In recent years, the profile of the UK’s industrial heritage has grown rapidly with more articles and television shows dedicated to the engineers of the industrial revolution and their achievements. Indeed, a 2011 English Heritage attitude survey revealed that 80% of the public felt the UK’s industrial heritage was as important to defining the nation as its historic houses and castles.
This growing appreciation for our industrial heritage has also been reflected in the growth of the Institution's own Engineering Heritage Awards (EHAs). Now in its 29th year, the Institution has presented 82 artefacts and sites with awards, the latest being Sir Nigel Gresley’s locomotive, Mallard (see below). Furthermore, the Institution’s Heritage Committee has seen a strong increase in the number of applications for the award scheme, rising from only one in 2007 to 21 in 2012. Today, the EHAs have been awarded to a wide range of artefacts and sites, from the Falkirk Wheel to the Jaguar E-type and HMS Belfast to name a few. The appeal of the awards has also spread overseas with British artefacts such as the Boulton and Watt engine in Australia, the Yavari in Peru and Parson’s engine in the Republic of Ireland all receiving recognition.
The 100th Engineering Heritage Award
In 2008, Professor Isobel Pollock established the Institution's Heritage Committee and set it with the objective of reaching 100 awards by 2014, the 30th anniversary of the scheme. With this date now approaching, the current chairman, past President John Wood, has decided to consult with the membership on what artefact or site would be a worthy recipient of the 100th Engineering Heritage Award. The main criteria for the EHAs are:
1) The artefact or site must be the first, last or only surviving example
2) The artefact must be of UK origin but not necessarily located in the UK3) The artefact or site should have made a significant contribution to society or industry
If you have a suggestion for what would be a suitable artefact or site to receive the 100th Engineering Heritage Award, email heritage@imeche.org. For more information on past EHA recipients, visit imeche.org/eha.
82nd Engineering Heritage Award for Mallard
On 5 April, Mallard, the world’s fastest steam locomotive, was presented with the 82nd Engineering Heritage Award. The presentation date also marked the anniversary of the death of the locomotive’s designer, and past president of the Institution, Sir Nigel Gresley.
The EHA was presented by past president John Wood to Helen Ashby, Head of Knowledge & Collections at the National Railway Museum, at a special ceremony attended by among others Sir Gresley's grandson Tim Godfrey.
John Wood commented on Mallard’s award: “The A4 Pacific class locomotive Mallard is one of the most iconic engineering artefacts of the 20th Century, and an example of British ingenuity at its very best.
“Sir Nigel Gresley showed extraordinary ambition and vision in designing this locomotive and it is testament to the work of the National Railway Museum that this awe-inspiring locomotive remains in such excellent condition."
Mallard is one of six surviving examples of the A4 class of locomotive designed to power high-speed streamlined trains. The locomotive’s aerodynamic body allowed the class to reach speeds of over 100mph, although in everyday service it was rare for any steam hauled service in the UK to reach even 90mph
Mallard attained the world record speed of 126mph descending Stoke Bank in July 1938 and covered almost 1.5 million miles (2.4 million km) before it was retired on 25 April 1963.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Mallard breaking the world speed record and to celebrate the occasion, the National Railway Museum is staging ‘The Great Gathering’ a free event which reunites the garter blue icon with its five surviving sister A4 locomotives which are normally located as far afield as the US and Canada.
Click here to see an ITV report on the Engineering Heritage Award presentation to Mallard.
(Link is http://www.playitback.org/details.aspx?v=406)
Two further Engineering Heritage Awards are planned for May 2013. The King Edward Mine in Camborne, Cornwall on 17 May and the APT-E locomotive at Locomotion, Shildon on 24 May. If you would information about these presentations, email heritage@imeche.org.
Book Picture Caption: The latest edition of the Institution’s heritage book, available for download (can we link to the book) or available in hardcopy.
Mallard Picture Caption: John Wood (right), presenting Helen Ashby of NRM and Sir Nigel’s grandson Tim Godfrey with the 82nd EHA