Museum of Transport in Manchester
Encyclopedia
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
heritage of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, a metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
in North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
. Owned by Transport for Greater Manchester, the museum is located in the Cheetham Hill
Cheetham Hill
Cheetham Hill is an inner city area of Manchester, England. As an electoral ward it is known as Cheetham and has a population of 12,846. It lies on the west bank of the River Irk, north-northeast of Manchester city centre and close to the boundary with the City of Salford...
area of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Background
The museum holds a sizeable collection, one of the largest of its kind in the UK. Due to the size of the building, some vehicles have to be kept off-site, with exhibits changed around every so often. In addition, vehicles often attend events around the country during the summer months.The museum itself is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester, having been established at the Boyle Street site, Cheetham Hill
Cheetham Hill
Cheetham Hill is an inner city area of Manchester, England. As an electoral ward it is known as Cheetham and has a population of 12,846. It lies on the west bank of the River Irk, north-northeast of Manchester city centre and close to the boundary with the City of Salford...
, since 1977. The museum, which was opened to the public in a blaze of publicity two years later on May 27 1979, was set up to actively promote interest in the history and heritage of Greater Manchester's local passenger transport system. The day-to-day running of the museum is carried out by volunteers from the Greater Manchester Transport Society (initially the SELNEC Transport Society).
The museum collection is constantly developing and restoration
Vehicle restoration
Vehicle restoration is the process of restoring a vehicle that is either partially scrapped or otherwise life expired back to its original working condition. Automotive restoration can be applied to many different eras of automobile. Heritage railways and railway museums aim to restore and operate...
work can be often be seen by visitors giving the display a lively, working atmosphere. In the future, the collection of vehicles and other artefacts relating to the roads of Greater Manchester will continue to grow, with the Museum further developing its facilities as well as restoring items which have already been received but which remain in derelict condition. With Transport for Greater Manchester's continuing assistance, it is hoped the museum will continue to be a focal point and a major attraction of its type.
The museum became a Registered Museum in May 2003, with the GMTS having become a Registered Charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
back in 1980.
Collection
The museum is home to around 100 buses, of which 70 or so are kept on the site. The remaining vehicles are kept elsewhere to allow for restoration work to be carried out and so other vehicles can be exhibited.Also in the collection are two trolleybuses from Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
corporations, the prototype Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
tram, and a Manchester Corporation tram from 1901. There is also a host of other related exhibits, from old signs to uniforms - and several items used by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
during filming of Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published on 8 July 1999. The novel won the 1999 Whitbread Book Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the 2000 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and was short-listed for other...
(Stan the conductor's equipment).
There is also an extensive archive collection, featuring old timetables, maps, books, posters, manuals and plans - visitors to the archive need to notify the museum in advance.
Events
The museum holds a number of regular events throughout the year.- March: Spring Transport Festival - Market day for specialist retailers and booksellers.
- April: London Bus Day - Preserved London buses on display.
- May: Themed event.
- September: Trans-Lancs Historic Vehicle Rally - The start point of a 15 mile run to Heaton ParkHeaton ParkHeaton Park, covering an area variously reported as , 247 hectares, , over and is the biggest park in Greater Manchester, England and one of the biggest municipal parks in Europe. The park comprises the grounds of a Grade I listed, neoclassical 18th century country house, Heaton Hall...
via north Manchester. The event is staged on the first Sunday in September. - October: Themed event.
- December: The Christmas Cracker - Market day for specialist retailers and booksellers.
During most of these events a heritage bus service from Manchester Victoria Station to the museum runs every 20 minutes between 09:50 and 17:00.
Location
The Museum of Transport is located approximately two miles north of ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
City Centre, close to the junction of the A665 (Cheetham Hill Road) and the A6010 (Queens Road). It is at the north end of Boyle Street, adjoining the First Manchester
First Manchester
First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
bus garage. Bus services 88/89, 149, 135, 151 and 167 stop nearby.
The museum is signposted when you approach the Manchester Fort shopping centre
The Museum is open from 10am to 4.30pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays (except at Christmas and New Year), plus every day during August.
On the day of the Trans-Lancs Rally, the museum is closed all day.
Future developments
As the museum continues to expand, it has been identified that additional space will be required. This has meant that GMPTE, GMTS and Manchester City CouncilManchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
are currently looking at the option of moving the museum to a larger, more modern facility in the coming years.