‘A4’ IN EXILE: CANADA CONTEMPLATES ‘DOMINION’ DISPOSAL WHAT ABOUT ‘EISENHOWER’?
Future of Gresley ‘A4’ is in question as Canadian museum reassesses its priorities.
Gresley ‘A4’ Dominion of Canada is being considered for disposal by the Montreal museum that has owned it for 51 years, raising the prospect that it could make a permanent return to the United Kingdom.
The Canadian Railroad Historical Association’s decision to conduct a full audit of its rolling stock collection comes at the same time as the removal of No. 4489 from display in its exhibition hall and its relocation back to a non-climate controlled building, known as ‘Building 5’, at Exporail, where it suffered corrosion over a prolonged period, until Britain’s National Railway Museum-led cosmetic restoration in 2012/3.
Dominion of Canada was returned to its as-built LNER ‘Coronation’ condition in preparation for its starring role in the ‘Mallard 75’ celebration featuring all six preserved ‘A4s’, masterminded by former NRM director Steve Davies. Upon its return to Canada in 2014, No. 4489 was immediately placed on display in Exporail’s Angus Pavilion, alongside Canadian Pacific ‘Royal Hudson’ No. 2850, but was replaced on August 27 by a ‘Dome Car’ as part of a re-prioritisation of major exhibits.
The ‘A4’, which shares shed space with expatriated Brighton ‘Terrier’ No. 54 Waddon, is not accessible to the public during winter months.
“She has been moved from the museum’s ‘car showroom’ to its ‘garden shed’,” Mr Davies told Steam Railway.
“I fear that her new home may send the unintentional message that Exporail no longer cares about her,” he added.
Responding to his concerns, CRHA President Stephen Cheasley said: “The ‘DofC’ is not at risk of rapid cosmetic deterioration in Building 5. Indeed many vehicles, which have been in Building 5 for years show surprisingly little, if any, deterioration.
“Waddon has been in Building 5 since it arrived in Canada... and with a little care still looks like new,” Mr Cheasley added. The Brighton 0-6-0T was restored by volunteers in 2005, and given a light cosmetic makeover in 2015.
Exporail’s president has, however, promised a refurbishment of Building 5 to provide better care for the exhibits inside.
Even so, the Canadian museum admits in its 2018-2021 strategic plan that “success in acquiring vehicles has not been equalled by success in preserving them. Only the pieces in the Angus Pavilion can truly be regarded as properly protected (and even some of them require work)…”
Mr Cheasley confirmed that the Doncaster-built ‘Pacific’ was not immune from being disposed of as part of the strategic plan, aimed at providing better care for a reduced size rolling stock collection. He said: “The strategic plan also calls for us to rationalise our rolling stock collection in line with our capacity to support it properly. I anticipate that this will take some time to accomplish… We have not forgotten your interest in the ‘DofC’ and we will let you know if, in the future, we ever decide to pursue alienating the ‘DofC’ from our collection.”
The association stated in 2009 that it “does not intend to part with Dominion of Canada as it is part of the National Collection. It was a gift to the Canadian people.”
SHE HAS BEEN MOVED FROM THE MUSEUM’S ‘CAR SHOWROOM’ TO ITS ‘GARDEN SHED’
STEVE DAVIES, FORMER NRM DIRECTOR
In the document outlining its future strategy, the CRHA says: “It is beyond argument that we will have to take action to protect and preserve those parts of [the collection] which are, sadly, in a deteriorated condition. With limited financial resources to do so, we will nevertheless come up with a plan to determine what to save and what to jettison, and how to prioritise fixing what we decide to save. This would include:
• Performing rolling stock collection audit of condition, piece by piece.
• Prioritising pieces for restoration and de-accession.
• Reviewing non-Canadian pieces and making recommendations.
• Identifying pieces to be de-accessioned and then removing them from site.”
Waddon, by virtue of not being native to Canada, is also under consideration for removal from Exporail, together with a French 0-6-0. The Stroudley engine was shipped across the Atlantic in August 1963. It remains the only post-preservation exported British main line steam locomotive never to have returned to home soil.