Challenging museum narratives: the case of a Rhodesia Railways carriage

Abstract

Science Museum Group (SMG) object 2005-7446 was built by a British rolling stock manufacturer in 1927. It was exported as a first-class passenger coach to British-administered Southern Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) and ran on the lines operated by the former Rhodesia Railways. But, in 1974, the carriage was on its way back to Britain, overseen by the artist, conservationist and railway enthusiast, David Shepherd. After being displayed at a series of locations across Britain, the carriage was acquired by the National Railway Museum, part of SMG, in the early 2000s. It was kept in storage until 2024. With the carriage now on display at SMG’s National Collections Centre in Wroughton, this article asks what stories it has the potential to tell. It argues that interpretation of the carriage since its repatriation has focused on the story of its return, while gaps in the knowledge of its operational life – including the experiences of passengers and the impacts of the railway’s labour hierarchy – have been overlooked. By tracing the carriage’s archival trail in Britain and consulting SMG’s technical files, this paper highlights the importance of foregrounding such untold narratives. It concludes to suggest ways forward for future research, interpretation strategies and the management of associated files.