North West Museum of Road Transport facts for kids
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| Established | 1981 (founded) 1991 (opened) |
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| Location | The Old Bus Depot, Hall Street, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1DU United Kingdom |
| Type | Transport museum |
| Collection size | Buses, other vehicles, ticketing machines |
The North West Museum of Road Transport is an exciting place in St Helens, Merseyside, England. It's found in an old building that used to be a depot for buses. This museum is all about the history of how people traveled, especially by bus, in the North West of England. It's a fantastic spot to see many old vehicles and discover how public transport has changed over time!
Contents
How the Museum Started
The museum is located in a building that has a long history. It was first built way back in 1881. Back then, it was used for horse-drawn trams, which were like carriages pulled by horses on tracks.
Over the years, the building kept being used for public transport. First, it housed electric trams, then trolleybuses, and later, regular buses. It was a busy transport hub for many decades.
The depot finally closed its doors in 1985. After that, the museum took over the building. However, the building was in poor condition, so the museum had to close again in 1994.
Reopening and Restoration
Good news! The museum reopened in September 2006 after a huge restoration project. This big makeover cost about £1 million. Since its reopening, the museum has welcomed over 30,000 visitors. It's a popular place for people to explore the past of road transport.
What You Can See
The museum has an amazing collection of vehicles. Most of them are buses from local companies. These include buses from cities like St Helens, Liverpool, Southport, Widnes, Warrington, and Chester. You can also see vehicles from the former Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive.
While buses are a big part of the collection, there's more to see! The museum also displays classic cars, trucks, and even fire engines. In total, there are over 60 different vehicles on display. It's like a giant garage filled with history!
The Museum of Fare Collection
A special part of the museum is called The Museum of Fare Collection. This unique section started in 2009. It's the only specialist museum in the country dedicated to ticketing!
Here, you can see a worldwide collection of over 1,000 ticket machines. Some of these machines are very old, dating back to 1886. The best part is that visitors can even try out some of these old ticket machines under supervision. It's a fun way to see how tickets were collected in the past!
