Emergency Appeal
MASSIVE FIRE STRIKES HISTORIC RAILWAY VEHICLES AND BUILDINGS OF SIERRA LEONE’S NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM
The survival of one of the world’s most extraordinary railway museum collections – the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum (SLNRM) – is currently under threat after a large fire in an adjacent warehouse seriously damaged its building. The SLNRM, housed in the former Cline Town Railway Workshops, contains 16 historic British-built colonial-era vehicles: important assets for both heritage and tourism purposes, as rare reminders of the nation’s once-extensive railway which closed in 1975.
The structural damage – which has seen 20% of the recently-rebuilt roof fall, 15 large windows implode and cracks appear in one major wall – compromises the security of the collection and the safety of the staff. Smoke and water have caused cosmetic damage to every vehicle, so a full repaint of the whole collection is being planned urgently: crucial for iron and steel in the tropical humid environment. Some displays of non-historic interpretation panels and photos were destroyed.
Closure of the museum, which is a very real possibility unless work is done quickly to make the building safe – would be a tragedy both locally and internationally. Since the SLNRM’s progenitors secretly hid the locos and carriages away to evade scrap merchants 50 years ago, they have survived against all the odds. The gunfire of civil war battles and the workshops’ time as a refugee camp have left their mark on the vehicles; since ‘rediscovery’ and restoration in 2004 they have formed the basis of one of Freetown’s most celebrated cultural and heritage venues.
Thanks to the combined work of many people and organisations including Colonel Steve Davies, former Deputy Commander of the International Military Advisory and Training Town in Freetown, the Sierra Leone Ministry of Tourism & Cultural Affairs, a UK-based supporters association (the Friends of SLNRM), museum staff, and many other supporters, the museum had become a standout success story. It had become a popular educational experience for thousands of Freetown schoolchildren annually, as well as a tourist attraction for increasing numbers of domestic and inbound visitors. It had also gained a role as a host venue for other cultural and community events, with the large railway vehicles providing a fascinating backdrop to all.
The fire was spotted in an adjacent warehouse at 1am on Monday 18th November, and it was only because of the decisive actions of two museum staff (Security Guard Mr. Mohamed Turay and Museum Coordinator Mr. Abubakarr Nylander-Kargbo) that the National Fire Force were able to attend the scene within an hour. Mr Turay raised the alarm immediately seeing the industrial fire, and Mr Nylander had to run across Freetown to alert the Fire Force (as the telephone lines had failed). Their combined actions likely saved the collection from a certain early destruction.
Once the crews were on the scene, they focused on dousing flames from the massive piles of plastics, wood and waste which had been stacked against the external wall of the museum. Fire crews were ably assisted by Museum staff and – by an extraordinary stroke of fortune – three heritage sector professionals as members of the UK-based FoSLNRM: Colonel Steve Davies, Helen Ashby and Adrian Ashby who were already in Freetown to assist on other projects in the museum..
Since the fire was extinguished on Tuesday 19th November, a massive cleanup operation has begun and there is round-the-clock security being provided to guard the collection. The Deputy Minister of Tourism & Culture, Dr. Kadija Grace Kamara, as well as the team from the Monuments and Relics Commission have visited the museum, whilst the heritage professionals of FoSLNRM are working with the local museum staff ahead of discussions with the Sierra Leone government about the future.
Helen Ashby, chair of the FoSLNRM, said ” It is heart-breaking to see the Museum so damaged, after all the hard work that has gone into making it so wonderful, but we are not going to be defeated. The Museum team, the Friends of the Museum and the teams from the Monuments and Relics Commission will work together to ensure that it rises again, better than ever.”
Government support and potential repair is not guaranteed; the museum must always prove its value and significance in a country where there are many urgent demands on very limited budgets. An initial fundraising campaign to cover security and staff costs has been launched by the UK based FoSLNRM charity, pending full structural survey results and costings for the museum’s repair.
This is an alarm call to all international railway enthusiasts: the team will be extremely grateful of any support that could be contributed to help make the building safe, and secure the vehicles. The Hudswell-Clarke diesels which represented the pinnacle of engineering tech in their time; the Manning Wardle, Garratt and Hunslet steam locos; the Queen Elizabeth II’s royal carriage, rolling stock and even the working pump trolley – are irreplaceable objects. They were once vehicles for transport: today, they are engines of hope in a country ravaged by misfortune.
The fundraising page is:
