Electric Railway Museum, Coventry, to close.

[92912]

The last Public demo train on Sunday evening. Hope all the groups have success at their new homes

 

http://jpsgallery.zenfolio.com/p468403085/e987bb0ba

[Wolf27]

Courtesy of Graeme Gleaves

 

One 309 is to go to The Lavender Line, the other to another site that will be announced after its arrival.

 

The 308,307, 312 cars and the Heysham Battery Loco will go to The Colne Valley Railway.

 

The 457 car and Kearsley Loco is to go to the East Kent Railway.

 

The Tyneside EPB, R&H 165DE, Ironclad stores van, LAB 4 and the freight vehicles will go to the Battlefield Railway.

 

The 4-SUB & 503 along with the spare EPB trailer will go to secure storage in The south of England pending long term restoration project.

 

You can help get them there at

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/savethetrains

[Kelly]

Thanks for the update Shane.

 

Glad the stock has homes to go to, shame it has to be split up as a collection though. Glad I got measurement and good photos of the stock that was of interest to me when I last visted as most of it will be inaccesbile for the most part for me now (aside from the Battlefield Line which isn't that far away).

 

Sadly, was too busy over the weekend to get chance Sunday to get along to the last open day.

[Wolf27]

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Hastings has been offered a new home with the Battlefield Line. The move will take place at some point in the coming months and has a secure future ahead. More details we be revealed in due course, but for now the worry is over and the future is bright. Many thanks to the Battlefield Line in what was becoming our darkest hour, and a special mention must go the the Electric Railway Museum for taking Hastings in back in 2011.

 

cheers

 

Shane

Edited October 9, 2017 by Wolf27

[Northmoor]

Courtesy of Graeme Gleaves

 

One 309 is to go to The Lavender Line, the other to another site that will be announced after its arrival.

 

The 308,307, 312 cars and the Heysham Battery Loco will go to The Colne Valley Railway.

 

The 457 car and Kearsley Loco is to go to the East Kent Railway.

 

The Tyneside EPB, R&H 165DE, Ironclad stores van, LAB 4 and the freight vehicles will go to the Battlefield Railway.

 

The 4-SUB & 503 along with the spare EPB trailer will go to secure storage in The south of England pending long term restoration project.

 

You can help get them there at

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/savethetrains

Glad to hear homes have been found for it all.  Graham and his colleagues have put so much effort in over the years, it would have been a crime if any of the stock was lost.

 

This should be two salutary lessons to any preservation groups:

1) The importance either owning the land your stock is parked on (or having a secure long term tenancy);

2) Having the funds available to move what you own.

 

It isn't the first time this situation has happened in preservation and it is amazing to hear groups that own a loco or a couple of carriages and cannot afford to move them.  If they cannot afford that, then they are clearly never going to afford the restoration.

[Northmoor]

Sorry, just hit POST too quickly.

 

I am aware that the ERM thought they DID have a secure tenancy!  Sometimes no matter how prepared you are, someone still comes up with a surprise.  No-one ever seriously thought the ERM site would be needed for a large-scale manufacturing facility.....

[jonhall]

Is the Air museum next door (or even the airport itself) also under threat?

 

Jon

[Wolf27]

No, that is completely unaffected by this.

 

Cheers

 

Shane

[Kelly]

The air museum has protection due to it's heritage status, the ERM was denied such status. The museum and Coventry's connection to sir Frank whittle is a large factor in that heritage status.

 

However the council has been trying to evict the Shackleton and other items on the other side of the road to the museum for a while, so far without success.

[phil-b259]

 

I am aware that the ERM thought they DID have a secure tenancy! 

 

No they didn't

 

A secure tenancy in railway preservation terms iis a minimum of 25 years, not a rolling 1- 5 year agreement, something the ERM were well aware of. Strenuous efforts were made over the years, but for a long time it has been evident that the site owners were simply stalling for time - eventually they knew a developer would come along to develop the site for industrial / retail (or conceivably residential) use, but until that happened having the ERM there was better than the site sitting unused.

 

Sadly recent events were somewhat predictable - although this should not be taken as criticism of the ERM group who worked hard to make the best of things.

[Wild Boar Fell]

Just been announced by Crewe Heritage Centre that the NRM's APT-P Power Car is planned to be moved there (subject to their fundraising appeal) to join the set they have.

 

The target is £2700.

 

www.crowdfunder.co.uk/apt/ 

 

Wild Boar Fell

[Wolf27]

There is a two car 501 on site. The motor coach is an ex-Merseyside driver and the trailer is from MOD Marchwood. There was a centre coach but that was badly damaged in a heavy shunt at Marchwood.

 

Theoretically a three car set could be recreated using a mk1 57foot suburban coach but the owner has enough to deal with for now!

 

Cheers

 

Shane

[SovietSalad]

Does anybody know if any of the coaches from the old merseyrail de-icing units survived after withdrawal from service because seeing the EPB coach gave me potential thought.

 

My idea is that if any of the ex de-icing units survived into preservation that along with the EPB coach the 3 cars could be formed into a possible preserved version of the ex north london line 3 car class 501 unit.

 

I would also like to add to this post before anybody ridicules me for the suggestion that it is only an idea as I don't think any passenger class 501s survived into preservation.

 

Any thoughts on this idea.

2 2-EPB units and a coach from a SUB unit, all de-icers, are preserved at Finmere station, although the SUB coach is in a dire state.

[Northmoor]

I called at Baginton while in the area yesterday.  The last traces of the Electric Railway Museum haven't quite been obliterated yet.

[Paul2410]

Good Afternoon All RMWebbers,

 

The ex-4SUB Deicing Trailer (formerly 10400) moved to Finmere Station after closure of the ERM, but was eventually scrapped in April 2020, after the Finmere Station Site closed down and was cleared in readiness for HS2.  I have started a new thread on "Preserved SR EMUs", beginning with the locos and stock that were based at Finmere.  I will be posting further items about SR and LU EMUs from time to time.

 

Paul Raven-Hill