Something is rotten in the State of Denmark

[Nearholmer]

Sounds like a useful book, but I still don't understand why gallery curators take their responsibility to educate quite so very lightly. If a technical museum curator stuck, say, a dynamo on a plinth with a label that said "Dynamo, 1873, Gramme. Work the rest out for yourself" in this day and age, they would get sacked (rightfully).

[rue_d_etropal]

this thread got me thinking.

As I am currently trying to find scale drawings for some railway related items, museums would seem to be a good place to visit.Unfortunately they rarely have this type of research info available or you have to jump through a lot of hoops to get it. If I want some local history info I can visit my local library(luckily we still have one), and ask, I will probably get accss to microfilm, which I can then search through.

now if museums and libraries worked together properly and got all diocumented info either digital or microfilm, then I could use a museum as a reseach place. It would not hae to be that for everyone. You could stil have everything you have in a museum now, plus this very useful portal for those who want more. All the valuable documents could then be stored away carefully, for posterity, but the information contained could then be accessed by lots of people.

Tis is what I would like to see museums being in th future, preferably as soon as possible. Many of thes documents are already held by libraries, but not always as easy to access as it could be. It obviously costs money, but I would happily pay a small fee to access valuable information. This could safeguard both libraries and museums, as well as the historical collections they are looking after.

 

It has also been suggested that museumsfor the public may actually have 3D printed full size replicas, so visitors can freely touch the displays with no risk to valuable historic items stored. Damaged items could then be reprinted. This could satisfy much of what museums do now, but alongside what I suggest above, making the museums, not just a pleasant place to visit , with a bit of education thown in, but a valuable information hub.

 

referring back to questions why we preserve so many of our buildings and the listed status. This dates back to the second world war, when the authorities started to get concerned(eg Coventry) that so many historic buildings could be lost, and there would be no record. The lists started then , but even after the war, developers wanted to rip down some historic buildings, the most notable being those in Bath. It too a lot of campaigning to stop it, and this continued. Unfortunately Euston was lot but St Pancras was won .

Having said that, I think if the need was here, some preserved railways could be turned back into moden ralways, making sure historic items were preserved elsewhere. I would offer the GCR as one which could be returned to being a proper mainline instead of building a new high speed line, and in the process wrecking a lot more countryside and houses in the process. Sometimes I think  preserving the past is perceived as more important that what that preservation is trying to show people.

[phil-b259]

I would offer the GCR as one which could be returned to being a proper mainline instead of building a new high speed line, and in the process wrecking a lot more countryside and houses in the process. Sometimes I think  preserving the past is perceived as more important that what that preservation is trying to show people.

 

Have you look at the formation of the GC recently? I assume not because if you do you will actually find it has plenty of things built on it, including houses, that would require demolition were it to be reinstated (particularly once you get to the outskirts of Rugby and head north) not to mention cuttings infilled with hazardous waste and demolished viaducts. Besides south of Aylesbury a new route is required anyway - there is no way the Chiltern lines have the capacity to cope without serious widening through built up areas (yet more houses etc needing demolition through the towns the existing railway passes through, where as a new route with the judicious use of tunnelling and a new alignment can avoid such drastic measures). Thus if all you can reuse is the chunk between Aylesbury and Rugby and the bits to the north and south are of a much higher spec, you might as well build a new middle section too.

[rue_d_etropal]

Have you look at the formation of the GC recently? I assume not because if you do you will actually find it has plenty of things built on it, including houses, that would require demolition were it to be reinstated (particularly once you get to the outskirts of Rugby and head north) not to mention cuttings infilled with hazardous waste and demolished viaducts. Besides south of Aylesbury a new route is required anyway - there is no way the Chiltern lines have the capacity to cope without serious widening through built up areas (yet more houses etc needing demolition through the towns the existing railway passes through, where as a new route with the judicious use of tunnelling and a new alignment can avoid such drastic measures). Thus if all you can reuse is the chunk between Aylesbury and Rugby and the bits to the north and south are of a much higher spec, you might as well build a new middle section too.

try telling that to those who are losing their homes on the new route. Removing hazardous waste from cuttings should be done anyway. Not easy but ultimately will cause us problems. Recycling old railway routes has to be better long term than building new ones. Hasn't stopped roads being built on old rail routes. Railways exist for a peurpose not just a quaint way of going down memory lane. What is happening in Denmark is actually asking some serious questions. At some time reality kicks in.

For me by preserving some railways we have kept things to show new generations how life used to be, but it tends to be operated more for fun than real education, but it can also keep alive the idea of railways as an alternative to roads . Far too much is concentrated on certain areas of railway preservation such as steam and possibly diesel, and electric(which has potential to be the future as well), being sidelined.