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by Mark Found
It’s funny how these things work out – I’m at the London
Transport Museum doing a piece about Metro Land, it’s going
very well, and then the very nice PR lady (Louise) turns round
and says “Would you be interested in visiting our Depot in
Acton?”. “What Depot?” says I “The one where we store all
the stuff that we can’t show here” she replied, and that’s
how, on a baking hot day it has to be said, we ended up going
to the LT Depot in Acton to do a piece. It’s brilliant working
in tele sometimes. Okay, I can’t remember all the opening
times, I’m sure they’re listed somewhere, but check them out
and get yourself down there – it’s brilliant, if a little
overwhelming when you first walk in.
The Depot is the place where LT Museum stick all the stuff
that they can’t fit into the gaff at Covent Garden – and we’re
not talking about boring stuff here, we’re talking buses,
trolleybuses and, luckily for this programme, trains.
I don’t know if we managed to convey it on the programme,
but the level of restoration that’s been carried out on this
stuff is absolutely awe – inspiring. The 1938 unit looks as
though it’s just rolled off the production line. Shame we
can’t have trains like that anymore – and I know the reasons
why – but the deep comfortable seats, the Maplewood floors,
the low-ish lighting, aaah!
The other thing that the visit to the Depot has done for
me is that it’s got me on a bit of a trolleybus run. Don’t
know why, I wasn’t particularly interested in them before,
but there’s something about them baby I like. Maybe it’s the
full width window screens, the six wheels, I don’t know, but
I have gone out and bought the “Heyday Of The Trolleybus”,
should I be worried?
Look, if you’ve got an interest in public transport this
really is a place you need to get to and see, it’s bloody
marvellous!
(Right, I’m off to Carlton Colville, got trolleybuses actually
running up there, I believe).
Trainspotting.links
(will open in a new window)
www.ltmuseum.co.uk
It’s the official site, and very good
it is too. I like the section on abandoned tube stations.
And trolleybuses.
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