National Preservation
Encyclopedia
National Preservation is the trading name for Nat Pres Ltd, a British-based online company that specialises in retail and discussion among railway enthusiasts
. The company was created on 25 June 2008 as an extension of the original National Preservation forum, which began on 10 March 2005, and has since moved to its own server. However, Nat Pres Ltd has expanded beyond the original forum, and now runs RailTours-Live.
The company is run by Glyn Murray, who manages the entire website and is the CEO. Other directors are Alexandra Murray. other posts include forum manager Ralph Whitby. The forum is maintained by a team of volunteers acting as moderators, settling disputes and ensuring users stay within the pre-determined forum rules.
The company has forged a working relationship with Steam Railway and The Railway Magazine
, two of the biggest selling railway periodicals in the United Kingdom
, thus expanding the forum's audience, and attracting input from professionals within the railway preservation movement. The forum also hosts representatives from the National Railway Museum
to discuss matters relating to their individual areas of expertise as well as providing them with a platform to promote their various publications or institutions.
, the 82045 Trust and the group aiming to rebuild a GWR Grange
locomotive, no. 6880 Betton Grange, as well as many smaller groups, trusts and societies. This is in addition to many ordinary members of the various heritage railways in the UK, from some of the largest, such as the Severn Valley Railway
, Bluebell Railway
and North Yorkshire Moors Railway
, to some of the smallest.
The forum first came to mass attention during 2006, with an incident involving British Railways 4MT no. 76079
on Exeter Bank, near Exeter Central station
, when the locomotive slipped to a stand on a railtour
. The forum became a centre for the activity on that day, as news broke of the incident and reaction given from various sources, including the locomotive owner Ian Riley. This led to the forum being cited in the report on the incident in Steam Railway magazine by David Wilcock, the first example of the importance of the website being recognised by major players in the railway preservation movement.
As of 17 February 2009, the forum has 3,833 members, who between them have posted over a quarter of a million articles to the forum. On average, the forum has gained about 160 members per month since the start of 2009. The forum has added roughly 1,000 to its membership year on year since its formation in 2005.
appeal to restore their original engine Russell, following a poll among users over which of several deserving candidates should receive the donation. The funds were raised through individual donations, as well as subscriptions and proceeds from the shop, A newsletter by the Welsh Highland Railway
was produced to celebrate the event. A new poll is being run currently.
National Preservation was used in helping the Betton Grange society publicise their major gala "Steel, Steam and Stars" in April 2007, held at the Llangollen Railway
. The forum was used by the group to post details of the gala as they were confirmed and to provide information and reports on the event afterwards. For the follow-up gala in 2009, the forum has been utilised in a similar way, but has also been used to help provide volunteers for jobs during the event, and the company is sponsoring the running of specific trains and a guest ale at the beer festival held alongside the gala.
National Preservation was also used in helping with the new Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening Gala. On the weekend of the 13/14 November 2010.
The forum had the first 12 coach express beer train to run on the new Cauldon Lowe Branch, sporting the National Preservation headboard.
For a spell during 2007, Steam Railway magazine actively ran a feature on the forum. Entitled "Overheard at the bar", the section reprinted a selection of some of the best posts from the forum during that month, chosen jointly by Danny Hopkins and Glyn Murray. These covered issues such as steam locomotive history and other sundry events within the movement such as railtours.
It is believed that National Preservation is the first forum to have its own Locomotive Headboard cast.
Another criticism which has been made of the forum is the large number of members who are not active volunteers, often despite being members of at least one preservation society. Others, however, believe it provides a cross-section of the enthusiast movement, with some working members, but also railway photographers, videographers, backroom staff and general enthusiasts. There is, however, a certain amount of conflict and friction at times between the various groups.
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
. The company was created on 25 June 2008 as an extension of the original National Preservation forum, which began on 10 March 2005, and has since moved to its own server. However, Nat Pres Ltd has expanded beyond the original forum, and now runs RailTours-Live.
The company is run by Glyn Murray, who manages the entire website and is the CEO. Other directors are Alexandra Murray. other posts include forum manager Ralph Whitby. The forum is maintained by a team of volunteers acting as moderators, settling disputes and ensuring users stay within the pre-determined forum rules.
The company has forged a working relationship with Steam Railway and The Railway Magazine
The Railway Magazine
The Railway Magazine is a monthly British railway magazine, aimed at the railway enthusiast market, that has been published in London since July 1897. it has been, for three years running, the railway magazine with the largest circulation in the U.K., having a monthly average sale during 2009 of...
, two of the biggest selling railway periodicals in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, thus expanding the forum's audience, and attracting input from professionals within the railway preservation movement. The forum also hosts representatives from the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
to discuss matters relating to their individual areas of expertise as well as providing them with a platform to promote their various publications or institutions.
