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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester

@motgm.uk

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We'll take you back! Open Wednesdays, weekends and bank holidays 10 am to 4.30 pm. Adult admission £7.50, student/jobseeker £6, disabled/children free. https://motgm.uk

motgm.uk

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · Nov 15

Hi! We're the Museum of Transport Greater Manchester, an award-winning museum celebrating the 200-year long history of our region's buses. We're open 3 days a week and yes, we let you go on some of the buses. Sometimes we even give rides. In honour of being here, here are some of our blue buses...

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 4h

Our #SaturdayShowoff highlights our collection and maybe tempts you to visit. This week it's one of our most unusual exhibits, a 'Lacre' road sweeper that once kept Manchester's streets clean

Want to see it for real? Visiting details at motgm.uk

A very odd-looking street sweeper stands inside the Museum of Transport. It's in a apple green colour scheme, and it has three wheels: two at the front and one at the back. The cab is tiny, big enough for just one person, and it has a big water tank between the cab and the bonnet.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 1d

If you're starting to give thought to what you can buy for a transport-mad friend or relative, check out our online shop at motgmshop.uk - books, collectables and stuff to keep them amused (and at keen prices, too).

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 2d

#ThrowbackThursday this week takes us to #Wigan town centre and a variety of Greater Manchester and Ribble buses. The couple on the left look like they're on a mission - does anyone recognise them? We'd love to be able to put names to the faces.

A view across the cobbles in Wigan Market Place shows us several single deck and double deck buses, from the Ribble and Greater Manchester fleets. On the left we see a young couple walking. The man is pushing a baby buggy with a little boy sitting in it, and the lady is carrying a baby in a sling. In the background, behind the buses, we see several Victorian buildings and one of them carries a sign for the Morrisons supermarket chain.

Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 4d

And the answer is - Victoria Avenue, Blackley. Well done if you got it right!

Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 5d

Our studio has been at it again! They've rubbed out most of the destination display details that would have helped you spot where this photo was taken, as it's this week's #MysteryMonday shot. If you can still work it out, let us know and we'll confirm the answer later.

An orange and white double decker bus approaches the camera along a tree-lined road. On the left we see a Mini and a Ford Corsair parked outside semi-detached houses, and on the right we see a lady in a typical 1970s coat, next to a bus stop. There's no service number on the bus, but the destination says Cannon Street.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 6d

Fancy a free ride back in time? We're running a free heritage bus service today between our Museum, Corporation Street (stop NU) and Shudehill Interchange (stand H). Buses leave Shudehill on the hour and half hour, so come along for a bit of (free) mobile nostalgia! Timetable at buff.ly/Q8fuGwe

A smart crimson vintage bus arrives at the Museum of Transport, and passengers are getting off. The bus carries the fleet number eleven and its destination blind says Ramsbottom.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 7d

We bring you our #SaturdayShowoff to highlight our collection and maybe tempt you to visit. This week it's North Western 174, a Daimler built in 1965. Want to see the real thing? Visiting details at motgm.uk

A smart red and cream double deck bus, with the engine at the back, stands outside the museum of transport on a cloudless sunny day. On the side of the bus we see the name 'North Western' and the destination blind reads Oldham fourteen.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 8d

On Sunday we'll run our free heritage bus service connecting our museum with Shudehill Interchange (stand H) and Corporation St (stop NU). Fancy a free ride back in time? Timetable at buff.ly/g51yhkK

A woman in a beige coat takes a phot of a little boy, posing next to one of the museum of transport's buses, just outside the museum before going for a free ride to Manchester.

Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 9d

We drive our vintage buses along Leicester Road and Middleton Road - past Crumpsall synagogue - very regularly, just a few minutes from our museum. We’re shocked by the terrible events there today, and our thoughts are with all those affected.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 9d

#ThrowbackThursday this week takes us to Charles Street bus garage in #Stockport, with a row of brand-new buses just delivered from the factory. They all had special low roof to allow them to pass under the canal at Dunham Massey - and a few months later the bridge was rebuilt, taking away the need.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 12d

This week's #MysteryMonday pic is unusual - we're as much in the dark as you, the photo came to us as part of a bequest with no location notes. If you know where the Clarence Hotel was, next to Evans the butcher, please tell us. Could it be a Charterplan excursion somewhere in Wales...?

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 13d

Some time ago our 1941 fire engine, BRJ333, moved into the 'wartime Manchester' area of our museum - this is how we did it! The wartime area covers the story of Manchester's buses at war - if you'd like to see it we're open Wednesdays and weekends 10am to 4pm. Visiting details at motgm.uk

A group of about twelve people are facing away from the camera as they push the museum's fire engine towards a corner of the museum building. On the wall behind the fire engine, there's a camouflage green colour scheme and the words 'transport at war'.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 14d

Not one but two pics for our #SaturdayShowoff this week - it's Warburton of Bury HTF586, seen when new in 1947 and now. If you'd like to see the real thing, visiting details are at motgm.uk and we're open 10 am to 4.30 pm Wednesdays, weekend and bank holidays.

