The History of the London Transport Museum
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- The London Transport Museum has been based in Covent Garden since 1980.
This isn't the collection's first home however: over the past 100 years, it's existed under a variety of guises at a number of locations- including Chiswick, Reigate, Clapham and Syon Park.
In this video, I'll be taking you through the history of the museum; showing you its previous sites and incarnations, along with one or two intriguing proposals which were never built...
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:44 London's Earliest Transport Displays
03:29 Chiswick Bus Museum
08:22 Reigate London Transport Museum
11:09 'London on Wheels' Exhibition, Euston
12:38 The Museum of British Transport, Clapham
16:47 The London Transport Collection, Syon Park
20:53 The London Transport Museum, Covent Garden
23:49 Outro
***
Links for this video:
My video on the London Transport Museum's Acton Depot
• Exploring the London T...
The London Transport Museum
www.ltmuseum.co.uk
London Bus Museum
www.londonbusmuseum.com/
Coventry Transport Museum
www.transport-museum.com/
National Railway Museum
www.railwaymuseum.org.uk
***
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robert_lord...
Thanks again for watching, friends. Stay well, and please be sure to stay tuned!
***
Credits:
Images:
Rocket Engine: Train Photos (Creative Commons)
Nine Elms Shed: Oxyman (Creative Commons)
Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway Carriage: Oxyman (Creative Commons)
Euston Great Hall: Dan Wilson (Flickr)
Red B-Type Bus: Timitrius (Creative Commons)
Brooklands Bus Museum: Calflier001 (Creative Commons)
Shareholders Room Euston: Archimaps
Museum of British Transport Tickets: Sludge G
www.flickr.com/photos/sludgeu...
National Railway Museum: TheTurfBurner, Geograph
*
Music & Sound Effects:
Butterflies in Love (Sir Cubworth)
Old Traffic (Urban Traffic): Craigsmith, Creative Commons free sound.org
Night Snow (Asher Fulero)
Friendly Day by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Danse Morialta by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
English Country Garden (Aaron Kenny)
Midsummer Sky by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Meditation Impromptu 03 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Strollin’ (TrackTribe)
***
As a transport buff I greatly enjoyed this, as I do every one of your super trips of nostalgia, and a perfect way to end the day of historical pleasure. As Sam Pepys was wont to say in his diary. 'And so to bed!' Thanks for such well produced videos. I look forward to tomorrow's batch of trips down historical memory lane.! Rob
Cheers Rob ;-) Sweet dreams!
As a kid I was a bus and train spotter. This evoked many happy memories. Nice commentary
Thanks Robbo 😉
Side Note: when the B Type buses were taken into army service in WW1 many of their drivers volunteered to drive them to the war zone. That's why London Transport, as the successor to the LGOC, staff march past the Cenotaph on London with military veterans on Rememberance Sunday.
Excellent detail Roger, thank you. Much respect to those men.
As a youngster my brother and I lived in walking distance of the museum when it was at Clapham. We used to walk across Clapham Common once a month, if pocket money allowed, and had a wander. Nice memories. Thanks for another cracking video. C.
Thanks Clive, what a place to have had on your doorstep!
I was at college in London 1962/3 and had a bedsit in North Clapham, used to visit the museum regularly, great place!
Lovely comment Peter, thank you! @@peterhunt2723
@@Robslondon if I remember correctly a Gresley Pacific was delivered one night and I saw this happen, sadly can’t remember which one but it was over 60 years ago and at 82 years of age my memory bank is running out of gigabytes
Brilliant video as always Rob. Meticulously researched and very interesting. Thank you and yes I was one of the first through the doors at Clapham as a schoolboy 😊
😄Thank you so much
My favorite is the transit store in the museum. Thanks again John in Chicago
Cheers John- yes, that’s a great place… dangerous for your wallet though! 🤣
I did visit the Clapham museum, on a school trip in the lae 60s..I can only remember seeing Mallard there!..I must have seen the museum at Syon Park,as I visited several times in the mid 70s but i dont remember it at all!..I am a regular visitor to the current site in Covent Garden, when ever I am in London..I was born in Redhill, only a stones throw from Reigate, and although I remember seeing the bus garage, I never knew it was once a museum! so thank you for that!
You’re very welcome! And thanks for such a lovely comment. Stay well.
