Out and about in Scotland

Out and about in Scotland

Last week we enjoyed a staff/team bonding trip to Scotland, which included New Lanark and the Riverside Museum (transport) in Glasgow:
Below: A part of New Lanark, which is a huge site based around numerous restored mill and tenement buildings some 20 miles to the south west of Glasgow.
Below: A notable feature for lovers of steam – this engine, by Petrie (of Rochdale), built in 1912 and producing 250HP from its tandem compound cylinders was originally located at Philiphaugh Mill near Selkirk before being relocated and rebuilt by the New Lanark Trust. I believe it can be turned over (using an electric motor) though it was static when we visited last Friday.

Below: Moving on to the new Glasgow Riverside Museum, which in some ways replaces the old Glasgow Transport Museum but is in fact much more than that museum in terms of content, size and quality of display. I’d read a number of reviews regarding the museum, and was therefore interested to see it for myself along with colleagues from a variety of backgrounds and interests at Beamish. It was therefore interesting to note wholesale approval of the new Riverside. I had heard some criticism from some sources, but which I put down to it not being of a pure enough ‘railway’ theme for a museum. To the general public and interested specialists it is an excellent example of how to blend the technological content with the social history – making the story of the Glasgow tramcar relevant by presenting the stories of those who used and relied upon them (for business, travel and pleasure) for instance.
This view shows three stars from the previous museum, CR 123 on the left, HR 103 on the right and G&SWR 9 high above them. HR 103 is of particular interest as it was designed by David Jones (whose team designed Dunrobin) and built by Sharp Stewart in Glasgow (who built Dunrobin). It was therefore interesting to compare some of the detail features of both!

Below: A reconstructed street scene is a feature of the new museum, as it was in the old.

Below: This Glasgow horse tram heads up the street scene display.

Below: One of the huge number (over 1000) Glasgow standard trams, set here in a display about the contribution of the tram drivers to the First World War. Behind is NBR 4-4-0 ‘Glen Douglas’.

Below: An impressive new exhibit is this Glasgow built ex South African Railway class 15F, which was famously repatriated and has received extensive conservation work to allow its display, overlooking the Clyde.

Below: The many cars in the museum are displayed on a novel set of shelves around the museum walls – it doesn’t allow the closest inspection but certainly makes a great impact for the display.

Below: Similarly, high on impact, is this method of displaying cycles from the collection.

Below: An overall view from the upper display area. Of note, to the left, is a moving conveyor belt of model ships.

So all in all, well worth a visit!