Nick Larkin reports on plans for a new North-East museum and engineering tuition centre in a former power station building
A charity run by Go North East employees and family members has launched an appeal to raise £100,000 to buy a historic building for use as a museum and engineering tuition centre. The Northern National Restoration Group (NNRG) is already renting the 1905-built former power station, which is located next door to the soon to be demolished ex-Sunderland District/Northern depot at Philadelphia.
The group has built up a collection of vehicles from Go North East and its predecessor, Northern General. Group chairman Craig Smith has worked for the operator since 1992, having previously worked for Shaws. He is now chargehand fitter at its Chester-le-Street depot.
“This building is a unique chance for us to acquire these magnificent and historic premises,” Craig said. “Everyone who comes here is shocked. The building is sound structurally but we’d need to spend a further £150,000 to fully realise our dream of equipping it as a museum and Centre of Engineering Excellence. It would be sad to see this building lost to preservation so all efforts are being made to acquire it first.”
[…]
By subscribing you will benefit from:
- Operator & Supplier Profiles
- Face-to-Face Interviews
- Lastest News
- Test Drives and Reviews
- Legal Updates
- Route Focus
- Industry Insider Opinions
- Passenger Perspective
- Vehicle Launches
- and much more!