Yes, St Pancras would have been an ideal location - as would Battersea Power Station after it was decommissioned in the mid-70s. Very nostalgic video, Rob - the racing green and purple colour scheme of that 1938 stock is exactly how I remember the tube when my grandparents first took me on it at the age of around 7 or 8.
Lovely comment as always Tragicyouth, thank you ☺️ Yes, I think this museum is the one which evokes the most memories, it’s lovely. Hope you’re keeping well.
As an ex indentured bus apprentice, I still have a great interest in the whole LT set up and would be great to see a video focusing on the forgotten London Transport Country Area Garages that have all but now been demolished.
It was Clapham to which I made several visits as a schoolchild in the 1960s from Chessington in Surrey. Somewhere I have, tucked away, replica Victorian train and bus tickets, one of which is for that place in Wales with the long name. I never knew about all the other homes the museum has had though. Another wonderful video Rob, which no doubt took a ton of research even before you started filming and editing.
Lovely comment Mark, thank you so much.
I really enjoyed the research on this one; was quite an eye opener and was fun going to see the old locations!
Hi Rob, Hope you are keeping well, Thank you for another fantastic video, Appreciate the work it takes to produce quality content, Thanks again
Bless you Dave, that is so kind of you. Much appreciated my friend; hope you’ve had a good weekend.
Superb video Rob, thank you. 1938 tube stock always has a place in my heart.
Thanks mate- and same here! I adore them 😉
Another great well-researched video Rob. 👍
I remember going to the Museum at Clapham when I was a small child in the 1960s. Unlike today, some of the exhibits were in less than pristine condition!
I also visited the Syon Park Motor Museum, which was based on the BLMC car collection. This later moved to its current site at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire.
Thanks Roy, great memories 😉
Another great video Rob. My grandfather (a man of Roxeth 😏) drove a "B" type bus in France during WWI. He was one of the world's first qualified car mechanics/drivers and he credits this with the blessing he did not have to fight in the trenches. He told how, if he was still on duty on a very cold night, he would sleep directly over the shells he was transporting so that, should the bus be hit by artillery, he would never know any more about it! 😀
Wonderful comment Brian, thank you ☺️
Lovely thought provoking memory of our British heritage.
Nice Sunday viewing and lots of information. I only visited car museum or navy related as dad was in the navy but that looks like a good array of road and rail vehicles well done rob ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much Tracy 😉 Hope you’re keeping well
So interesting... not only does London have an amazing transport museum, but even the history of the museum (let alone the exhibits!) is long and fascinating. Thanks for sharing, Rob. Lovely old footage as always!
Thanks so much Michael!
Another first rate documentary. I can only imagine the amount of hard work you put into making documentaries of this quality. Many thanks Rob xo
Jake, that means a lot to me my friend. Many thanks indeed. Stay well.
Excellent video, Rob - as per your usual, well-researched, sharp and colourful. Good idea to alert us that it was coming!
I really appreciate that Roger, thank you.
As always, another excellent presentation of London's history. Bravo, Rob! Well done to you and your staff.
Thank you Paul! I wish I did have staff, it would make my life a lot easier! 😂
I grew up round the corner from the Clapham Transport Museum, I can remember watching some of the trains being brought in when I was six - very exciting!
Every so often they had special opening weekends when you could climb in all the cabs and there were loads of stalls selling memorabilia at pocket-money prices. I had one wall of my bedroom wallpapered with the destination blind from a No.88 bus 🙂
The army surplus shop next door was really good as well. In later years a friend bought an American Army Jeep there for £12, and they had an autogyro for sale as well, hanging in the ceiling, but I don't think anyone ever bought that.
Blimey Dave, what a superb comment!
Really enjoyed reading that; it truly helps bring the place to life! And what an incredible place to have on your doorstep 😉
A great video. I know it well and the Depot. I worked at the Covent Garden site for six years as Front of House Supervisor.
Many thanks Rob. I must say, I find the staff at Covent Garden to be a great bunch of people; very polite and friendly. Stay well 😉
An excellent Sunday evening video.
Thanks Paul 😉
Another great and well researched video Rob. Thanks for keeping us entertained but just as importantly, cataloguing London's history for all of us to enjoy and learn from. Cheers. Lance
That means a lot to me Lance, thank you so much.
Loved this well crafted journey through the history of the London Transport Museum. It's evident that a lot of passion and effort went into creating this video. Well done Rob for delivering such an engaging and informative piece.
