Features
From Tramshed to New Success
Having quit its atmospheric, but totally unsuitable, Victorian tramshed home for modern premises, what is now the South Yorkshire Transport Museum has prospered — and launched some genuinely groundbreaking new ideas.
On behalf of the Bus & Coach Preservation magazine Nick Larkin reports:
Looking back, I did wonder why people at Sheffield Bus Museum didn’t quite seem to share my wild enthusiasm for its premises. What better place for such a venture, said I, than part of a genuine Victorian tramshed, complete with arched entrances, cobbles and even some old bits of track.
Tinsley tram sheds were built in 1873/4 for the Sheffield Tramways Company, and Sheffield’s last tram (well, pre-Supertram, but that doesn’t count) ran in 1960.
It did seem a little disappointing to me that the museum vacated this magnificent piece of Victorian transport history for a modern industrial unit in Rotherham, becoming the South Yorkshire Transport Museum in the process.
I must admit that so fascinated was I by these surroundings, that I obviously wasn’t listening to what I was being told — that the buildings were totally unsuitable for restoration and storage of buses.
Sheffield Bus Museum Trust
The Sheffield Bus Museum Trust was formed in 1986, and moved into the tram sheds the following year. The trust’s origins go back some years earlier when a couple of bus groups joined forces with South Yorkshire Railway Society to form what would become the South Yorkshire Transport Collection.
Vehicles were kept at a builder’s yard that had to be vacated quickly, and with PTE help premises at Kelham Island Industrial Museum were found. Ten months later, the collection was on the move again, and after much hassle, a 25-year lease on part of the tram sheds was taken in 1987.
Over the years, the buildings were allowed to deteriorate until finally, after much negotiation, the museum trustees were offered the termination of their lease, without financial penalty.
Recalls museum spokesman David Taylor: 'The situation had become totally intolerable. You couldn't work in those premises. They were damp, dirty and subject to flooding, particularly after the lead was stolen from the roof and not replaced. You could end up trying to work in inches of water, and if you removed the paint from a piece of metal one day, by the next rust would have formed. Added to that, the drains were not functioning properly. It was soul destroying.'
The Move to Aldwarke
An approach was made to Sheffield Council, with little success, but neighbouring Rotherham, said David, ‘couldn’t do enough for us’.
Premises were found on an industrial estate off Aldwarke Lane, with an extremely sympathetic landlord, and basically the museum, which held its first open day there during Easter 2007, has never looked back. In fact it’s even expanded into the building next door.
As museum chairman Douglas Miller said: ‘It’s totally different here. The premises are clean and damp free, and we can get on with projects.’
As well as a superb collection of buses and coaches (lots more on those later!), the museum has a sizeable collection of commercial vehicles, memorabilia and an active shop selling all manner of bric-a-brac as well as transport-related items.
Whether or not it's the boost given by the new premises we don’t know, but there’s definitely the sense of a lot going on in this place, not forgetting some really innovative ideas.
Mobile Museum
Firstly, a former Sheffield 'Jumbo' Leyland Atlantean has been restored as a mobile exhibition unit, 'The Road Show Bus', and visits schools to promote transport heritage.
The Mobile exhibition bus is former Sheffield 748 (BWB 148H), a Park Royal-bodied Leyland Atlantean PDR2/l. Picture by Philip Lamb
Secondly, as part of a deliberate attempt to diversify, and to help bring in rental income, the museum is accommodating classic cars - including stock from a local dealer. Other recent arrivals include a wartime DUKW. There's currently a waiting list of buses to go into the museum, meaning that, to a certain extent, trustees can choose exhibits.
The museum has also ventured into hiring out a couple of its buses for weddings etc. Said David: 'I think the question we’ve been asked more than any other is whether we can hire out a bus'. Well now the answer is definitely yes, with two buses being available - former Sheffield 1954 Leyland PD2/Weymanfl RWB 87 and former Doncaster 1963 Leyland PD2, 388 KDT, fitted from new with a 1955 Roe body originally carried by a Doncaster trolleybus.
So there we are, a fine collection of some 60 vehicles, housed in the best possible conditions - well worth the sacrifice of cobbles and some tram track!
Opening Times
Don’t want to miss seeing all this?
Well, the museum is normally open on Saturdays (do get in contact first though to check) and holds numerous special events. There's also the highly successful South Yorkshire Transport Rally held at Meadowhall in September.
South Yorkshire Transport is at Waddington Way, Rotherham S65 3SH (Close to the "Mushroom" roundabout, on the road to Parkgate from ASDA and Gala Bingo) Phone: or visit the Website
27 February 2010
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