The Museum and our extensive collection are the things that set us apart from the majority of other railway attractions. As our primary assets, they demand a great deal of care, attention and management. This is the first article of a regular slot about how our museum operates and current news on the collection.

Who runs our museum and how do they do it?

Our Museum Management Committee (M.M.C.) is a requirement of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLAC), the Government Department responsible for our Registration as a Museum. We are required to have a qualified Museum Professional as a member of our Committee, and in our case we are very fortunate in having Oliver Green, Head of Collections at the London's Transport Museum, Covent Garden. Oliver is well able to advise us on the correct museum procedure, but is also very knowledgeable in our lines of business as he puts it. Other members of the MMC are:

• Roy Miller (Chairman and Curator)
• Tony Lyster (Vice Chairman)
• David Matthews (Executive Representative)
• Peter Hoskings (Structural Work)
• Richard Fitzgeorge-Parker (Minutes Secretary)
• Derek Mulquin (Shop Sales and Fund Raising)
• Bob Davies (Education Officer - co-opted)

Members of the Committee are approved by our Executive Committee but are not appointed by them. The Committee meets formally every three months, but are of course in regular informal contact.

The responsibilities of the MMC are to the MLA Council and our Exec for the accessioning and well being of our collection of relics both large and small. This does not extend to the operation of our larger relics, but does include monitoring their well being as part of our collection.

The MMC is responsible for the presentation of all museum areas: Buffer Depot, Romney No 2, the Small Relics display and Library. A small (very small this year) budget allocated to the Museum enables expenditure on museum displays and the purchase and accessioning of small and medium sized relics. Documents and the Library similarly come within their responsibilities. Advice and recommendations are given to the Executive regarding the purchase of larger relics and their subsequent display.

New for next season:

• The Brill Tramway Locomotive on loan from the London's Transport Museum has been transferred to the Museum number 2 track and will form the centrepiece of a Brill Tramway display.
• A further walkway will be opened to visitors in order to show our reserve collection of vehicles and locomotives.
• The 1938 tube car front will be built "bursting" out of the wall adjacent to the small relics display area.
• Major alterations will be made to the display in 2 of our small relic display cases, together with detailed additions to the lighting and other displays
• Work continues on the restoration of more of our collection of signs and notices. More cast iron notices will be displayed on the walls of the Rewley Road Oxford Room. Larger wooden notices etc have been restored and will be fixed to the walls inside the Museum building.

Notes:
The text in this Quainton Railway Society publication was written in 2007 and so does not reflect events in the 7+ years since publication. The text and photographs are repeated verbatim from the original publication, with only a few minor grammar changes but some clarifying notes are added if deemed necessary. The photos from the original publication are provided as scans in this internet version of this long out of print publication.

Reference:
Museum Matters - Roy Miller - Quainton News No. 97 - April 2007