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The Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester, tells the story of public road transport in Greater Manchester in North West England, from its beginnings in 1824 to the present day.[1]
The museum is housed in a former Manchester Corporation Transport bus depot, to the rear of a former electric tram shed built in 1901.[2] The museum consists of two distinct halves: the Upper Hall, a motorbus garage, added to the main tram depot in 1928; and the Lower Hall, used as the washing shed for the motorbus fleet in the 1930s and 1940s;[3] both are Grade II listed buildingsStructure of particular architectural and/or historic interest deserving of special protection..[2]
The museum became a registered charity in 1980.[4]
Collections
The museum holds a sizeable collection, including more than 70 buses and other vehicles on display, as many as possible of which are maintained in full working order.[5]
The museum’s collection of objects includes old transport signs, uniforms, vehicle fittings and ticketing equipment.[6] The museum also maintains an extensive collection of documents relating to the history of road transport in Greater Manchester, including historic timetables, maps, books, posters, periodicals and technical documents.[7]
Many of the museum’s vehicles can be made available for appearances in film, TV and exhibitions, and many of its objects can be hired as props.[8][a]The museum lent Warner Bros. the ticket machine and cash bag seen in the knight bus scenes in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Museum of Transport, personal communication, 12 March 2025)
Notes
| a | The museum lent Warner Bros. the ticket machine and cash bag seen in the knight bus scenes in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Museum of Transport, personal communication, 12 March 2025) |
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