sidmouth Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Sad news from the middleton railway which has been posted on their facebook page On Tuesday 8th February, a group of people entered the Middleton Railway's premises at Moor Road and vandalised the EM2 Locomotive Society's Railbus DB998901 "OLIV" by setting fire to it. Police are investigating the crime and the vehicle is being examined to assess the damage received. Until the assessment has taken place no decision will be taken on the vehicle's future. FURTHER INFORMATIONDB998901 was built by Baguley of Burton on Trent to an order from Drewry and worked as an Overhead Line Inspection Vehicle, earning it the nickname Olive. Originally ordered by the London & North Eastern Railway in 1947 for use on the Woodhead route. The nationalisation of the railways just a month later saw the order put on hiatus and it wasn't delivered until 1950, by this time going to British Railways' Eastern Region at Shenfield. After a number of years out of use it was handed over to the BR Research Department at Derby in the early 1970s. It was then used to maintain the overhead lines on the BR test track at Old Dalby in Leicestershire. It was purchased by the EM2 Locomotive Society and transferred to Middleton Railway in November 1997 where it was converted to passenger use. It won an HRA award for its restoration. With fairly limited capacity it came out on quieter days and events. Any comments or further requests of information please contact: Ian SmithVice President, MRT https://www.facebook.com/MiddletonRailwayOfficial/photos/pcb.1130658683625676/1130655160292695/?type=3&theater Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Nothing on the website http://c9425687.myzen.co.uk/MRT2/index.php/enthusiasts/our-engines-and-stock#OLIVE and that took some finding. Don't subscribe to farcecrook. Hope the police find the lowlife responsible and they get their periods in jail (but somehow I doubt it) Bad news for all those have put time and effort into its restoration, I hope that the damage is not beyond repair. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 I have seen the CCTV footage from the attack. The report from the fire brigade is they had a 999 call from a youth on a pay as you go mobile saying the railway was on fire. They were not sure if it's a hoax, however a worker in Jewson's (next door) spotted the fire went into the office and reported it. The fire brigade are 2 minutes drive away. We had 4 engines turn out. If the contents of the building next to where it was parked had gone up this would have needed most of the engines in Yorkshire to attend due to the contents of it. EM2 society are looking at various options, it had recently had serious body work and a full repaint carried out by VCT at Ingrow, this could be an option. Having walked past it in the yard today again it looks like a full body reskin, certain body frame members might need replacing and or straightening. But will need to see what the body builders say. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted February 20, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 20, 2016 B***tards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted February 20, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 20, 2016 Why would anyone do this? I just don't get what anyone would get out of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold russ p Posted February 20, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 20, 2016 Why would anyone do this? I just don't get what anyone would get out of it. While I wholeheartedly agree with you, I'm sometimes surprised it doesn't happen more often. Some preservation sites especially the more urban ones often leave rare and well restored stock in far to easy reach of the type of scum who do this. I know it's expensive and difficult to provide cover. Even rail industry places can be the same, for example Burton Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekstuart Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Regrettably such a question no longer has any meaning in Britain 2016. The answer really should be something along the lines of "why not?"If it is there and doesn't belong to them, why shouldn't they burn it or destroy it in any manner that fits their desire for some entertainment. These people have been brought up with no concept of right or wrong- they are savages, outlaws, outcasts. They know no more about NOT setting fire to railways than a slug knows not to eat your lettuce. At the risk of breaking Mr York's no politics rule and/ or going off topic, what the hell does anyone expect? 20 years of failure to enforce any laws and an obsession with people's 'human rights' without any concept of human responsibilities and we have bred a generation (2 perhaps) that really have no concept of society nor its moral framework. The failure is growing exponentially, our ability to deal with it is diminishing exponentially and it is going to take a short, sharp shock to bring it back in control- and I don't think that will happen either. Why would anyone do this? I just don't get what anyone would get out of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Regrettably such a question no longer has any meaning in Britain 2016. Did it ever? I see it as a different form of the type of hooligan element that paints graffiti on tube stock/bridges/shop walls/anywhere, the same hooligan element that carry knives in the street, run keys down the side of new cars, steal cars, kick off at football matches, mug old ladies and steal from shops. All the same so called low level crime. It has been going on for years, disrespectful youth (that is not youth in general). When they get caught nothing happens, can't infringe their human rights or freedom to express themselves and any "punishment" is seen as a badge of honour, right of passage by their compatriots and many of their parents. They have little concept of the work put into restoring anything and have no true sense of value. A cultur of want it, so steal it, can't steal it, then destroy it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekstuart Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Kenton, One of the ancient Greeks was supposed to have famously complained about disrespectful youth (apocryphal of course) Yes, I think it has been getting worse for years. Unfortunately most things change exponentially and this is proving true. May whatever god people believe in help us in the years to come. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim76 Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Very sad to hear this news albeit belatedly. Hopefully the perpetrators will be caught and brought to justice before they inflict any more damage or worse hurt someone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted April 25, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 25, 2016 Only just spotted this thread, any further news? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 EM2 group are still having discussions about the future and I'm not party to the possible conclusion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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