Museum of Army Transport facts for kids
The Museum of Army Transport was a special place in Beverley, England. It used to show off many cool vehicles from the British Army. Imagine seeing tanks, trucks, and even old trains! Many of these amazing items were part of the National Army Museum's collection. The museum also had a very rare Blackburn Beverley aircraft, which was the first one ever made. Its number was XB259.
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What Happened to the Museum?
The Museum of Army Transport closed its doors on August 22, 2003. This happened because the museum needed a lot of money to fix its roof. The repair bill was about £140,000, which was a huge amount.
Where Did the Collection Go?
After the museum closed, its amazing collection of vehicles and aircraft had to be moved. Most of the items went to the National Army Museum's storage in 2005.
- The special Blackburn Beverley aircraft found a new home at Fort Paull museum.
- Later, in 2020, when Fort Paull closed, the aircraft was carefully taken apart. It was then moved to the Solway Aviation Museum in Cumbria.
- A unique railway coach, once belonging to a famous person named Kitchener, is now at the Royal Engineers Museum.
- Some items were owned by private collectors. These were returned to their owners.
Military Trains Find New Homes
The National Army Museum also took care of the military steam trains from the collection.
- One of these trains was stored for a short time. Then, in 2005, it was loaned to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
- Three years later, this train and another one, called WD198 "Royal Engineer," were officially given to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
- Another small train, named "Gazelle," was built in 1893. It used to be shown at the Longmoor military railway. Now, "Gazelle" is on loan to the Colonel Stephens Railway Museum in Tenterden.
Vehicles on Display Today
Today, the National Army Museum keeps most of the old Museum of Army Transport vehicles in Stevenage. However, you can still see some of them in other places.
- Several vehicles are on loan to The Tank Museum at Bovington Camp, Dorset.
- A few items are also on display in the National Army Museum's own galleries.
