What Year did Columbine move from York to the Science Museum.

When did Columbine move from the NRM to the Science Museum in London. I am also looking for what engines were on display at the Science Museum in September 1981. I remember Stephens Rocket, not sure what else. If there was other locos were they all displayed on the same floor, or on different floors. My trip back then was a dash around three museums to see aircraft originally. Security was tight back then, due to the IRA bombings. I remember in the Imperial War Museum they wouldn't let me take my shoulder bag in.
I would love to visit the science Museum again one day. If I ever get the free time.

 

Plus Bauxite, Rocket, Sectioned Rocket, Puffing Billy and Sans Pareil. All in the old Land Transport gallery along with a signal box and a Glasgow tram.

Columbine was put into Making the Modern World c.1999

 

Cheers Martin and Anthony. Were 4073 and the Deltic prototype really inside the building, so I presume the old land transport gallery was on the ground floor. Tried looking for old photos on the internet to see what things looked like back then in the Science Museum. Could only find photos of the new galleries. Have bought some old guide books off ebay, hopefully they might have some photos in them of the layout back then.

Albert

 

Cheers Martin, My memory is pretty poor and having not being to the science museum since 1981 and having no photo record or notes from back then. If I was heading to see the aircraft exhibits back then would I have passed the railway exhibits. I think the aircraft exhibits were on the top floor. I vaguely remember looking at the space exhibits on the way out. I dashed in and out as I was on a tight schedule to get to RAF Hendon

 

I remember visiting on a school visit at primary school - must have been late 70s I'd have thought, maybe very early 80s. The three railway things that stuck out for me were Caerphilly Castle, the prototype deltic - and the recording instrument from a track measuring train, tucked away on the left of the gallery! The aeroplanes made more impression at the time, probably a legacy of more Airfix as a child than Hornby I think that must have been my first visit to London.

Tom

 

A rather rough shot with Puffing Billy, Deltic and 4073's tender. Apologies for the naff quality. Date was early 1973.

 

Don't worry about quality. Better to have a photo than non at all to capture a moment in time. I do prefer these type of photos as you can see the overall picture to how things were laid out and what is happening in the back ground. I am still wondering if you had to pass these exhibits after entering the building to get to the upper floors to see the aviation exhibits. Hopefully the guide books of the time will help me out when they arrive from my shopping spree on ebay.
Fantastic photo oddsocks, really enjoyed looking at it.

much appreciated
Albert

 

It's ages since I have been, but I seem to recall that it was possible to enter and turn left immediately (by the Foucault's pendulum) and go straight upstairs, in the process bypassing the railway exhibits; however, it wasn't the natural way you would go round if you just followed the masses.

Didn't there used to be a submarine periscope up that staircase as well?

Tom

 

Tom, you have a far better memory than me, I remember the space capsule of one of the Apollo missions. So I must have looked at over exhibits.

Albert

 

You passed the Apollo capsule to get to the Land Transport Gallery I seem to recall. There's an excellent book on the history of the ScM but it's in my eldest daughter's room so I can't check on its title, but I bought it at South Kensington at the end of March.