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 GIACOMINI KEEP LOCOMOTION
ON TRACK FOR COMFORT
For Dr George Muirhead, Museum Manager at Locomotion, the North East’s prize arm of the National Railway Museum (NRM), trains are no plaything. His need is to preserve the heritage of historic locomotives and rolling stock in a protective environment that allows public access: with an essential part of that environment being controlled, comfortable heating within a large exhibition area.
Stable atmosphere
The chosen method, underfloor heating, was installed using Giacomini manifolds, tube and insulation products.Warm water underfloor heating systems offer significant benefits over conventional radiator central heating or electric underfloor heating installations. Giacomini Sales U.K. manufactures, installs and supplies underfloor heating for all sectors. Whether you are heating a conservatory, nursing home, hospital, factory or you’re a self-builder looking for better way to heat a home, Giacomini can offer you a professionally designed heating solution.
This provides a uniform, stable atmosphere that reduces convection, maintains an even temperature and eliminates unsightly radiators or forced air units. It is also the least intrusive solution for displaying some 60 vehicles from the NRM’s National Collection, within a new 557m2 (6,000 sq ft) building on a site incorporating classrooms, workshops, cafe and a shop, catering for around 60,000 visitors per year.
“While locomotives and rolling stock may look robust, some of the vehicles are very susceptible to deterioration”, commented Dr Muirhead. “Some of the carriage interiors and roofing, which we have taken great care to preserve or restore to their original glory, are particularly fragile. It’s important to maintain a constant temperature that avoids excessive contraction and expansion, that eliminates hot or cold spots and provides an equable environment for both visitors and the many staff who work here throughout the year – including some very cold North East winters”.
Ideal solution
The main collection building is a sizeable structure by any standards and of necessity comprises high volume areas for the display of large railway vehicles with room for visitor access and associated exhibits detailing the history of Britain’s railways. The Giacomini system of underfloor heating proves an ideal solution. A pioneer in this area, Giacomini manufactures all its own manifolds, fittings and PEX and PB tube to provide a consistent product quality and predictable performance. This ensures reliability, minimum maintenance and assured service over many years.
Because under floor heating provide an even heat distribution it requires room temperatures generally 2ºC less than traditional radiators allowing a lower boiler rating to be specified, which reduces flue emissions as well as running costs. This project involved the laying of over 14,000 metres of PEX tube within 2,918m2 of flooring, which circulates the heat output of a 450 kW boiler plant.
Dr Muirhead noted that “Installation was carried out smoothly during a very busy time of construction and since completion the performance has fulfilled all our expectations. It is an important part of the building’s design, where protection of the exhibits and on-going restoration work is of paramount importance, while still retaining the openness that visitors require and the flexibility for development essential to any museum”.
The new building also contains office, research and technical facilities, plus catering and retail areas. It blends into a one kilometre (1091 yards) long site that was once the old Shildon Wagon Works and which incorporates a number of historic buildings and original workshops that previously formed the Timothy Hackworth Museum.
Its importance to railway heritage lies in the provision of a weatherproof, secure enclosure for a notable collection of locomotives and rolling stock, much of which could not otherwise be displayed to the public.
The Giacomini underfloor heating system will not only aid preservation, but also provide the comfortable environment that will help make this new tourist attraction for the North East a popular venue for anyone with an interest in railways past or looking for a day out with a difference.
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