The Trust is very disappointed to report that our carriages – awaiting on, or undergoing, restoration have all been broken into recently. Due to the Heritage Centre’s very attractive special programme over the half-term ~ visits by both Tornado and the Flying Scotsman proving a massive draw for photography and rides, our carriages were moved out of sight, giving a clearer view of their impressive presence. ‘Pulling Power personified’!
Advantage seems to have been taken of the resulting easier, and un-observed access, by a number of individuals (as hopefully identifiable by their spray-can tags and graffiti) to forcibly enter and displace much of our prepared materials, smash open our tool chests, and destroy our computer – used to manage our restoration programme.
Apart from the understandable despair of our volunteers, and the replacement cost (estimated at around £4,000 for replacement IT to regain our backed-up data) the damage is less than initially feared. No tools were stolen, which implies a search for battery-based equipment was the main basis for this attack. Entry was gained, in one of our other carriages, through an already weak carriage corner. As the damaged section was already identified as ‘ripe for repair’, all this has done is caused us extra time to be spent.
Fortunately, our three Barnums (Open Tourist 3rds – of 1910 build) have suffered minimally, with disturbance of materials and equipment. Over all, with several empty cans of high alcohol beer and Tag lines left behind, there is a possibility that – having made a formal report to Nottinghamshire Police including photographic evidence (some of which is shown here), There may be a chance of linking their pictorial handiwork to previous ‘Taggings’ elsewhere, and bringing them to book,
Local media, such as WestBridgfordwire and BBC LOCAL NEWS have been supportive in broadcasting the evidence. Whilst the Great Central Railway Rolling Stock Trust fully condemns these activities, and – sighing heavily – are picking up the pieces and carrying on, it also feels sorry that the perpetrators have not been encouraged in their lives, to begin to understand the importance of historic items / places. This leaves them unable to appreciate that the present is built on the backs of those who created the past – thus, without a grasp of the past’s value, how can we all judge the present and consider the direction the future is taking?
It is too easy to fall into anomie, and lack the ability to feel there’s a worthwhile future ahead for each individual.
Any financial contributions, to help the Trust ‘recover’ from this, would be most welcome: https://www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/3159720
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