Aldek Building, The National Railway Museum, York
Type of works: replacement PVC/PES cladding to steel truss portal-frame structure.
The National Rail Museum located in York, is home to a collection of over 100 locomotives including the Flying Scotsman, the legendary Mallard, the Stephenson’s Rocket and numerous historical royal trains including Queen Victoria’s favourite carriage.
One of the key structures of the museum housing trains for display, had deteroriated over time and required replacement fabric that would incoporate modern technologies for longevity purposes. Structural amendments were also required to provide access to move the trains in and out of the area, and a 3D laser survey was necessary as the structure was not exact with the original plans. The issues relating to a rail yard environment, such as railway tracks and rough terrain, also needed to be overcome during the works.
J & J Carter used 25m reach cranes to lift the roof membrane which was manufactured and tested off-site prior to fitting. The resulting structure assimilates perfectly with the elegance of the museum, and the new membrane has a design life of 15 to 18 years.
A spokesperson for the National Rail Museum said: “The work carried out by J & J Carter was actually finished before the anticipated completion date, with minimal disruption to ongoing activity at the museum. The structure is impressive, reliable and fully functional in the purposes for which it was intended.”