A black and white photo shows a neat little single deck coach. with a snub bonnet and two big headlights. The destination screens say Warburtons in one, and North Wales in the other.

The same coach that is in the other picture is seen again, inside the museum of transport. It looks identical to the first photo, with a colour scheme of black and ivory, but this time the destination blind says New Brighton.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 15d

Our archive documents aren't just interesting - they sometimes have very practical use. For example this diagram showing exactly where Manchester wanted signs and lettering on its buses is great for our restoration teams. You can inspect our archives by appointment - drop a line to [email protected]

An engineering drawing shows a plan of a typical Manchester bus, with side elevations and lots of annotations showing where the Transport Department wanted internal signs and notices to be placed.

Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 16d

Most enthusiast photographers would throw away a photo where someone wandered in front of the subject - but we're glad this one didn't go in the bin, as we think it makes the scene more authentic. Anyway it's #Leigh bus station in the 1960s and it's our #ThrowbackThursday photo for this week.

A black and white photo shows an old-fashioned double deck bus just leaving a bus station. But part of the front of the bus is obscured by a man in a thick coat and flat cap standing on the pavement. The destination on the bus reads 'Higher Folds 6'.

Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 18d

This was a tough one! But it's Hollingworth Lake, near Littleborough.

Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 19d

It's #MysteryMonday and our studio has naughtily deleted the destination details on this bus to make the guessing harder - and we think this is quite a tricky one. So, do you know where it is? Tell us if you think you know and we'll confirm the answer later.

A black and white photo shows a Rochdale Corporation double deck bus unloading a large number of passengers. It's not a built up area and we see trees in the left background, and a fairground or circus in the background on the right. Beyond the circus tents we see semi detached houses, and beyond them we glimpse distant hills.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 20d

Today is the last day for our participation on Heritage Days 2025, celebrating the best of Britain's heritage. Free entry and free rides connecting us with Shudehill Interchange and other brilliant heritage attractions. Details: buff.ly/ifJxGOQ

Two smart vintage double deck buses stand outside the Museum of Transport, with passengers boarding for a free ride. Both buses are painted pillar box red.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 21d

We bring our #SaturdayShowoff to you to showcase our collection, and maybe tempt you to visit. This week it's D63NOF, our Bee Line 'Sherpa'. Hands up if you remember these little yellow buses in the late 1980s...

Want to see it? Visiting details at motgm.uk

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 22d

This gives you an idea of the love and time we're lavishing on our 1934 'Crossley' bus, #Manchester 436. But we're spending a lot of money on specialist parts and services. If you can please help by making a donation, please visit our fundraising page buff.ly/AD0PeQq

A close up view of the nearside front wheel area of Manchester four three six, the 1934 Crossley bus in the museum of transport. The area is partially dismantled. We see a lot of grey primer paint and some polished aluminium parts, plus a very big steel road spring and the wheel bearings.

Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 23d

#OnThisDay in 1925, Bury Corporation started its first bus service. We celebrated with a centenary event at our museum in July, and here's an archive pic of the very last bus received by Bury before they became part of SELNEC - it's a little Bedford bus for serving small hamlets.

A green and cream single deck bus stands on a cobbled street. It's a very small bus, perhaps twelve seats, and its destination reads 'Bury'.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 24d

And the answer is… Platt Fields, Fallowfield. Well done if you got it right!

Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 26d

Not in Wigan.

Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 26d

This 'Metro Scania' bus came to Manchester as a demonstrator - but were was this photo taken? We're not saying as it's this week's #MysteryMonday photo. If you think you know, tell us and we'll confirm the answer later.

A red 1970s single decker bus waits at a bus stop in what appears to be a housing estate. The destination reads '123 Corporation Street' and the bus is parked next to a bus stop flag that's attached to a very tall street lamp. In the far background on the right, we can see what looks like a tall industrial flood light pylon.

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Museum of Transport Greater Manchester @motgm.uk · 27d

We're taking part in Heritage Open Days 2025 - so that means free entry to our museum today and next weekend, plus bus services linking us to Manchester city centre and some fellow local attractions. So come on down and have a free day out! Details here: buff.ly/OyXfMo6

A vintage blue double deck bus picks up passengers outside the museum of transport. The bus is Leigh fifteen, one of the museum's fleet, and it's about to depart on one of the museum's heritage bus services.

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