London Transport Museum

As a friend of LTM, I went on the 'preview day' last Wednesday. I think they've done an excellent revamp on the museum, which is now on three floors (plus a basement theatre, I think). There are lots of interactive presentations, including a couple of good cab simulators, so it is ideal for enquiring and enthusiastic youngsters. There are books in the learning section upstairs with computer screens accessing some (but not all) of the LTM archive pictures. It is now possible to enter some of the rolling stock, but the downside is that just about all of the underframes of the stock is now hidden from view. From a technical enthusiast's point of view, the museum is (necessarily?) dumbed down a bit, and it's disappointing not to see any mention of track or signals, for example.

Although I was familiar with most of what they had, I still spent an hour and a half there, and I would imagine kids could be quite happy for a couple of hours at least, depending on their interest and enthusiasm level.

My residual impression was remembering just how small the Covent Garden premises are, and I do hope Acton depot will continue to be open from time to time to complement what is on show at Covent Garden.

Russ

Sad to hear that track and signals have disappeared from the Museum. From what is written in this thread so far I doubt I'd be champing at the bit to visit even if it was possible from a practical standpoint. The last time I went was not long before it closed for the revamp and I thought the balance was not too bad between bus and tube exhibits, static and live exhibits etc although I was disappointed not to see more exhibits from engineering and only to see a fraction of the photographic archive on display.
Acton Depot Museum has always been a disappointment, I was sad to see many exhibits lying around doing nothing as if the dust covers had just been lifted off for the day.

To be honest neither site is adequate to display the vast array of exhibits from the many areas of the business of Transport in the Capital. As a railwayman from the signal, comms and electrical side of LT/LU and a bus enthusiast I think from what has been mentioned so far there isn't much on display to attract me. What is really needed is an area the size of Northfields Depot to properly display the treasures available to the Museum and to have them working too, now that would be something.

I will be paying a visit to the museum on the 8th December. I'm dissapointed to here the track and signal display has gone as being an electrician i found that very interesting. I thought the idea was to make the museum bigger so more artifacts could be included.
What are the cab simulators they have there now.

the lines proberly nicked the signalling stuff for spares ( i know earls court control room has aquired some spares in the past)

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but when I 'road tested' the 1996 stock cab I found a few problems with it. The braking was very variable, sometimes if I pulled the handle back it only went to 'B1' and others times 'B3' and it froze a lot. Does anyone know if the ATP sim is very realistic? I reckon I could beat the computer ;D When I went I couldn't even get on it, the same person was there for ages....I sat in the 09 stock mock up opposite for a good while. I hope the 09 stock seats are not like that in real life

The current route in use at the museum is the 1995 stock and Northern line. Somepoint soon it will be changed over to run the jubilee line and 1996 stock. The difference being apart from the new route and the train is the braking. The brakes work a lot more efficiently on the 1996.

Well I do hope you can make it known that your views are echoed by other members on this forum. Somehow I suspect the die is cast and all that really matters to the Curator and /or his paymasters is how busy the till at the front door is these days!

Yes. Touch the rail section and this is what it sounds like. Jointed track, welded track and noise suppressed track. It seemed when i was stood there that visitors only found out about the sound each piece of track made was when they accidental touched it or their kids poked it and then it played out of the speakers. There was no notice telling visitors to touch each piece of rail to here the sound it makes as a train passes over it as far as I'm aware.

Incidently, is there anywhere on LU that the noise suppressed track is used.

I don't seem particularly drawn to visit it, based on the reviews it has been getting. Used to be quite good with that set of points that used to 'throw' at regular intervals...

ATO don't listen to those reviews it is marvellous

Guys... please don't get me wrong. In the cold reality of day the museum needs to pay for itself and I, as I hope everyone here, would be up in arms if it was unable to pay its way and it went to the wall.

Its also a good museum, for example the way that an actor in part of the Victorian tunnel construction team, however (& I'm NOT coming from the geeky trainspotter angle) when I visited as a guest of a green line T/O on the staff open day I was disappointed for a number of reasons:

• some (IMO important) exhibits were missing (e.g. RT bus - I am not a bus spotter)
  
• the museum, as I understand it, is meant to progress from the years before the underground system (top floor), through to today (bottom floor) - why then is the small 19th Century City & South London Railway loco & car are on the ground floor while a 1923 built G/Q DM is on the 1st floor - surely that's wrong
  
• the wartime section (1st/2nd WW) did not contain a single story from a witness (not when I was there on the 10th November anyway) - we are missing the human experience angle as in we cannot relate to this period in history without stories from people who were there.
  
• one section portrays the happy multicultural family that was LT (railways & buses) in the form of 50's, 60's & early 70's PR posters - 3 words.... Toxteth... Tottenham... Brixton... It took many years for the UK to become multicultural, indeed we are still struggling today. Often it was the public sector that lead the way - there is NO explanation or story at all how LU/LT tried to build a multicultural workforce in such troubled times and we have PR bulls#!t instead of the truth.
  
• I fail to understand/comprehend what the futuristic section (Max Headroom style ticket booth) is trying to portray or the reasoning/justification for it - IMO this space could have been better used.
  
• as I've already indicated with a taxi/bicycles on display, its trying to become 'London's Transport Museum' - perhaps that was for funding purposes (or am I being cynical). Its showing the warm cuddly bits and it NOT educating/telling the true cold reality of how dangerous the roads and railways are (trespassers, rape victims from unlicensed cabs - need I say more)

On the whole it is good (e.g. openness, even LU furniture and CCTV camera display), but I am sad to say that in the context of £22million having been spent I feel that I & the rest of London has been short changed .... and that's the very reason I joined as a Friend.... to find out more.... and WHY!!