I had never been before and I did not know what to expect, but seeing as the visit was included as an excursion in a holiday package, I had nothing to lose.
My main interest, as might be expected were the transport exhibits but it must be said that there is much more of interest that is worth looking at and, experiencing.
I found myself using the public transport exhibits to access what else is available.
After arriving and entering the complex, there were trams running both clockwise and anti clockwise together with buses running anti clockwise.
One of the buses is fitted with a tail lift for wheelchair based passengers.
They carry you to the various locations where activities; such as the village, the farm, the mine, the railway station the tram and bus depots plus others are located.
I did several circuits of the site on the trams and buses before deciding where I wanted to go.
I found it best to be selective because there is so much to see and do.
It would be difficult to get everything done in any depth on one day.
The Museum has a wide range of trams and buses available to them so on any given day the lineup may vary from the day I visited.
Beamish Bus and Tram depots.
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
To the left is the tram depot. More of which another day.
The bus depot represents an establishment operated by the ‘Northern General Transport Company’, (NGTC)
A major operator in the North East before the advent of the ‘National Bus company’.
KET 220 ‘Rotherham Corporation Transport’ No. 220.
Daimler CVG6 / Weymann
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
New in 1954.
FM 7443 ‘Crosville’ Motor Services No 716.
Leyland KP2 Cub / Brush /1
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
Fitted with a tail lift to accommodate wheelchairs.
New in 1933.
FM 7443 ‘Crosville’ Motor Services No 716.
Leyland KP2 Cub / Brush /2
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
Pictured with the tail lift deployed.
J2503 ‘Northern General Transport Company’.
Daimler CC / Osborne Motor Bodies
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
An 1980s built replica of ‘NGTC’s first Daimler also registered J2503.
VRD 186 ‘TEESIDE MUNICIPAL TRANSPORT’ No. 11.
Sunbeam F4A Trolleybus / Burlingham
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
Whilst the other buses pictured prior to this were running in service, this was a static exhibit.
New to ‘Reading Transport’ No. 186 in 1961.
UP 551 ‘Northern General Transport Company’ No. 338.
BMMO QL / BMMO
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
BMMO = ‘Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus’ better known as ‘Midland Red’.
In addition to the ones they built for themselves, BMMO supplied these buses, sometimes referred to as SOSSES to ‘NGTC’, ‘Trent Motor Traction’ and ‘Potteries Motor Traction’ that I know of.
I believe that SOS stood for Superior Omnibus Specification.
J2007 ‘Venture Transport’ (VT), Consett.
Iveco / Severn Lamb Replica
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
‘VT’ was the largest independent operator in the North East until being taken over by ‘NGTS’ in 1970.
Fitted with a tail lift to accommodate wheelchairs.
At the side of J2007 and partially obscured by it is:
GR 9007 Sunderland Corporation No.13.
Crossley DD42/3 / Crossley
PCN 762 ‘Northern General Transport Company’ No. 2099.
AEC Routemaster / Park Royal
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
‘NGTS’ were the only company apart from ‘London Transport’ and ‘British Airways’ to buy new Routemasters.
Theirs were front entrance, so becoming RMF’s.
Later in their lives, some returned to London for service in the Capital.
‘Northern General Transport Company’ route map.
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
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