Dear Chancellor,
The National Railway Museum in York must not be closed due to a potential cut in funding. It would be an unjustifiable act if York and thus Britain were to lose what is the largest historic railway collection in the world.
It must remain in public ownership for the benefit of everybody who wishes to visit, and it must be funded accordingly.
Why is this important?
The National Railway Museum in York is a cultural treasure-house of railway trains, railwayana and railway ephemera. In short, the greatest and largest collection of such in the world. A veritable three-dimensional encyclopaedia of travel and transport history.
It has, over the years, proved its ability to show diverse and ever-changing exhibitions such that the public and tourists do not treat it as a 'once-and-once only' experience.
It branched out to host an award-winning production of E. Nesbit's 'The Railway Children', teaming up with The York Theatre Royal Company to do so, to great acclaim.
It is a hands-on museum that caters for those who want to be involved, every bit as much as those who merely wish to stand and admire the stunning collection of engines and rolling stock.
The Railway Museum appeals to all ages, as a place of entertainment and serious education, and as such acts as a research and study centre for universal railway history.
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This campaign will be running in co-operation with the '38 Degrees' campaigns to save the Manchester Museum Of Science and Industry and the Bradford Media Museum.
http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-mosi
http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-national-media-museum-bradford
Three powerhouses of technology in the north of England; with campaigns that form a three-pronged trident which, it is hoped, will prick the conscience of central government regarding the folly of losing these museums,
There is also a local York campaign to save the Railway Museum: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/indepth/savethenrm/?ref=mmnsp
which is being run by The York Press, and has the active support of Hugh Bayley MP.
Please support all these campaigns to save the nation's heritage in the north.
