NRM rebranding - Railway Museum

[t-b-g]

It's quite clear to me.

 

The strategic aim is to standardise the infrastructures to drive down operating costs through supply based consolidation and leveraging group spend as well as exploiting best-in-class technologies and practices to provide robust, scaleable and agile services with excellent customer experience.

 

Marketing professional with experience of implementing integrated marketing communications to deliver a range of targeted campaigns. Brand development, delivery of direct marketing campaigns using online and offline channels, website content management, event management and developing relationships with external marketing and design agencies

 

Simple really. What bit of the above do you not understand ?

 

Brit15

 

I know you! You were one of the senior managers where I used to work.

 

The sad thing is that there really are people who think that sort of thing is the right way to run things.

[jjb1970]

I think that the examples offered by Apollo demonstrate the importance of understanding your intended audience. There are people for who statements like that make perfect sense, there are many others for whom they are utter nonsense. Good communicators are very adept at adjusting their style and language according to the audience, it's why shop floor workers are often gob smacked by the down to earth nature and approachability of many senior managers and eminent persons when they meet, the same people who can make shop floor workers feel very comfortable and relaxed will often go from there to a meeting where they use all of those managementese buzz words and communicate in a way that would leave many of us completely baffled.

[rodent279]

I think that the examples offered by Apollo demonstrate the importance of understanding your intended audience. There are people for who statements like that make perfect sense, there are many others for whom they are utter nonsense. Good communicators are very adept at adjusting their style and language according to the audience, it's why shop floor workers are often gob smacked by the down to earth nature and approachability of many senior managers and eminent persons when they meet, the same people who can make shop floor workers feel very comfortable and relaxed will often go from there to a meeting where they use all of those managementese buzz words and communicate in a way that would leave many of us completely baffled.

Too true. Reminds me of the story of the SR General Manager walking into a signalbox. Dunno how true it is though.

[wombatofludham]

Probably needs another thread, but I suspect main line steam is fast approaching a perfect storm that will put it under threat soon. One is increasing pressure for paths for revenue earning "normal" traffic on main lines, which I think will see a return to the old early BR main line steam idea of "approved routes" unless you have a steam loco capable of more than 75mph, and the other is the gradual move to new signalling technology. That killed the Cambrian steam operation because none of the train providers and Network Rail could agree as to who would fund the approval of appropriate technology and how it would be installed. Some loco owning groups might just decide that a gentler, slower pace of life, without having to make compromises to allow high speed running or install new signalling, might be better for their charges on a heritage line. Which means that new build replicas, which can be built with future proofed installation for ERTMS and be approved for high speed running like Tornado, might be the only option in the future for main line steam running. To be honest, given Tornado seems to have attracted as much public awareness as any other steam loco apart from THAT engine, I don't think a new build fleet capable of limited main line running for the future is such a bad thing.

[Coryton]

 Which means that new build replicas, which can be built with future proofed installation for ERTMS and be approved for high speed running like Tornado, 

 

Is there currently any solution for implementing ERTMS even on a new-build steam locomotive?

[wombatofludham]

Is there currently any solution for implementing ERTMS even on a new-build steam locomotive?

It seems the University of Plymouth is working with the owners of Tornado to come up with a system and it seems there are discussions about how the system might allow for steam operation as ERTMS progresses. I suspect that given Germany has an equally large main line steam fleet and will be looking to implement the same system a solution will be found.

[brack]

If/when we ever finish any of it, our high speed rail network would presumably lead to more paths being available on current main lines?

[Pacific231G]

If/when we ever finish any of it, our high speed rail network would presumably lead to more paths being available on current main lines?

Don't hold your breath. I wonder how well 500 year old steam locomotives will perform

[dibber25]

It's quite clear to me.

 

The strategic aim is to standardise the infrastructures to drive down operating costs through supply based consolidation and leveraging group spend as well as exploiting best-in-class technologies and practices to provide robust, scaleable and agile services with excellent customer experience.

