Ipswich Transport Museum
The Ipswich Transport Museum is a museum in Ipswich, Suffolk, England devoted principally to the history of transport and engineering objects made or used in its local area.
The museum collection was commenced by the Ipswich Transport Preservation Group in 1965. In 1988 it obtained use of its present premises, the old Priory Heath trolleybus depot in Cobham Road, and has been opened to the public since 1995.
Its collection of more than 100 large objects includes trams, trolley- and motor-buses from Ipswich Corporation Transport, the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company and other local operators; commercial vehicles; fire apparatus; mobile cranes; bicycles; biers; horse-drawn vehicles; prams; and wheelchairs. There is a good representation of the Ipswich manufacturers Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies and Ransomes & Rapier and of electric vehicles.
Local rail and waterway transport and aviation are represented mainly by photographic collections and smaller exhibits. The Museum also houses an archive and library together with costume and ticket collections.
The Museum is a registered charity, and is normally open to visitors on Sundays (11am to 4pm) from April to November; and on weekday afternoons during school holidays (1pm to 4pm). It also organises occasional events including the annual Ipswich to Felixstowe Run for vintage vehicles on the first Sunday in May, from Christchurch Park, Ipswich to the Promenade in Felixstowe.
How to get there
The museum is located in south east Ipswich. There are brown tourist signs to follow from the A12/14 major junctions, and from Central Ipswich
By Car
From the A14/A12 Copdock Interchange -
- Follow signs for Felixstowe and take the first turn off after crossing the Orwell Bridge.
- From here follow signs for Ipswich (Nacton Road).
- At the first roundabout take the 3rd Exit (Ransomes Way).
- At the next roundabout take the 1st Exit (Ransomes Way).
- At the next roundabout take the 1st Exit (Felixstowe Road).
- At the next roundabout take the 1st Exit (Felixstowe Road).
- Just before the traffic lights take a left turn.
- The museum is located on the right hand side 300m down the road.
From Town Centre, St Margarets Plain
- Follow Woodbrige Road up the hill and near the top turn into Grimwade Street.
- Cross the Traffic Lights.
- Follow the road to the left onto Fore Street.
- At the first roundabout take the 2nd Exit (Fore Hamlet).
- Continue along Felixstowe Road until you reach the 3rd set of Traffic Lights.
- Here take the first right (Cobham Road) not the 2nd onto (Kings Way).
- The museum is located on the right hand side 300m down the road.
By Train and Bus
Travel by train to Ipswich Rail Station. You can use bus service 4 (Mon - Sat) from the station forecourt to Felixstowe Road/Kingsway junction (approx. 5 mins walk). Alternatively take any bus from the railway station to Ipswich Town Centre. Service 77 (daily) from the Old Cattle Market bus station passes the museum in Cobham Road. Occasionally the summer open top hop on hop off service also passes the museum. The museum also provides occasional free connecting buses on certain (but not all) special event days. Details of these are normally posted on their website. Local bus operator websites or suffolkonboard.com offer more detailed information.
Collection
The collection started 50 years ago with just one bus (an Eastern Counties Dennis Ace), and has grown into a most comprehensive selection of objects. Exhibits include trams, trolleybuses, motorbuses, lorries, fire engines, horse drawn vehicles, bicycles, prams, ambulances, a police car, and even a funeral hearse. The collection is supported by a variety of small exhibits, display material and ephemera.
The museum also houses the Ipswich Engineering Collection, which includes many items from well known companies including Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies, Ransomes and Rapier, Cranes, Reavell and Cocksedge. The display includes cranes, fork lift trucks, lawnmowers and agricultural equipment.
A Cambridge horse tram previously with Bath Tramways and then Bradford and Shelf Tramways, horse drawn Co-op bread van and Co-op coal truck manufactured by Morrisons are currently under restoration.
- Cambridge Horse Tram built in 1880.
- Ipswich Corporation Tramways No. 33 built in 1904.
- Ipswich Corporation Trolleybus No. 2 - DX 3988 - built in 1923.
- Tillings Stevens B9B - Eastern Counties Roadcar Company No 78 - DX 6591 - built in 1927.
- Chevrolet LQ - VF 8157 - built in 1930.
- Bedford WLB - WV 1209 - built in 1932.
- Ipswich Corporation Trolleybus No. 46 - PV 817 - built in 1933.
- Dennis Ace - Eastern Counties - CAH 923 - built in 1938.
- Leyland Cub Fire Engine - PV 4974 - built in 1938.
- Bristol L5G - Eastern Counties - CVF 874 - built in 1939.
- Dennis New World Fire Engine - EBJ 732 - built in 1939.
- AEC Monarch - PV 8580 - built in 1948.
- Ipswich Corporation Trolleybus No. 105 - PV 8270 - built in 1948.
- Bedford OB - PV 9371 - built in 1949.
- Bristol K6B - Eastern Counties - KNG 374 - built in 1949.
- Bristol L4G - Eastern Counties - KAH 407 - built in 1949.
- AEC Regent III - Ipswich Corporation Transport No 1 - ADX 1 - built in 1950.
- Bristol LS - Eastern Counties - MAH 744 - built in 1950.
- Commer Avenger Fire Appliance - KRT 920 - built in 1950.
- Sunbeam 'F4' - Ipswich Corporation Trolleybus No. 126 - ADX 196 - built in 1950.
- AEC Regal IV - Ipswich Corporation Transport No 9 - BPV 9 - built in 1953.
- AEC Regent III - Ipswich Corporation Transport No 16 - CDX 516 - built in 1954.
- AEC Regent V - Ipswich Corporation Transport No 63 - ADX 63B - built in 1964.
- Bristol MW - Eastern Counties - APW 829B - built in 1964.
- Bristol LFS - Eastern Counties - GNG 125C - built in 1965.
- AEC Regent V - Ipswich Corporation Transport No 68 - DPV 68D - built in 1966.
- AEC Swift - Ipswich Corporation Transport No 82 - JRT 82K - built in 1971.
- Leyland Atlantean AN68 - Ipswich Corporation Transport No 6 - MRT 6P - built in 1976.
- Leyland National - Eastern Counties - XNG 770S - built in 1978.
- Ford Transit Ambulance - B287 XFL - built in 1984.
- Vauxhall Omega - X428 LGV - built in 2000.
See also
Bibliography
- Ipswich Transport Museum (2005). Museum Guide.
- "The Ipswich Transport Museum". Vintage Roadscene. 99: 57–8. Jan–Feb 2008.
External links
Coordinates: 52°02′26″N 1°11′48″E / 52.040492°N 1.196544°E