MOTAT collections facts for kids

The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland, New Zealand, is a fantastic place to explore all sorts of vehicles! This museum collects and displays many different ways people and things have moved around, from old planes and trains to buses and trams. It's like a giant garage filled with history on wheels, wings, and rails!

Amazing Aircraft at MOTAT

The Sir Keith Park Memorial Aviation Collection at MOTAT 2 in June 2012

MOTAT's replica of OK1

MOTAT has a huge collection of aircraft, showing how flying has changed over the years. You can see many different types, from old trainers to powerful jet fighters.

Jet Fighters and Trainers

• Aermacchi MB-339CB: This jet was used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) as an advanced trainer. It helped pilots learn how to fly fast jets between 1991 and 2002. It was put together at MOTAT in 2012.
• Douglas A-4 Skyhawk NZ6206: A powerful jet fighter from the RNZAF. It arrived in Auckland in 1970 and served with the RNZAF's No. 75 and No. 2 Squadrons. It was brought to MOTAT in three big pieces and put back together for everyone to see in 2011.
• de Havilland Vampire FB.9: An early jet fighter from the 1950s. It was used by the RNZAF and later became a training airframe.

Historic Bombers and Patrol Planes

• Avro Lancaster NX665: A famous heavy bomber from 1945, used by the RAF during World War II.
• Grumman Avenger TBF-1 NZ2527: This torpedo bomber from 1943 is a real highlight. It was fully restored at MOTAT, and you can even see its wings fold and bomb bay doors open!
• Lockheed Hudson Mk III NZ2031: A patrol bomber from 1941, used by the RNZAF. It was recovered from being a farm shed!
• Lockheed Ventura NZ4600: Another patrol bomber from the 1940s, also recovered from a farm shed.
• Short Sunderland Mk V NZ4115: A huge military flying boat from the 1940s. It was built in 1946 and served with the RNZAF. It came to MOTAT in 1967.

Airliners and Transport Planes

• Douglas DC-3 ZK-BQK: A classic airliner from 1945, used by National Airways Corporation. It's currently being restored.
• Lockheed Model 10 Electra 10A ZK-BUT: An airliner from 1939, displayed in old airline colors.
• de Havilland DH.83C Fox Moth ZK-APT: A 1947 airliner, painted to look like another historic plane.
• de Havilland Dragon Rapide: A 1930s airliner, displayed after its retirement.
• Handley Page Hastings C.3 NZ5801: A large military transport plane from 1952. MOTAT has parts of it, including the cockpit and engines. You can even see its landing gear go up and down!

Other Interesting Aircraft

• Beechcraft 18 AT-11-BH Kansan ZK-AHO: Built in 1943 for the US Army Air Forces, this plane was later used for survey duties in New Zealand for many years. It arrived at MOTAT in 1982.
• Bell 47J Ranger ZK-HGO: An early 1960s helicopter used to support offshore oil rigs in New Zealand.
• Commonwealth Aircraft CA-28 Ceres ZK-BPU: A 1959 topdresser plane, used for spreading fertilizer on farms.
• de Havilland Tiger Moth: MOTAT has two of these, a 1930s trainer and a restored 1940s topdresser.
• North American Harvard (AT-6) NZ944: A 1941 trainer plane, suspended in the main hangar. You can even move its flight controls remotely as an educational display!
• Schneider ESG-31 Grunau Baby II ZK-GDG: A glider from 1945, also suspended in the main hangar.
• Short Solent Mk IV S.45 ZK-AMO Aranui: A large flying boat from 1949, used by TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited).
• Link Trainer: An early flight simulator, showing how pilots used to practice flying on the ground.
• Pearse Plane: This is a very special exhibit – it includes the original engine and propeller from a 1903 homebuilt plane by Richard Pearse, a New Zealander who made early attempts at flight!

Aircraft That Used to Be at MOTAT

Museums sometimes share or move their collections. Here are some aircraft that were once displayed at MOTAT:

• Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk P-40E 41-25158/NZ3009: This famous fighter plane is now airworthy and based in Australia.
• de Havilland Devon NZ1813: An RNZAF communications aircraft, returned to Ohakea in 2018.
• Fairey Swordfish: A replica torpedo bomber, now at the Classic Flyers Museum in Tauranga.
• Fieseler Fi-103 (V-1 flying bomb): This historic German "flying bomb" is now at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch.
• Westland Wasp NZ3909: A 1966 helicopter, returned to the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum.

Space Vehicles at MOTAT

MOTAT has also displayed items from space exploration!

• NASA Gemini 12 capsule: This actual space capsule, flown by astronauts Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin in 1966, was displayed at MOTAT for many years. It was on loan from the Smithsonian Institution.
• Corporal E Rocket: This rocket was also on display at MOTAT 1, on loan from the Smithsonian.

Railway Locomotives: Giants of the Rails

NZR K class No.900

MOTAT has a fantastic collection of railway engines, from old steam locomotives to modern diesels.

New Zealand Steam Locomotives

These powerful steam engines once pulled trains all over New Zealand.

• NZR F class No.180 'Meg Merrilies': Built in 1874, this small steam engine was used for shunting (moving wagons around) in Auckland. It was fully restored and is operational as of August 2018!
• NZR L class No.207: Built in 1877, this engine is operational. It even helped pull the 'Parliamentary Special' train in 1908, becoming the first train to travel the full length of the North Island Main Trunk line!
• NZR Y class No.542: A 1923 steam shunter, operational at MOTAT 2.
• NZR K class No.900: A very large and impressive steam locomotive from 1932. It weighs over 140 tonnes! It is currently under repair at MOTAT 2.

Industrial Steam Locomotives

These engines were used in mines, timber yards, and factories.

