Arsonists destroy historic wagons
Mar 7 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal
AN ARSON attack caused more than £100,000 of damage after a fire tore through six historically important carriages at a railway museum yesterday.
The blaze ripped through two antique wagons at the Bowes Museum, in Springwell, Gateshead, just before 6am.
And the fire quickly spread to four other nearby carriages.
Crews from two fire engines tackled the blaze amid fears of it setting light to more than 70 other wagons.
Police are treating the fire as a suspected arson attack and the area was cordoned off as a full investigation began.
John Young, museum operations manager, said: “Some time last night some one has got in to the site and there have been six wagons that have been burnt out.
“It shows total disregard for North East heritage This was the birth place of the railways, built by George Stephenson in 1826.
“People might look at this and think that these are just a bunch of old railway wagons, but they are the only ones of their kind left anywhere. The worst thing about it is we depend entirely on work from volunteers. It’s such a shame.”
Wagons designed by Watts, Hardy & Co., a North Shields-based train manufacturer, are among those completely destroyed.
The carriages were constructed from timber and iron, and the oldest dates back more than 100 years. Two of the most severely fire-ravaged carriages were coal hoppers, designed to carry ten-ton loads.
The remaining four were simple flat wagons constructed in the 1950s.
Bowes Railway museum is protected by the Scheduled Ancient Monument Status – the same hallmark that safeguards the likes of the Stonehenge site near Salisbury, Wiltshire.
This means it has national importance as an archaeological site or historic building and has protection against unauthorised change.
And under this conservation order any damage is treated as a criminal offence.
Mr Young said: “This is like going to Stonehenge and scribbling on the stones.
“These carriages were made by local makers. They could possibly be the only examples of this kind still in existence. This looks deliberate, and they could possibly be scrap thieves, so I will be moving it all before they can come back.”
Yesterday a spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: “Police are appealing for witnesses following the fire at Bowes Railway Museum in Springwell.
“It destroyed six antique coal carrying carriages and a nearby wooded embankment.
“The six carriages affected were in a fenced but isolated area of the museum compound and the value of the carriages is believed to be substantial and believed to stretch into thousands of pounds.
“No buildings were affected in the fire. Police are treating the incident as arson.”
Anyone with information should call 0845 604-3043 ext 66447.
