Re: Tassie Garret & Penndennis Castle

[James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au>]

chris@enet21.com.au wrote:

> My point is the Pendennis Castle is unique for Australia, we also have other unique
> things like the only Me262 in original condition, the V2 rocket with trailer, and as
> it was mentioned the beam engine at the powerhouse.
> We would look a real fool if we handed these back!
> It has been recorded that  the person who aquired the beam engine for the Museum of
> Applied Arts & Sciences many years ago was criticised for purchasing it as it was
> claimed that it wasn't relevant for a Australian museum.
> If the poms were that upset about the Pendennis Castle in oz you would hear about it
> through offical channels.
> Why can't it be kept for example at the Power House where ordinary people can see
> it. Many average aussies will never get the chance to travel overseas. It would be
> better to let  a 6 year old aussie kid see it at the Powerhouse than let be in the
> possession of a bunch of  "train nuts" in far off merry England

If the Pendennis Castle did get stuffed and mounted in the Powerhouse museum it would
never run again. The Pendennis Castle is very similar to the technology in our own
locomotives and the only obvious difference is the 4 cylinders. It would be better to
put a 38 or some other express passenger loco in the Powerhouse museum as an example of
modern steam locomotive design because this would also represent an Australian
locomotive. The Me262 and the V2 are the only examples of these revolutionary designs of
aircraft that exist in Australia, ie: one of the first jets and one of the first
missiles. The Pendennis Castle, is hardly a revolutionary design by world standards. As
I have said before, you have to look at each individual case. Even so, I don't think we
would be fools if we did return them to Germany. What about the kids in those countries
who can't travel to Australia to see a piece of their own heritage? As for the beam
engine, I have no idea what this is and this is the first I've heard of it.


--
- James Brook -

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