London Transport Museum

A Skelding Summary

The Collection
The London Transport Collection has roots going back to the very beginnings of the transport preservation movement in this country: our LGOC Horse Drawn bus is believed to have been set aside for preservation just after the First World War and as such is one of the longest museum preserved urban transport items in Britain. Since that time, the collection has grown to form what is now perhaps the most comprehensive tangible record of any city's urban transport system.

The Museum
The London Transport Museum itself is quite young. Although parts of LT's collection had been displayed on and off for many years, it was not until 1980 that the present museum opened in its Covent Garden home.

The Flower Market
The great cast-iron framed hall which houses the museum dates from 1870, built by the Duke of Bedford to include a central flower market. When the markets moved to the former Nine Elms steam Locomotive depot in 1975, the idea of bringing London's transport inheritance to the old flower market was an inspired one. the museum opened in 1980.

TheRedisplay Project
Twelve years after the opening, the museum has become an important part of London's museum scene. During 1993 a £4 million investment was made to increase display space with spectacular new mezzanine floors linked by a curved bridge across the bus and tram sections. At the same time, the Museum's displays have been totally renewed and now include nearly 100 interactive multimedia or audiovisual information on the display.