Cheers! ;-)
I visited the Clapham Transport Museum and I visited Syon Park often and preferred it to Covent Garden. The Acton Depot is wonderful and I was a regular visitor there. Your video was spot on as always and brought back lots of good memories. Thank you.
Thanks so much Roderic; really appreciate your kind words and support, it means a lot to me.
That was a lot of moving around of such large vehicles. Thanks for the final bit with a shout out to Princess Anne in the opening of what we hope is the final home. Hello from Oregon US.
😄 Wonderful comment Melissa, thank you!
I agree that those tower blocks are a dreadful gaggle 😂
My son is a bus enthusiast, the London Transport has been a life long favourite. Needless to say I sent this vid to him, he will love it. Well done Rob.
Ha ha! Thanks- and I hope your son enjoys it :-)
Thanks Rob. It is indeed a wonderful museum. A very interesting video detailing its history and locations. Great work as usual mate.
Much appreciated as always Doug! Cheers ;-)
Another great production this time featuring the LT Govent Garden Transport Museum, a must for me when ever I visit London ! A couple points, purely of interest, are that London trams in the city centre did use overhead wires for power collection, this is clearly seen in one of the clips in your video. The power was collected from a live rail in the road, this collection was by way of a 'shoe' beneath the tram. There used to be a video shown on a screen beside the tram at the museum that showed the complex transition between overhead power and street power while the tram was moving !... Perhaps you can track it down and include it in a future production as it really is a little known fascinating piece of London tram history. The second point of interest is when I lived in Uxbridge, my birth town, and travelled on the Metropolitan Railway into central London I sometimes saw a slam door train with a1922 Electric Locomotive, like No 5 seen in your video. The guards on these trains were issued with bespoke green flags with a six inch long copper top so that when the train was ready to depart the guard could touch the flag on a pair of wires that ran the length of the platform to ring a bell next to the locomotive to inform the driver that the train was ready to depart.... Maybe there might be one of these flags somewhere in the museum ! Thanks for another fascinating production from our lovely capital city.
Thanks so much Roger, fascinating thoughts and memories! I love the flag system you mention; had no idea that existed! And I’d love to do a video solely about London’s trams at some point…. Thanks again and stay well
Brilliant episode. My uncle worked at Reigate nus garage 70s/80s - I never new of museum link 👏 👏 👏 thanks for Brilliant content
Ah! Nice connection to have! You're very welcome an thanks for watching :-)
I went on a school trip to Clapham museum in the early 70’s and it did leave an lasting memory of awesomeness with me. Great video yet again Rob👍🏼👏
Lovely memory Russell, and thank you!
I was a Signalman controlling Crystal Palace featured here, that was back in 1966/67. Nine Elms goods yard was were my old Dad got clobbered by a goods train, and lost half a leg there in the mid 1950s.
He worked on the tracks, known back then as " platelayers". He ended up working in the Building department Office at Waterloo, as did I prior to becoming a signalman.
If you ever do a feature on Crystal Palace, I have an internal pic of the signal box you can use if wanted.
Dave.
Thank you so much Dave, you and your family clearly have a very interesting history.
Thank for Wonderful Video Rob about the London Transport Museum I enjoyed immensely Top Work Ian from Australia.
Much appreciated Ian, thank you!
Hello Rob
A great video on an excellent museum. We did not know that the museum had been at Syon house which we have visited. It is hard to get to. We even purchased a bird house that looks like a English mailbox. It looked like when you filmed Syon house that they might have been filming there. Love those omina buses. Thanks again for the great video. Take care Chris and Sandra of Canada.
Lovely comment guys thank you.
I used to go to Syon Park quite often when I was younger, we’d take the car though; about the easiest way of getting there.
Thank you Rob. The museum has always been a place I've been fascinated bu but never actually been to. I really must make the trip to see it for myself.
Thank you Ray! Hope you get to see it soon...
I highly recommend visiting Brooklands. As well as the Motor Museum, they’ve also got old aircraft including a Concorde. 👍
I adore Concorde 😄
Excellent video many thanks 👍🏻. I went twice as a kid to the Clapham museum.
Thanks so much John :-)
Well he’s done it again. Another fabulous video about a very interesting subject.
LTM is probably one of the best museums in London. I admit that as a transport fanatic I am slightly biased. Between the Covent Garden site and the Acton Depot there is an absolute wealth of fascinating exhibits to enjoy. I can’t recommend it enough.
Thanks Rob for putting this together and giving us an insight into its history and development.