 

Marketing professional with experience of implementing integrated marketing communications to deliver a range of targeted campaigns. Brand development, delivery of direct marketing campaigns using online and offline channels, website content management, event management and developing relationships with external marketing and design agencies

 

Simple really. What bit of the above do you not understand ?

 

Brit15

 

Ability to shovel large amounts of b*llsh*t an advantage. 

[Davey]

Ability to shovel large amounts of b*llsh*t an advantage. 

 

You can drown in b*llsh*t. Hopefully the perpetators will!

 

Davey

[Ronnie MB]

Coming to this topic late, but wanted to go back to something mentioned early on:

 

York’s Bradford counterpart is a cautionary tale of how a good museum can be dumbed down very quickly.

[E3109]

I despair of the Luddites around here, you don't seem able to grasp the concept of Blue Sky Thinking.

 

(Tongue firmly in cheek)

[rodent279]

Let's nail this puppy to the floor. The fact is this is all about identifying what the NRM does best, and finding more ways of doing less of it better.

[dibber25]

I despair of the Luddites around here, you don't seem able to grasp the concept of Blue Sky Thinking.

 

(Tongue firmly in cheek)

 

I had a day out Blue Sky Thinking once. It rained! (CJL)

[Dava]

Let's nail this puppy to the floor. The fact is this is all about identifying what the NRM does best, and finding more ways of doing less of it better.

Please spare us the animal cruelty analogy.

[County of Yorkshire]

More gibberish regarding the rebrand in the latest Steam Railway mag (I've added bold highlights for emphasis):

 

"When asked why the museum had decided to drop the word 'national' from its logo, NRM Director Julie McNichol told Steam Railway; "We know that there are some visitors who are a little put off by the word 'national', so the re-brand is about broadening our appeal". However, despite the change in the museum's brand identity, the NRM insist it is still called, and will continue to be known as, the National Railway Museum. The NRM spokesman said; "Our name hasn't changed. We are still the National Railway Museum and we will continue to be a national museum. The logo is the logo - it is not our full name. We hope the new visual identity will appeal to a broad audience - including people who haven't been to the museum before. Our national status is important and that won't change - we know how much it means to many people- particularly here in York. That's why it will literally be the name above the door".

 

 

 

For those familiar with it, this all seems like a dreadful policy idea from a SPAD* in The Thick of It!

 

CoY

 

*No, not that type of SPAD - Special Political Advisor...

Edited May 23, 2018 by County of Yorkshire

[TheSignalEngineer]

What a load of oblate spheroid objects

[SHMD]

I can't help thinking that Baldrick would sum up the bull-seat emanating from the Not-the-NRM/NRM would be.

 

 

Kev.

[Liam]

The Grand National may contain the word 'national', but that doesn't stop millions of people all over the world watching and enjoying it, and it's not like you're only watching British horses....

[Peter Kazmierczak]

I quite like the idea of a National Health Service........................

[wombatofludham]

I quite like the idea of a National Health Service........................

 

The irony of course is we have four National Health Services, with NHS Scotland and NHS Wales/GIG Cymru (Gwasanaeth Iechyd Genedlaethol Cymru) delivering their own devolved health services and in Norn Iron, where the word "National" is best avoided, the Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland organisation, or HSC.

 

Yet, with the exception of the Northern Irish organisation all are branded NHS despite being run on very different lines in each devolved administration (free prescriptions in Wales for example but not in England, which does cause some complications for chemists in holiday resorts such as Barmouth, as I have witnessed when collecting my monthly drug stash from Rowlands in the town). I can't see how the word National puts people off, otherwise surely we'd be following "Just Round The Corner to Other Nice Places Express" coaches up the motorway.

