London Transport Museum Open Weekend
See Behind the Scenes: Explore Transport in Miniature at Acton
Mar 6, 2009
The London Transport Museum has developed the most comprehensive collection of transport-related objects in the world including a vast collection of printed posters and original artworks. The Museum's exhibitions explore all the different types of public transport that London has seen from 1800 to the present day.
The story is revealed through maps and drawings, photographs, uniforms and cap badges, models and signs as well as through larger items including a sedan chair, bicycles, cars, coaches, steam, Tube trains, and all manner of road and rail vehicles.
Museum Depot at Acton
The collection amounts to almost 400,000 items but only a small percentage can be displayed at the museum in London's Covent Garden. The rest of the collection is stored at the Museum Depot at Acton Town in west London. The Acton Depot also provides facilities for the conservation projects that ensure the protection of London's heritage.
Open Weekends at Acton
The Museum Depot at Acton is not normally open to the public but once or twice a year they do run Open Weekends. One such weekend took place on 7th/8th March 2009 when visitors saw, and handled, thousands of objects not usually displayed. Visitors were also able to see behind the scenes of some of the current preservation projects.
Activities During the Open Weekend
An amazing array of model layouts, some exhibited by amateur modellers and others by guest professionals were on display. The layouts varied in size and scale and the scenes were accurately depicted right down to the tiniest miniature details.
Visitors also rode on the Depot's own miniature railway which features steam and electric locomotives.
Routemaster Bus
Enthusiasts were able to ride on full-size heritage vehicles, including the prototype of the Routemaster bus. This iconic vehicle served Londoners for almost 50 years and outlived many newer buses because it was quality built, speedy and above all flexible. Londoners loved it. The large open rear platform allowed easy access, so that many travellers ignored the dangers, and hopped on and off even when the vehicle was moving! The last Routemaster was withdrawn from general service on 9th December 2005.
Tours of the Poster and Artwork Stores
It is 100 years since Frank Pick, the first Chief Executive of London Transport, commissioned the first graphic poster for London Underground. Since then the Museum has kept copies of everything that was produced by some of the UK's finest designers. The collection continues to grow and now contains more than 5000 printed posters and almost 1000 original artworks, including items by Abram Games, R B Kitaj, Dora M Batty and Eric Ravilious. The poster and artwork archive, which is probably one the world's most comprehensive, was open for inspection with tours led by Museum curators.
The Acton Open Weekend is very much a family event with something to interest and captivate everyone. The next Open Weekend will take place on 10th/11th October 2009 and will be a themed Family Open Weekend. Further information can be obtained from the London Transport Museum and transport enthusiasts can also Sign up to receive information about future events at the Acton Depot and the main Museum.
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