Vintage Machinery Displays, Where to.

[DSEL74]

It is my dream to have a vintage and line shaft driven machinery display someplace open to the public. At this stage I have no heirs and I keep building on my collection of bits n pieces I have restored. After all the work and love that goes into restoring I'd hate for it to all end up as scrap when I'm gone, although that should be a while off.

Museums and similar from what I'm being told leave a lot of things to rot as they don't have the space to display everything or there isn't enough public interest or they have multiples etc. So I'd like it to go someplace I can interact with it now and know it will be put to use.

My thoughts turned to sheds at Lake Goldsmith which would be great, although I'd like something closer for maintenance etc.

I have just gotten off the phone with the secretary of the National Steam Centre in Scoresby. I asked what would be involved in setting up and funding a new shed and displaying a private collection. The answer I got was simply "No chance". After asking for more explanation since I am aware of there already being private collections there and people have funded erection of sheds for that purpose.

Jo's response was what do you want to display? After being told the response was "yeah no chance, we don't have space for that. Yes people have privately funded sheds but we own them once built and don't have any space."



Personally I found this to be a very short and appalling conversation. There was no interest in engaging with me or discussion of options or solutions. Makes me wonder what the future of these places will be.


Are there any other locations other than the National Steam Centre or Lake Goldsmith?

[YBAF]

Thats a shame. Perhaps there's some public liability issues.

[kwijibo99]

G'day Dale,
Try the Gisbourne vintage machinery society, they have a small line shaft workshop, I can't remember the name of the bloke who was setting it up but if you contact them I'm sure they'll point you to him. Their annual rally is coming up in May.

Gisborne Vintage Machinery Society (http://www.netneeds.com.au/gisbornevintage/index.htm)

Cheers,
Greg.

[Steamwhisperer]

Hi Dale
living within walking distance from Lake Goldsmith I would nearly go halves in a shed with you and help with set up and maintenance.
Only problem that I can see is that all the other sheds there wouldn't be as good as ours. :D

Phil

[DSEL74]

Phil, That almost sounds like a plan. Of course we'd make everyone jealous.

[KBs PensNmore]

Why not ask if others would be interested in going shares in it, or start a "Go Fund Me Project"?
Look around for a reasonable sized building, that is to be pulled down and offer scrap value for the materials
Kryn

[DSEL74]

Kryn,
I was considering the possibility of using 'crowd sourcing' for funding etc.

[KBs PensNmore]

Give me a yell when you're ready!!!!
Kryn

[Forester_neil]

Dale,

I'm sorry you had such a poor reception from us! If it helps, I can explain further about how our sheds work - it's a fundamental difference between the Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club's National Steam Centre and several other clubs.

The land on which MSTEC sits is Crown Land, managed by Parks Victoria as part of the Dandenong Valley Parklands. We have a 21 year lease with Parks Victoria, which has strict conditions regarding the use of the property and prohibiting sub-letting. As such, when we construct a new shed, it can only be owned by the Club, and not by an individual or a group of members. Members have paid for new sheds in the past, but ownership must be retained by the Club - the benefit for members is essentially a long term (5 or 10 year) storage agreement in return for the funds that go towards the building, or sometimes as an outright donation.

Furthermore, whatever is stored or kept on site, whether it is Club owned or privately owned, must be aligned with our permitted uses under our lease. I'm not sure if this helps, but it might clear up some confusion!

In many ways, a key determining factor may be working out exactly how you'd like your collection to be displayed - as an operational workshop (Steamrail, Healesville railway or R707 may be options) to an operational exhibit (where MSTEC or Lake Goldsmith may be perfect), through to a climate controlled, static exhibit behind glass with Museum Victoria.

If Lake Goldsmith is too far, other clubs you might consider are the Port Phillip Historical Machinery Association, and Emerald and District Vintage Machinery Group.

All this stuff is far from easy - it never is! I'd be happy to talk to you further about what options you might have, and how we can help - both MSTEC and Lake Goldsmith have many members that may be able to help one way or another!

Cheers

Neil Meyers
President, MSTEC

[DSEL74]

Neil, Welcome to the forum and thanks for taking the time to reply.

I was aware of your lease arrangement and that any building erected would be owned by the MSTEC. As you mentioned I was looking for a dedicated long term arrangement for use to display. What I was considering was a running rather than static display of line shaft driven machinery.

In fact I was at Lake Goldsmith again this weekend and was able to get involved in a manual blacksmiths and over in a steam driven/lineshaft machine set up at a second smithy. The second one I was able to show the brothers how to fully operate their power hacksaw as I have the same model and use it regularly. Which was nice as I was able to give something in return for their hospitality (where were you AndrewOC ?)

I also returned to visit a bloke I purchase a flat belt grinder from last rally to show him photos of the restored item and the same with another fella who donated some grinding wheels to the cause. Both were very pleased that I had thought to come back and share the results. This also lead to the acquisition of some more dusty, rusty arn projects.

Phil, met a few fellas that know you and one of their wives works at the Hill.

Also got offered the opportunity to buy a great shed which is not yet for sale, but the asking price is ~$100k

[KBs PensNmore]

Dale, would that be the one at Elizabeth SA, has a big lion painted on the front of the building???? Won't be ready for sale till about mid '17
Kryn

[DSEL74]

Not following you Kryn

[Steamwhisperer]

Phil, met a few fellas that know you and one of their wives works at the Hill.

Highly unlikely but I hope they had only good things to say about me. :D:D
I kept an eye out for you, thought I saw you but when I got closer I noticed I was about to make a pretty big mistake. :-

Phil

[AndrewOC]

Not following you Kryn
I suppose he means;
New car factory planned for Adelaide- Car News | CarsGuide (http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/new-car-factory-planned-for-adelaide-31135)
Or (for when the link disappears) the Holden factory in Adelaide- 180 Philip Hwy, Elizabeth SA 5112
A.

[AndrewOC]

where were you AndrewOC?

I was at home , mucking out the back yard in preparation for the wife's 'baby shower'.
Yes my life is racing into new directions!
Hopefully i can make the November rally- may have to have a SteamPunk stroller!
Regs,
A.

[Forester_neil]

Dale,

No problems - the difference in land ownership can be a bit confusing, and really has had an effect on the development and growth of MSTEC when compared to Lake Goldsmith. There are advantages to both set-ups!

Sadly I didn't get to the Goldsmith Rally last week - a few issues prevented me from heading up there to drive a traction engine or two. I'm glad to hear that you got to work in the smithies up there where the set up is a bit further along than ours. We're trying to get a workshop that will be focused on the industrial end of things, be a great display and able to help with the restoration of some of our engines - so it's a work in progress!

Cheers

Neil

[KBs PensNmore]

Not following you Kryn
Hi Dale, I'm talking about the soon to be empty Holden factory at Elizabeth, South Australia
Kryn

[China]

Some thing tells me the asking price for that one will be a bit more than $100K

[DSEL74]

Nah, I'm talking about one of the sheds at Goldsmith, if I thought that was far S.A. Is a long way.

Neil, I have met the Smith at MSTEC a few times. It will be nice to see that power hammer running off a boiler one day.

[YBAF]

Some thing tells me the asking price for that one will be a bit more than $100K

Just go to that politician Turnbull and say that your from France and if you are given the shed for free now that in 30 years time you will employ thousands.:U