Edited May 23, 2018 by wombatofludham

[Pacific231G]

More gibberish regarding the rebrand in the latest Steam Railway mag (I've added bold highlights for emphasis):

 

"When asked why the museum had decided to drop the word 'national' from its logo, NRM Director Julie McNichol told Steam Railway; "We know that there are some visitors who are a little put off by the word 'national', so the re-brand is about broadening our appeal". However, despite the change in the museum's brand identity, the NRM insist it is still called, and will continue to be known as, the National Railway Museum. The NRM spokesman said; "Our name hasn't changed. We are still the National Railway Museum and we will continue to be a national museum. The logo is the logo - it is not our full name. We hope the new visual identity will appeal to a broad audience - including people who haven't been to the museum before. Our national status is important and that won't change - we know how much it means to many people- particularly here in York. That's why it will literally be the name above the door".

 

 

For those familiar with it, this all seems like a dreadful policy idea from a SPAD* in The Thick of It!

 

CoY

 

*No, not that type of SPAD - Special Political Advisor...

National is scary in a political party (National Socialist, National Front etc.) but not in a museum. "Oh no ! we can't go in there, we're local people!"

To me "National" suggests a comprehensive and nationwide collection rather than a specifically local museum like say the M Shed in Bristol.

 

Whilst I don't think seeing the word National missing from their logo would put me off going there, I already know its size and scope. It might though suggest to a more casual visitor, say a tourist visiting Yorkshire, that this is just a local railway museum so maybe not worth a special visit to the city for. Can we now expect to find The Gallery in Trafalgar Square? The Trust looking after historic buildings etc. and the Greenwich Maritime Museum (they can't just call it The Maritime Museum because there are several others)

 

You'll find the complete range of new logos here https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ and some branding consultant has clearly decided that + is more "sciencey" than &.

Personally I find "Think Big, Stunning Locomotives Take Centre Stage Within Vast Spaces In Our Family Friendly Museum" far scarier than the word National and does this mean that everything about railways apart from locomotives is of only peripheral interest?

 

After searching their website for a whiile I did eventually discover that the library and archive centre is open to the public10.00-17.30 from Wednesday to Saturday so I'll know not to go there on a Monday or Tuesday.

Edited May 28, 2018 by Pacific231G

[Coryton]

 

After searching their website for a whiile I did eventually discover that the library and archive centre is open to the public10.00-17.30 from Wednesday to Saturday so I'll know not to go there on a Monday or Tuesday.    

 

Some years ago I tried to find out how good the libraries were at a UK university that I shan't name.

 

It took me a while to discover that I needed the "information services" web pages, where I discovered that their services included a "traditional, printed paper collection". Or as we used to say, a library.

[Boris]

This is from the "Railway Museum" website (just wait until in 20 years time the museums are "Sciencey Stuff" and "Trainy Stuff").

 

 

It's a bit grim us that, I dislike the term "under the hood" as an Americanism and also as steam locos by and large don't have "hoods" to look under.  Yes, I know some of the followers do, but I try not to look in their hoods, they tend to be full of bacon sandwich and earwax.

[Pacific231G]

This is from the "Railway Museum" website (just wait until in 20 years time the museums are "Sciencey Stuff" and "Trainy Stuff").

 

Untitled.png

 

It's a bit grim us that, I dislike the term "under the hood" as an Americanism and also as steam locos by and large don't have "hoods" to look under. Yes, I know some of the followers do, but I try not to look in their hoods, they tend to be full of bacon sandwich and earwax.

With that image I've probably finished my dinner!

Amazing though. It took me two years of OND courses and three years of degree courses to NOT become an expert on the science of heat engines in general and steam engines in particular; now it seems you can acquire that expertise in a single talk at the NRM. My, how education has advanced! Do you think I'd be able to finally understand enthalpy if I went there and would it be impolite to ask? Also will they make me a CEng at last if I listen very carefully to the person giving the talk.

Mind you the local Apple Store is staffed by geniuses; I know that because it says Genius Bar over where they work so clearly humanity is getting smarter.

Edited May 28, 2018 by Pacific231G