Where London transport retires to...

On Sunday me and 'im went to The London Transport Museum Depot in Acton. It's only open a few times a year, so I was most excited to explore.

As you can see, the place is huge... and is brimming full of old tube trains, buses, underground signs and my personal favourite... original London Underground Art work dating from the early 1900s to today.

When we went inside I was confronted by this monster:

Which is some sort of signalling device, I was astounded by the amount of dials and levers, a far cry from a computer screen!

There were many underground trains, including this one from 1938

Stylish, somehow the interior felt far more homey and the seats were very comfy

We also saw this...

It's a Leyland single deck TF Type motor coach from 1939 (yes I'm a nerd). They're the country fleet of London transport buses that served the suburbs and beyond. The shape of the bus screams art deco and the design is so in depth even the fuel cap incorporates the LT symbol. I particularly love this bus as the fleet would have served near where I grew up.

Upstairs there were even more splendid nick nacks, in the form of London Underground information signs from year dot to now.

No chance of getting lost methinks!

I don't think you're allowed in?

veeeery early L.U Rondell signs

 We then went on a bus ride around West London on the first Routemaster RM1

This was made even more exhilarating as we drove down Chiswick High Road, which is full of lovely looking shops, including "The Old Cinema" a vintage department store housed in an old cinema (surprisingly!)

www.theoldcinema.co.uk

Finally we went upstairs to the stores where old London Transport adverts were kept. So many original posters are in these well shrouded rooms (alas I wasn't allowed to take photos) . The stores also included original artwork Which once approved was then adapted to a more basic lithographic poster print. Oh how I'd love to plaster my walls with many of them!

This was my favourite one...

And finally a quick fact, you may have noticed some Underground station signs are written with a big U and D like this:

UndergrounD

This was common practice until 1933, when a re brand was attempted to the "London Passenger Transport Board" (or LPTB for short). It only lasted a year, after which the name underground returned minus the big U and D. So if you see a poster with "LPTB" on it, you can date if from 1933 and it's cheap snap it up as it's rare! And if your local underground station sign features a capital U an D then it predates 1933.... So there!

Nerdy lecture over

G x