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Have wheels, will travel

Angela Kelly
24/ 4/2008

BUSES have been a permanent fixture on our roads for more than 200 years, but for a group of 21st century enthusiasts they’re transports of delight.

For the members of the Museum of Transport in Cheetham Hill, buses are not merely a method of taking people from Ashton to Oldham or Denton to Dimple but a source of enduring fascination.

The Boyle Street museum has 350 members with about 60 active, regularly working at the former bus depot on a variety of projects relating to the 75 vehicles housed there.

John Pollock is a typical member. "As a lad I was always fascinated by vehicles and numbers," he confesses. "I started with trains and moved on to buses simply because there were more of them."

This early interest became a hobby that developed into a career with bus company Stagecoach, where he now works in computing.

"Many of the members work or have worked in transport themselves and wanted to continue," said John, 57. "Others are just interested in buses and enjoy being involved with them."

Greater Manchester itself has a fine public transport history. The first service started on January 1, 1824 when John Greenwood, a toll keeper at Pendleton, began a horse ‘omnibus’ route between Pendleton Toll Gate and Market Street in the city centre.

This ran at fixed hours, three times a day, at a cost of sixpence, for which passengers could get on or off wherever they wished along the way.

The idea soon caught on, and in 1830 a horsebus service between Manchester and Stockport began. By 1850, there were 64 omnibuses licensed to ply for trade in Manchester alone and by 1865, a merger of two of the largest companies formed the mighty Manchester Carriage Company.

It was realised, though, that a carriage running on steel rails, like a train in the roadway, would need fewer horses and be a smoother ride. Soon, this ‘tramway’ was very popular and Manchester and its surrounding towns had horse tramway routes on most main roads.

By 1880, the now Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company had 140 miles of route, 500 tramcars and 5,300 horses housed in 20 depots.

These trams were privately owned, with tramway lines leased to operators for 21 years. When the leases ran out at about the turn of the century, the local authorities took over the tramways and converted them to electric traction using wires hung above the roadway.

But tramway routes were expensive to construct, and after the First World War the technology of motor vehicles had advanced greatly. The motor bus became popular, with new operators and networks – the modern bus as we know it was born.

This fascinating transition is easily chronicled at the transport museum, exhibits of which include horse-drawn omnibuses from the late 19th century.

The idea for a Museum of Transport came from a small group of enthusiasts including John Pollock, plus bosses at GMPTE who, 30 years ago, offered an unwanted depot for storage.

"Buses are mostly made of steel and wood and were never meant to be left outside unattended for long periods," states John. "In this climate, they just rot, so we need to keep them indoors and run them to keep them working."

The volunteers do this effectively, lovingly restoring these ancient Leviathans of the road. "Buses like this are cheap to buy" adds John, who owns two with a handful of friends. "It’s the maintenance that’s expensive."

The museum raises entry money from visitors (£4 each with concessions), from its shop and tearoom, and there are various events run through the year.

There’s plenty to see and the museum boasts buses of all shapes and sizes – from Leyland Atlanteans to Titans and Tigers – as well as fire engines and lorries.

Of course, the beauty of this hobby is that when you’ve finished one bus project, you simply hop on another.

The Museum of Transport opens every weekend and on Wednesdays and Bank Holidays from 10am to 5pm. For details ring 0161 205 2122 or visit www.gmts.co.uk.