Acton Open Day, 3rd and 4th March

potbelly the last one before Covent garden, would they have the space to do transport in miniature there anyway?

I wouldn't have thought so. Open weekends happened long before the museum closed for refurb. The amount of money they make off these open weekends is significant, can't see them stopping them altogether. Can't say if what they've said is last chance to see some of the exhibits before they move back or last one altogether.

As for transport in miniature at Covent Garden I doubt it. The depot caters for the enthusiast, the museum caters for all.

Indeed. Most of the buses at Acton were originally found at Covent Garden; likewise, one of the C&SLR padded cells was originally displayed at Covent Garden but is also in Acton.

This is actually a good thing, as the depot will now have the space and the funds to start working on the 1938TS and the Q stock.

The little red train has actually run at Covent Garden a few times many years back. I encountered some photographs of it just before Christmas. The reason for not opening the depot again this year after March is simply that the staff will have enough to worry about assembling the displays in the new museum, and it quickly becomes unsafe for large numbers of people to be there at once as objects are moved around (for example a couple of aisles in the sign store will be blocked off as there are too many awaiting hanging). As for space, a curator described it to me as being merely full and not bursting once the exhibits which belong in CG are repatriated.

I was helping to hang some newly acquired enamel signs last Wednesday. One slightly faded West Ham roundel, a massive sign from Baker Street giving directions to the planetarium, madame tussauds and the zoo, and a customer information white board. Getting that big sign down the stairs to fit the supporting wood and hooks, and then back up again and on to the wall was tricky, they're not massively heavy, just bulky and surprisingly fragile.

I'll be stewarding on both days, so most of you will probably run in to me.

Is it possible to turn up on the day and get tickets at the door or will there only be a limited sale in advance?

That would possibly have been more sensible, the main reasons for carrying them were that some of the signs were already downstairs, and that there isn't much space on the mezzanine to lie them down and insert the screws. The stairlift wasn't actually long enough, and is (as always seems to be the case) more trouble than it's worth.

Tickets are on sale on the door, prebooking just avoids the sometimes horrendous queues.

We'll just have to relieve you of your money in the shop then. I haven't heard of any plans to launch rare/unusual/etc models this year, so the queue for the tills might stand a chance of not reaching to the cloakroom and beyond.

if you are U16 and get in free unaccompanied, do you need to queue for a ticket?

I knew 'we' could get in for free, but I wasn't aware that 'we' got a discount the shop too - but now I know............

The stall is looking pretty well stocked. Amongst other things there is a pile of Central Line diagrams in the style which shows other lines as arrows going through circles. Priced at £1 each unless we're keeping up with inflation. Get there quick though as the unusual stuff tends to disappear within an hour or two of opening.

LOL!!! I think they keep it a well kept secret!

I have a feeling I first found it out when I joined LU and we went on the inevitable Museum visit - I was (of course) in uniform and the sales person asked for my staff pass so I could get my discount

But the discount is worth having; I don't remember exactly how much but something like 20%.

And of course if you just *happened* to have some non-staff with you and just *happened* to put their stuff in your pile ... well -it'd be a shame not to share the advantage?

I stand corrected!

Though I have a feeling that there may be different rates depending on what is purchased - not sure!

However, anything's better than nothing!

Just to confirm, I am reasonably certain I will be there at some point, during the day!

I'm working this weekend.

(I had thought I had this weekend off, but it turns out I was getting my weeks mixed up - I blame it on February being too short )