Making plans for Nigel.....

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Bedders
GER J70 0-6-0T Tram
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by Bedders »

Horsetan wrote:It's all got very serious :shock:
Save the duck! It makes it so much more interesting than just another statue
2512silverfox

Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by 2512silverfox »

I cannot help feeling that his stance in the attached photo with the model might be in better keeping and satisfy Tim and Ben.download/file.php?mode=view&id=16098
Attachments
WilliamWhitelaw-SirNigelGresley-presentation-loco_namingx.jpg
S.A.C. Martin

Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by S.A.C. Martin »

I think a better tribute would have been to put the statue in a quiet corner of King's Cross on the actual platforms, looking towards Gasworks tunnel, and at its dedication have Mallard posed alongside him, or 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley itself.

I don't have an opinion on the duck but I think it's a ridiculous thing to get steamed up - and also resign - over, and also think the Gresley family may have been a bit overbearing in their reaction to the design (particularly when the public are funding it, and others have donated large amounts, and the whole enterprise has been done outside of their involvement).

I think a statue is a nice idea, and a life size one would have been nicer in my opinion. But c'est la vie.
jwealleans
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by jwealleans »

I may have got the wrong end of a stick, but I thought the statue was slightly larger than lifesize (and Gresley was a big man anyway).

I like the model idea, I think it would have been more immediately obvious to the casual passerby.
9001 St Paddy
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by 9001 St Paddy »

I always found that railways were to serious a subject to be made fun of by the 99.9% of the non-railway minded british public who know nothing about railways except for railwaymen & railway enthusiast's. :wink:

As for the sir Nigel Gresley statue i agree that it should be located in a quiet part of the station without the duck but nowadays the once hallowed environs of Kings Cross station have been virtually turned into another 'theme park UK' so i guess it won't look out of place stuck 'out front' on the open air concourse unfortunately.


FINSBURY PARK [5] formerly Micky with loads of Hatfield No3 posts and also a onetime 'tele lad' at Welwyn Garden City box. :wink:
Last edited by 9001 St Paddy on Wed Apr 15, 2015 7:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jwealleans
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by jwealleans »

Is it going to be outside? When I made my donation I queried the fact it didn't have a hat (unthinkable for a gentleman outside in those days) and was told it would be inside the station.
9001 St Paddy
LNER N2 0-6-2T
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by 9001 St Paddy »

Mr.Wealleans i just assumed the statue of sir Nigel was going to be placed outside the front of the station facing the Euston Road but on thinking about i suppose they will put it inside on the main concourse??.


FINSBURY PARK [5] formerly Micky with loads of posts as Hatfield No3 and a onetime 'tele lad' at Welwyn Garden City box. :wink:
silverfox
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by silverfox »

IIRC it is going to be placed inside the new concourse near the old 'outside wall' of the Station ( if that makes sense) where the ticket office is.
If you click on this link
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/ ... /plan.html

and then hover the mouse over the blue icon above the word ticket, i think it is in that area or very near.
Horsetan
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by Horsetan »

I suppose a number of small spoof duck sculptures are being made, just waiting to appear after the statue is unveiled and everyone's back is turned......
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52D
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by 52D »

I think he would look even better if he was next to Capercallie.
Hi interested in the area served by 52D. also researching colliery wagonways from same area.
silverfox
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by silverfox »

Horsetan

Beimg a member of the GS, i cannot possibly comment on your suggestion, in case the heirachy feel that i might have oversteped a rule or two, BUT i would draw the line at the little yellow ones you find at fairground stalls.
We must have some decorum you know

However i believe you can get reasonable models of a certain speaking duck at the Disney Store
silverfox
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by silverfox »

Wow,
This looks like all out war now

See the facebook 'save gresleys duck'

As a GS member ,are there any others on here? the Chairman is being a bit OTT with his remarks.

As i see it and whilst i would rather see the statue as shown at last years AGM, as i would if the original had no duck, It ws the First impressions that count. The way he goes on about 'non gresley ' duck lovers etc. is NOT doing the Society any favours, and he seems to forget that the 'public' can object quite legally against ANY planning project.
I think i will get a big bag of popcorn and sit back and watch this unfold
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richard
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by richard »

Yes I'm a member. I haven't seen the facebook pages,etc but I thought the comments in the Observer explained the reasons - basically the family objected (decorum and all that).

The thing is, if there was never a duck in the first place, nobody would be in the least bit bothered!

Personally I think the duck trivialises things. One locomotive, albeit his most famous. If there has to be something, why not a model A3 or A4 - perhaps he could be holding it?
Richard Marsden
LNER Encyclopedia
Horsetan
LNER P2 2-8-2
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by Horsetan »

Maybe next time it should all be "Hush-Hush".... :mrgreen:
mick b
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Re: Making plans for Nigel.....

Post by mick b »

richard wrote:Yes I'm a member. I haven't seen the facebook pages,etc but I thought the comments in the Observer explained the reasons - basically the family objected (decorum and all that).

The thing is, if there was never a duck in the first place, nobody would be in the least bit bothered!

Personally I think the duck trivialises things. One locomotive, albeit his most famous. If there has to be something, why not a model A3 or A4 - perhaps he could be holding it?

Most people won't know who Gresley was, a few might realise the Duck might be a Mallard, perhaps then they might even remember the Train. As to holding a A3 or A4 Locomotive model , sadly even more would be clueless as to who he was. The statue is about 70 years too late, virtually everybody alive in his time are now sadly gone as well.

Personally I think the Duck would have been a good idea, at least it has a novelty value and as a result the public would actually look at who the statue honours.
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