• Mining/Logging Locomotive: Built in 1904, this small engine was used in coal mines and cement factories. It's operational at MOTAT 2.
• Taupo Totara Timber Co No.6: Built in 1912, this engine worked for a timber company and later for the Auckland Gas Company. It is currently being restored.

New Zealand Diesel and Electric Locomotives

• New Zealand DA class locomotive No.1400: A large diesel engine from 1955, capable of 62 mph. It's in covered storage at MOTAT 2.
• New Zealand EB class locomotive No.25: This diesel-electric engine was originally a battery storage locomotive from 1929. It's currently being overhauled.
• NZR TR class No.21 and No.171: These are light shunting tractors, used for moving wagons in railway yards. Both are operational at MOTAT 2.
• NZR DSA class No.223: A diesel-mechanical shunting locomotive from 1953, operational at MOTAT 2.

Railway Carriages and Other Items

MOTAT also has many railway carriages and wagons from the late 1800s and 1900s, including a sleeping car. You can also see the old Waitakere Station buildings and the Mount Albert Signal Box at MOTAT 1.

Trams: Riding the Rails in the City

1921 Wellington tram No.135 and 1902 Auckland tram No.11

Trams were once a very common way to get around cities. MOTAT has a great collection of trams from Auckland, Wellington, and even Melbourne and Sydney!

Auckland Trams

Auckland had horse trams from 1884 and electric trams from 1902 until 1956.

• No.11: A 1902 electric tram, still in service at MOTAT.
• No.44: A 1906 open-fronted tram, operational.
• No.248: A sleek "Streamliner" tram from 1938, operational.

Wellington Trams

Wellington had electric trams from 1904 until 1964.

• No.47: A 1906 open-top double-decker tram, operational.
• No.135: A 1921 saloon tram, operational.
• No.257: A 1950 "Fiducia" one-man safety car, operational.

Wanganui Trams

• No.100: This unique steam motor from 1891 was used to build the Castlecliff tramline in Wanganui. It was even used again in 1921 during a power failure! It's operational after several restorations.

Melbourne Trams

• No.321: A 1925 "W2 class" tram, operational.
• No.893 and No.906: Both "SW6 class" trams from the 1940s, operational.

Trams That Used to Be at MOTAT

• Auckland No.91: This tram was used as a dining room for a restaurant at MOTAT 1 before being donated to the Auckland Electric Tramway Trust.
• Wellington No.244: This tram was at MOTAT from 1964 to 2021 and is now at the Wellington Tramway Museum.
• Sydney No.1808: This tram was on loan from the Sydney Tramway Museum and is now operated as part of the Christchurch Tramway.

Buses: Roads to Everywhere

Buses have been a flexible way to travel, reaching places trams couldn't. MOTAT has a collection of petrol and diesel buses.

Auckland's Bus History

Buses in Auckland started with horse buses in the 1800s and evolved with steam, petrol, and diesel engines. They became popular in the 1920s, serving areas not covered by trams.

North Shore Transport Buses

• No.4: A 1924 White Motor Company bus with a wooden body, used by an early bus company in Devonport.
• No.72: A 1949 Daimler "Half Cab" bus, built by North Shore Transport.
• No.80: A 1955 Seddon "Half Cab" bus, also built by North Shore Transport.

Auckland Transport Board Buses

1953 Daimler Freeline, 44-seat under-floor diesel bus.

• No.201: A 1953 Daimler Freeline bus with its engine under the floor. It was displayed in England before coming to New Zealand and served Auckland until 1983. It's now restored and working.
• No.301: A 1954 Bedford SB bus, a lightweight petrol bus used for Grafton Bridge services.
• No.1603: A 1978 MAN SL200 bus with a rear engine. It served Auckland for many years until 2008.

New Zealand Railways Road Services Bus

• No.3592: A 1964 Bedford SB bus, one of the most common bus designs in New Zealand. It was used by the NZRRS, then the Prison Service, and finally as a school bus until 2002.

Buses That Used to Be at MOTAT

• No.14: A 1946 Bedford OWB bus, used for hospital services. It was returned to its former owner in 2017.
• No.359: A 1953 AEC Regal IV bus, used for St. Heliers services. It was given to the Omnibus Society of New Zealand in 2018.
• No.1527: A 1978 Mercedes-Benz O305 diesel bus, part of a large fleet that replaced older buses and trolleybuses. It was given to the Omnibus Society of New Zealand in 2018.

Trolleybuses: Electric Power on Wires

Trolleybuses are electric buses that get their power from overhead wires.

Auckland's Trolleybus History

Auckland's first trolleybuses started in 1938, run by the Farmers Trading Company department store as a free shuttle. The main trolleybus system began in 1949, replacing the old tram lines. At its peak, the system covered 86 kilometers with 133 buses! The "Red band" shuttle buses were special, designed for quick passenger movement in the city center. The trolleybus system closed in 1980 because the electrical system was very old.

Farmers Trading Company Trolleybuses

• No.1/No.3: These 1938 Leyland trolleybuses had wooden bodies and were operated for the Farmers Trading Company. They served until 1967.

Suburban Trolleybuses

• No.50: A 1953 "BUT" trolleybus, one of 55 in the fleet. It's restored, operational, and on display at MOTAT 1.
• No.85: A 1956 "SARO" trolleybus, also on display at MOTAT 1.
• No.120: A 1958 "Park Royal" trolleybus. This is the only one of its kind left in its original suburban setup.

Queen Street Shuttle Trolleybuses

• No's 108 and 115: These 1958 "Queen Street Shuttle Park Royals" were designed for quick trips in the city. No.115 was the very last trolleybus to run in Auckland on September 28, 1980. Both are currently in storage.