Thank you Damian, such a lovely comment 😄 Really appreciate those words. Hope you’re keeping well and have had a good weekend. Thanks again!
Thanks Rob, I just can't understand why Euston was replaced by that box, so sad. Great, jampacked vid again, you never fail to amaze and inform.
Thank you so much Anne.
And yes, much agreed.
In the booklet I mentioned, it was written at length how important the Shareholders room was from an architectural and historical point of view… but was still knocked down within ten years, absolute travesty.
The main station building was okay, but the actual train shed area was a disorganised & dreary operational mess. And had to go to allow for the 25Kv electrification catenary, which needed more clearance room.
I enjoyed a visit here several years ago. Well worth a visit. If you like transport museums, and if you find yourself in Glasgow, they have a huge one there that is also well worth the time. It's a great walk up to the river from central Glasgow if you like to transport yourself.
Love the Glasgow museum (my other half is from there!) One of my earliest videos was about the Glasgow Subway in case you haven’t already seen it 😉
I remember visiting the British Transport Museum with my late Father in the mid 1960's and again a bit later on during a school trip to London.
Lovely comment, thank you.
Well done Rob, a fantastic journey, as a south Londoner, I remember going passed that engine at Clapham, thanks it was great to see her again..
Thanks for you hard work, I think I'll be replaying this jewel, never realised I must be a bit of a train spotter 🤩🇬🇧💯🆘 thanks top work💪✌️🇬🇧
Bless you Gary, that means a lot to me mate. Many thanks indeed; hope you’ve had a good weekend. Stay well 😉
Thank you Rob...another fascinating look at London ! You make everything so interesting. Perhaps you might find some link to Chiswick at the transport museum in Lowestoft ? That was started by enthusiasts with donations, loans and reclaimed wrecks, maybe something from Chiswick ended up there ?
Thank so much Mr John. Will have to look into that 😉
Of the museums shown in this very interesting video I have visited Syon park, Covent garden the National railway museum and the original smaller railway museum in York this was in two parts one part very near to the station and the other part was over the road just in side the city walls .
You know your museums Tony 😉 Nice comment; cheers.
Another cracking Video Rob, as expected. Wish I could see them earlier but as you upload early and i am +8 GMT I am last among the fans ,lol.
🤣 Cheers John, you’re always welcome here whatever time it may be!
As interesting and well presented as ever.
Great channel...many thanks👍
Thank you very much Roy
Another fabulous presentation, thanks Rob!
Many thanks!
Great video Rob. Will be sure to visit next time I'm in town. Lots of historical video clips there, very interesting indeed. 😊 top stuff as per usual
Much appreciated Chris, thank you!
Excellent! The proposal for the museum to be sited at Crystal Palace is intriguing. Many thanks.
Thanks Roland! Yes, I think it could’ve worked 😉
Another great effort Rob your passion and knowledge are evident ! Great angle focusing on the history of a history teller 😊
I'll be visiting London soon and as usual your channel is proving invaluable.
Thank you.
Thank you so much Muzza! Glad to be of service 😄
G'day Rob, very interesting and informative. I remember the guards on the tube trains , mind the doors the pressed the close door button. All the best form down under .👍🏼👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks so much Peter! I’m just about old enough to remember the guards too! 😉 Stay well mate.
@@Robslondon , same to you mate. 👍🏼
Many thanks, Rob.
Thank you Jonathan!
Nice work, Rob.
I visited the Clapham Common museum in 1972 when visiting from DownUnder but don't remember any locomotives being displayed. Must have been after York was opened, I guess... 😢
Thanks Bryan- that’s interesting, I didn’t really think about that when making the video, but yes it would make sense I guess as the transfer took place.
It must be about 30 years since i went to the London Transport Museum with my gran. It's probably time i went back.
I think a visit is definitely in order then Calum 😉
I definitely need to call into the museum on my next visit down. Great work Rob.
Cheers Paul, hope you make it- the staff there are lovely. Stay well.
Great sharing. I love it as always. Thank you Robert. 👍👍👍😍😍😍
Thank you Sharon! Hope you’re well.
Love it 😻 soooo good 👍🥳
Thank you so much Fiona! 😄
I went there last summer and it was very good and interesting but the cafe was dreadful! Your video, as usual, was brilliant Rob!
Thanks Vicky…. That brings back a memory; I was in the cafe there a few years back and there was a very naughty child behind us kicking our seat repeatedly- and I mean repeatedly; thud, thud, thud, yet his mum said nothing! 🤣
1st 🎉🎉🎉40c+ here downunder
🏆
Thanks!
