steam but other areas of preservation as well.

With this in mind, what I would like the NRM to do is reverse its policy and really inspire the next generation: have a long-term policy that will involve restoring these great engines, on the lines where they belong.

In five years’ time we will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in my home town, Shildon.

In 1975, I was lucky enough to see the 150th anniversary. ‘The Last Parade’ they called it; never to happen again.

But, actually, can we do it again? Can we generate the excitement, the spectacle and the magic of what took place in 1975? If everyone works together, I’m sure that we can make it happen again.

To the NRM, I say restore Duchess of Hamilton, restore Mallard and have them running in time to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the S&D… Show people the pinnacle of steam engine development in this country.

We were all part of something really big in 1975 and my goodness there was nothing more inspirational than seeing those steam engines running. Let us see if we can do it again.

Stuart Bird, Shildon