Welcome
By: Web Editor
JUST after we went to press with the last issue we learned of the conviction of boiler inspector Tony Reen in relation to an inspection of ‘Ivor the Engine’ - a railway loco in the children’s character guise that visits various heritage lines.
Burrell showman's road locomotive No 3878 of 1921 Island Chief enjoys some time out by the sea in Llandudno on the occasion of the town's Victorian Extravaganza during the early May bank holiday weekend. BRIAN DOBBS
In Tony Reen v the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), a jury found his company guilty of ‘serious breaches of health and safety obligations’.
Within just a couple of hours of the decision, for which Tony received a fine, the ORR had sent its press release down the wire to OG and similar-minded publications with what seemed like almost indecent haste as if the ORR were presenting a Noel Edmonds-type ‘Gotcha’ award. That press release is posted in full on our website.
Now, we were not in court, we do not know all the facts and, of course, we are not qualified on these matters to pass comment. But what has happened has been an influx of messages from traction engine owners showing very definite support for Tony and his company and that they have always been satisfied with his work and will continue to use him for boiler inspections.
If there are any lessons to learn from this then we need to know them. A statement from Tony is expected in due course but now is not the time to suggest more legislation, more rules or any other knee-jerk reaction. The independent boiler inspectors are just getting used to speaking as one voice and we await any news with interest.
WITH the new government having to impose swingeing public spending cuts on local authorities, you can bet your bottom dollar that council-owned museums and heritage sites will be some of the first for the snip.
In Old Glory’s home county this is already happening where Lincolnshire County Council (whose top executives were due to meet to see what percentage rise they were paying themselves this year) have suggested the museums at Stamford (with Blackstone engines) and Grantham could ‘move into the libraries’ and are also considering the future of Church Farm Museum at Skegness (steam threshing demonstrations).
Of course there are lots of things that fall into the ‘don’t pay their way’ category, but are there for the public good. Any railway north of Glasgow probably doesn’t pay its way; bus shelters, zebra crossings, roundabouts and heavily subsidised rural bus routes don’t ‘pay their way’. Hospitals and schools aren’t there to ‘pay their way’.
This way of thinking should stop right now.
Colin Tyson
3 Responses to “Welcome”
ChrisJ Says:
June, 19th 2010 at 10:30 am
...‘serious breaches of health and safety obligations’? Depends on what these breaches are, there needs to be a national register of of qualified inspectors if there's not one already and the ORR need to actually help the inspectors, not mindlessly vilify them.
Theidlefellow Says:
June, 18th 2010 at 03:35 pm
I'd like to support Colin's thoughts on the Tony Reem v ORR business. I too know nothing of the details of this specific affair. However I do see a growing culture of a mindless, self-satisfied and patronising attitude to others from the "elfin safety" brigade, who often seem to have little practical knowledge or understanding of the area they seek to regulate. Long may all branches of the historic machinery movement be populated by people who do know what they are talking about and do not suffer fools gladly.
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Current Issue: Feb 2012
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• Next issue on sale: 16 Feb 2012
LMS264T Says:
June, 21st 2010 at 11:38 am
I would not be suprised to discover that another "inspector" shopped him to the ORR. I do not know this man and had never heard of him untill today, but I would guess that he ran over someone's toes. Purhaps he would not take a Fiver to look the other way and issue a certificate for a bad boiler.