That's so kind of you Ken, thank you! Much appreciated my friend. Stay well.
hi rob a great vlog of the transport museum well done rob a great place to visit
Thank you so much as always Richard :-) Hope you're keeping well.
thanks rob all ok thanks my friend@@Robslondon
👍@@richardcoombes9491
Another informative video Rob, I loved the one person air raid shelter !!
😄
Back in the day, London Transport, everybody new 55 Broadway London Telephone number Abbey 1234. Bit later than normal, greetings from Thailand, a superlative and well naruted video. So many of the places you visited I have visited myself. Nine elms railway yard we visited to get steam loco numbers something today that would not be allowed ( Health and Safety )
I am glad you mentioned Brookland
With reference to Clapham High Street, I myself was one of a handful the day they pulled the Mallard onto a low loader to start its journey to York. I could carry on, but I will give in
Thanks Rob
Fantastic comment Butch, thank you. What incredible memories to have.
There is a brief image I show which is a painting of the Mallard; I believe it was sketched on the day it was removed.
Take care mate and thanks as always.
Thanks
Thank you so much Roderic! Much appreciated Sir 🙂Hope you have a good week.
Love your videos, thank you 👏🏻👍
Thank you so much Ida!
Thanks for this - really enjoyed 😊
Thank you!
As a child in the 50’s/60’s it was always an adventure to go on a train but after being told numerous times I never stuck my head out of the window for fear of having my head chopped off! Jumping on the back of a bus and heading upstairs, always wondering if we would get away with not paying the fare but sadly the ticket collectors were too good at their jobs 😫🦆💕
🤣
Well next time im in London after ive done a few classic boozers im going here, absolutely superb place Rob👏👏👏
The perfect combination Dave, ha ha! Hope you're keeping well mate.
Great video. Thanks
Thank you Tony
Nice video mate, well done!
Thank you! ☺️
Almost expected to see Stan and Jack on the buses.
Ha ha! Don't forget Blakey ;-)
Absolutely fascinating, thank you for all this research and work, I am going to visit the LTM depot in Acton soon with my brother and this video will seriously enrich the experience, cheers Rob!
Thank you so much; such a great comment 😄 Enjoy the Acton depot; you’ll love it! 😉
*Nicely Done, KUDOS!*
Thank you! 🤩
Great vid! I think from watching that the London Transport Museum is larger than Glasgow's.
I've been to both (love the Glasgow museum)...I'd say they are about the same size; and the Glasgow museum is possibly a bit bigger!
Another brilliant video from the one and only King of London History, all the others being but cheap imitations.
Liam, you’ve just made my day! Thank you so much my friend 😄 Such lovely comments really do keep me going.
A greatshame that most of the trams were moved to Syon, not so central.....but then trams such as the Feltham and E1 are very large.
Another fine example of the documentary makers art.
Just a reminder for you young chaps, one pound one shilling was a Guinea .
Many thanks Chris, much appreciated 😉
I went there 20 years ago when I was 11 my grandmother took me to that museum she passed away about a year ago now since the date in september 2022
Bless you Hamish, sorry for your loss. Hope this brought back some nice memories.
@@Robslondon yes I remember coming to this place with my grandmother in 2004 nothings changed ever since and it never will
Guys and girls get rob to 100k subs🎉
I really appreciate that Fiona, thank you so much. It can be tough going on here sometimes. Stay well 😉
Super idea -he really deserves it - and not just for the videos but also the web-pages on each Underground line 👍👍👍
He definitely deserves 100k subscribers x
Thank you Roger, I really appreciate that. @@rogergregory7190
The history of a history museum.... is this train spotter Inception? (Said with affection :)
Ha ha! Yes, strange concept I know 😉
We're an old country and all the luckier for it.
No embarrassing displays of "antique" personal computers here.
Fezz plezz Fezz Plezz . Buckinghuge House next stop.
🤔
@Robslondon Many years ago as a kid I remember a Pakistani bus conductor saying " fezz plezz"
I thought Glasgow underground was the oldest.
No, it's close though- opened 1896. In London, the Metropolitan Railway opened in 1863 and the first deep level tube in 1890. I've made a three-part series on the Glasgow Subway if you check out my older videos.
Thanks Rob. It is indeed a wonderful museum. A very interesting video detailing its history and locations. Great work as usual mate.