Museum of Transport Greater Manchester

UK Museums: Museum of Transport Greater Manchester

The Museum of Transport in Manchester is a nostalgic and fun trip down memory lane. The museum charts the history of public transport in the city from its beginnings in 1824 to the present day.

This excellent, large museum is a delight for people who rode the buses in Greater Manchester from the 1950's to the 1980's in particular. It is also of interest to anyone with a love of historic public transport, especially buses and trams.

The museum is particularly strong on 1960's and 1970's nostalgia with original chocolate and sweet machines also on view.

There is even a recreation of a 60's/70's cafe with original menu down to the cheese and Branston pickle sandwiches.

The museum opened in 1979.

Ticket machines used by bus conductors back in the day. — Ticket machines and tickets used by bus conductors back in the day

History

The Transport Museum is housed in a former bus depot in Cheetham Hill in the north of the city. Parts of the depot are still in use today.

The museum uses informative wall panels, objects and original photographs to show the history of transport in Greater Manchester.

Transport in Manchester and the wider area had private beginnings. John Greenwood began a horse-drawn bus service from Salford to Market Street in 1824 - the first regular horse bus service in Britain. A horse drawn bus from Manchester to Stockport followed in 1830.

After Word War II trams and trolley buses are gradually phased out and replaced by buses.

The SELNEC (South East Lancashire and North East Cheshire) reorganization in 1968 was a big change in how public transport was administered.

Today Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) regulates public transport after deregulation in 1986 and the creation of GM Buses.

GM Buses was split and privatised in 1993 and eventually became First Manchester and Stagecoach Manchester.

Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company. — An early Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company horse-drawn tram from the 1890's

Posters from the 1970's. — Posters from the 1970's create a nostalgic atmosphere

Museum Exhibits

The large building is on a single floor under a glass roof. It can get quite warm inside during summer.

There are over 70 buses and other vehicles on display.

These include buses from all over the various corporations (local authorities) in the Greater Manchester area: Ashton, Bury, Bolton, Keigh, Manchester, Oldham, Ramsbottom, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, and Wigan.

There are also private buses from A Mayne & Son, Lancashire United Transport (LUT), North Western and Ribble.

There is even a Routemaster bus from London.

The Routemaster was brought up for inspection but the design was rejected up north, due to both regional prejudice and the fear of the effect on local manufacturing jobs.

Other vehicles on display are coaches, an electric bus, a fire engine, a road sweeper, trolley buses, and the prototype for the Metrolink light rail from Italy.

The Bee Line Buzz Company. — Bee Line buses were designed to get down the area's cul de sacs and to complement other bus services

Visitors can board several of the vehicles including the Routemaster.

Many of the vehicles are maintained in full working order. Special events throughout the year enable people to travel on one of the museum's historic buses. One such event is a free bus service to and from Victoria Station.

As well as the vehicle collection, the museum has an impressive array of objects associated with public transport.

These are bus stops, conductor and driver badges, destination blinds, street furniture (bollards, traffic lights, a telephone box etc), ticket machines and uniforms.

Also an archive, the museum has a huge collection of various written documents. These include books on local transport, commemorative brochures, legislation and regulations, maps, plans and drawings, periodicals, records and reports including hand-written minutes, tickets and timetables.

The museum has a small transport-themed shop on the premises.

Inside a London Routemaster bus. — Inside a London Routemaster bus, Museum of Transport Gretaer Manchester

Access - Getting to the Museum of Transport

Museum of Transport (www.gmts.co.uk)
Boyle Street
Cheetham
Manchester M8 8UW
Tel: 0161 205 2122

The building is level and ramped throughout and has full wheelchair access.

Hours

Open every Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday (except Christmas) from 11 am - 4.30 pm.

Admission

Entrance (2019) is 5 GBP for adults, concessions (over 65's, students) 3 GBP. Under 16 year olds are free if accompanied by an adult.

Public Transport

Queen's Road is the nearest Metrolink station.

The museum is a 10 minute walk from the station past the Irish World Heritage Centre.

From Piccadilly Gardens take the 135 bus to Huxley Avenue.

Cafe in the style of the 1970s. — 1970's style cafe serving hot drinks and sandwiches, Museum of Transport

Other transport museums in Greater Manchester include the Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum in Rochdale, Bury Transport Museum, the East Lancashire Railway, a 12 mile heritage railway in Bury, Heaton Park Tramway in Heaton Park and the Museum of Science & Industry (MoSI).

Museums in Manchester

Greater Manchester Police Museum

People's History Museum

Coventry Transport Museum