Museum to face bill for 
rail car left out in rain

A PRIZED asset at a leading Yorkshire museum has suffered thousands of pounds of damage after being left out in the rain in the latest embarrassing episode to plague the tourist attraction.

Officials at the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York are assessing the damage caused to the Dynamometer car, which was used to monitor the record run of steam locomotive Mallard in 1938, and the repair bill could be as much as £10,000.

The damage was caused after the rail car, which was built in 1905 by the North Eastern Railway, was left out in torrential downpours that hit the region during the museum’s showpiece Railfest event this summer.

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A NRM spokeswoman confirmed the damage is concentrated on paintwork of the exterior panels, which was applied during a restoration in the 1960s. But water also seeped into the interior of the car, which was acquired into the national collection in 1975.

The spokeswoman added: “The NRM is committed to providing the widest possible access to the national collection and we believe it is vital to continue to provide such access during important events like Railfest. There are always potential risks to collections wherever they are displayed and the collections management group reviews on an ongoing basis how we can minimise and manage these risks.”

The revelations about the rail car’s damage come after the NRM has endured controversy in recent weeks. The Yorkshire Post reported on Saturday the museum had loaned out a locomotive donated to the nation by a rail freight company to a rival train operator.

And it emerged earlier this month that the museum is facing a £200,000 deficit after Railfest failed to live up to expectations. The event saw 64,000 visitors come through the doors, but just 27,000 of those paid full price.

A Yorkshire Post investigation also revealed the husband of a high-profile curator received in excess of £25,000 for work which included painting a train engine due to be named after his wife.