Clapham Common Transport Museum

Hi all, new bod here... have been trying to establish just what exactly the above contained towards the end of its time as a railway museum in early 70s - other than Mallard / Coppernob (my memory is very flakey on this), is there a definitive list available? Have scoured ebay for old guide books etc but it's turned up very little!

Best, H

 

The list in the A.R.P.S. Yearbook, "Steam '74", Clapham Museum closed on 23rd April, 1973.

Copper Nob
LBSCR No.82 Boxhill
LNWR No.790 Hardwicke
LSWR No.563
GER No.490
SECR No.737
MR No.1000
GCR No.506 Butler Henderson
GER No.87
LNER No.4468 Mallard
LYR "WREN"


HTH, oddsocks.

 

Was Clapham Common Transport Museum just the one for the plebs?

 

Pedant mode. It was actually called "The Museum of British Transport". The address was Triangle place, Clapham.

 

I remember that the GWR buffet car was in the yard at the rear of the museum.

 

The museum also contained exhibits related to London Transport which moved initially to Syon Park and then Covent Garden most notably Met 23 and the ex Brill Tramway loco which is currently at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.

 

And also trams - some of which later went to Crich

 

I have one photo of the inside, too much camera shake to put on display, but it does show how crowded the interior was and how overcrowded badly laid out museums are not the preserve of the 21st century.

 

Plus various "provincial" buses, some of which are now "in limbo" at the Wroughton store, decaying gracefully.........

 

I dimly remember a replica Rocket.

 

I think there was one outside the main entrance

 

Parts of which made their way into the current working replica

 

Seen here:
http://www.nrm.org.uk/img/nrm/worksphotos/British Transport Commission/1996-7038_BTF_9616.jpg

 

I dont remember the vintage car display outside when I visited

 

The cars are like us. We weren't vintage then either!

 

Good stuff, thanks so much!

 

I was told by my Dad that the building was originally a tram depot. Can anyone confirm?

 

Prior to becoming a museum it was a bus garage.

 

Don't doubt that it was used by buses. Trams finished in 53. Last tram ran into New Cross depot which was later converted for bus use

 

And after ceasing to be a museum it reverted to being a bus garage for a while. There is now a Sainsburys on the site.