747 forward section at Manston

[Ant]

Took the Mrs. & kids on a day trip to Broadstairs recently, and stopped off at Manston for a look around (we enjoyed a decent and inexpensive Sunday Roast at the restaurant by the way!).
Walking up to the flying club later we passed the extraordinary sight of the sliced foward section of a 747 comprising the flight deck and beneath that the Pax compartment.
Fascinating and sad at the same time, as I'm sure anyone who's seen a cut-up aircraft will know. Can anyone shed some light i.e. the history of the aircraft in question; it's reg (I'd like to search airliners.net to see it in happier times): and why it lies there at all.
Thanks in advance.

Edited for lakk of proper proofreading!

[EyesToTheSkies]

Ant,

Not sure although it may be TF-ABW (B747-128) c/n 20376. This example was reportedly broken up by 2000. Wrecks & Relics published last year report it to be as a cockpit section only.

The aircraft originally flew for Air France, then went on to fly for Air Atlantic Icelandic in the mid 90's, chartering for several UK airlines.

Here's the link you were looking for....

Airliners.net link TF-ABW (http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=251294&WxsIERv=Qm9laW5nIDc0Ny0xMjg%3D&WdsYXMg=QWlyIEF0bGFudGEgSWNlbGFuZGlj&QtODMg=TWFuY2hlc3RlciAtIEludGVybmF0aW9uYWwgKFJpbmd3YXkpIChNQ U4gLyBFR0NDKQ%3D%3D&ERDLTkt=VUsgLSBFbmdsYW5k&ktODMp=MTk5Ng%3D%3D&BP=0&WNEb25u=Q29saW4gUGFya2Vy&xsIERvdWdsY=VEYtQUJX&MgTUQtODMgKE=Tm93IHNjcmFwcGVkLg%3D%3D&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=MzQy&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwMi0wNy0xMQ%3D%3D&static=yes&size=L)

[Ant]

Thanks Eyes,

Don't suppose you'd know why they're keeping this section while the rest of the aircraft was presumably cut up.

[EyesToTheSkies]

Ant,

I don't know in this case, but I think there is fire fighting training school at Manston, so it maybe another "prop" of the jet variety.

If it is going in someone's back garden, it better be a big back garden!

[Woodman]

Wasn't BW because that ended up in a training school near Gatwick but it was another Atlanta aircraft.
It was acquired (bought may be a strong word) by the airport fire service (different organisation to the RAF fire school nearby) to be a training aid.