Forum
The online forum is where most of the publicly viewable activity takes place. It was the first tangible signs of the company on the internet. It began as a purely free online forum, however has since grown into the formation of the company Nat Pres Limited. The original forum now serves as both a discussion board and as a place where the company advertises products sold by them, and where various special events or mainline railtours by heritage railways and mainline tour operators can be promoted. There is now a regular flow of information and news from some of the major players in the UK railway preservation sector. These include the A1 Steam Locomotive TrustA1 Steam Locomotive Trust
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is a Darlington, England based charitable trust formed in 1990 for the primary purpose of completing the next stage of the locomotive heritage movement, the building a new steam locomotive. This project became the construction of 60163 Tornado, carried out by...
, the 82045 Trust and the group aiming to rebuild a GWR Grange
GWR 6800 Class
The Great Western Railway 6800 Class or Grange Class was a mixed traffic class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. There were 80 in the class, all built at the Swindon works.-History:The GWR locomotive standardisation policy pursued by G.J...
locomotive, no. 6880 Betton Grange, as well as many smaller groups, trusts and societies. This is in addition to many ordinary members of the various heritage railways in the UK, from some of the largest, such as the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
, Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
and North Yorkshire Moors Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line...
, to some of the smallest.
The forum first came to mass attention during 2006, with an incident involving British Railways 4MT no. 76079
BR standard class 4 2-6-0
The BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed by Robert Riddles for British Railways . 115 locomotives were built.- Design and construction :...
on Exeter Bank, near Exeter Central station
Exeter Central railway station
Exeter Central railway station is the most centrally located of the railway stations in Exeter, Devon, England. It is smaller than St Davids which is on the west side of the city but it is served by trains on the London Waterloo to Exeter main line, and is also by local services to , and . From...
, when the locomotive slipped to a stand on a railtour
Railtour
A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not available using timetabled passenger services...
. The forum became a centre for the activity on that day, as news broke of the incident and reaction given from various sources, including the locomotive owner Ian Riley. This led to the forum being cited in the report on the incident in Steam Railway magazine by David Wilcock, the first example of the importance of the website being recognised by major players in the railway preservation movement.
As of 17 February 2009, the forum has 3,833 members, who between them have posted over a quarter of a million articles to the forum. On average, the forum has gained about 160 members per month since the start of 2009. The forum has added roughly 1,000 to its membership year on year since its formation in 2005.
| Year Ending | Forum membership |
|---|---|
| 31/12/2005 | 400 |
| 31/12/2006 | 1,158 |
| 31/12/2007 | 2,182 |
| 31/12/2008 | 3,528 |
| 31/12/2009 | 7,945 |
| 31/12/2010 | 11,394 |
Impact
The company and forum are now one of the more respected and well-known general groups in the world of railway preservation. The first tangible signs of this increase in importance were the impact the forum made in the enthusiast press following the aforementioned Exeter incident. In 2007, the forum members raised funds for the Welsh Highland RailwayWelsh Highland Railway
The Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway...
appeal to restore their original engine Russell, following a poll among users over which of several deserving candidates should receive the donation. The funds were raised through individual donations, as well as subscriptions and proceeds from the shop, A newsletter by the Welsh Highland Railway
Welsh Highland Railway
The Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway...
was produced to celebrate the event. A new poll is being run currently.
National Preservation was used in helping the Betton Grange society publicise their major gala "Steel, Steam and Stars" in April 2007, held at the Llangollen Railway
Llangollen Railway
The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of...
. The forum was used by the group to post details of the gala as they were confirmed and to provide information and reports on the event afterwards. For the follow-up gala in 2009, the forum has been utilised in a similar way, but has also been used to help provide volunteers for jobs during the event, and the company is sponsoring the running of specific trains and a guest ale at the beer festival held alongside the gala.
National Preservation was also used in helping with the new Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening Gala. On the weekend of the 13/14 November 2010.
The forum had the first 12 coach express beer train to run on the new Cauldon Lowe Branch, sporting the National Preservation headboard.
For a spell during 2007, Steam Railway magazine actively ran a feature on the forum. Entitled "Overheard at the bar", the section reprinted a selection of some of the best posts from the forum during that month, chosen jointly by Danny Hopkins and Glyn Murray. These covered issues such as steam locomotive history and other sundry events within the movement such as railtours.
It is believed that National Preservation is the first forum to have its own Locomotive Headboard cast.
Criticism
Among the criticism leveled at the website has been the perceived lack of understanding among members on many areas, often calling them "armchair enthusiasts". However, these views have been weakened by the arrival and presence of many well-respected figures from within the movement.Another criticism which has been made of the forum is the large number of members who are not active volunteers, often despite being members of at least one preservation society. Others, however, believe it provides a cross-section of the enthusiast movement, with some working members, but also railway photographers, videographers, backroom staff and general enthusiasts. There is, however, a certain amount of conflict and friction at times between the various groups.