Whenever I post about some mode of transport I have taken or visit a transport museum I feel the need to refute claims that I am a bit of a train spotter. That’s becoming increasingly difficult as time passes and today’s post isn’t going to help one little bit.
The London Transport Museum Depot is based in Acton, London and houses all the objects that the main museum in Covent Garden doesn’t have room for. It is only open a handful of times a year. I wasn’t even aware of the depot’s existence until I came across it quite by chance when I saw an editorial on it in a newspaper someone had discarded on the bus I was riding.
When I arrived at what can only be described as a huge warehouse there was a long queue of people waiting to go in. I would like to say that there was a good mix of people there, you know, families with young children and women for example, but no, it was mainly men around my age.
To reinforce the stereotype somewhat as I made my way around I overheard conversations between the punters and those that worked there (volunteers who had worked for London Transport) such as this: “What processor’s in there? 1809. Ah! I remember the 1802, its predecessor”.
Buses and Tubes
It would be easy to assume looking at the place from ground level that there’s not a great deal there. However, looking at it from the mezzanine you can see all manner of modes of transport laid out stretching over a vast area. The mezzanine holds an extensive collection of signs from London Transport showing how things such as typography have changed over the years. It was also full of interesting facts such as Arsenal is the only tube station named after a football team and even though the team has moved further away the name remains.
You can freely wander between the many rows of tubes and go inside a number of them. There are many historic examples along with one-of-a-kinds and more modern examples too. One thing that has remained a constant though is the garish seat covers of which much was on display.
Past the tubes was a large selection of buses, all beautifully restored, including, of course, a Routemaster. There was even a brand new fully-electric bus outside, presumably brought along for the day.
Odds and Sods
Around the museum were lots and lots of, well, things from complete engines, models, a dummy decked out in the garish seat cover material through to switch gear and a complete concessions stand. There was something everywhere you turned and everything was labelled, albeit briefly and mainly with no back story.
I greatly enjoyed my trip to the museum and my one regret is that I didn’t think to take my Dad along with me who would have loved to see all the engineering on display and, no doubt, to reminisce about travelling on the old tubes and buses. A trip for next time.
