Aston Manor Road Transport Museum – It’s not only about Railways & Canals

Today I  (Alan Neath) have been speaking to the Financial Director of  Aston Manor Transport Museum who are in the process of a move into Aldridge…see below

Aston Manor Road Transport Museum has relocated with all it’s Historic vehicles & Buses from Birmingham to Aldridge in the Former Jack Allen dustcart production line building off Northgate. Geoff Lusher, museum chairman, and Richard the finance director hope that the move to Aldridge will be be the start of a secure future for the Bus Museum, but nothing is formalised yet and the future is still uncertain. Volant Passenger Vehicle Solutions, the company which owns the Aldridge site near Walsall, hopes to convert it from a bus refurbishment business into a bus manufacturing site. The company has given the museum an initial six months rent free with the hope of a 10-year lease to follow. Matt Shenton, from Volant, said: “The museum will be located into one half of the building and the other side of the building will be where our production line will be. “There will be viewing areas where you can look through and actually see the production in progress.”
see the Aston Manor Road Transport Museum website here

Can you Help…

or do you know some body who can help ?

Richard told me today….

Thanks for the talk earlier on this evening.

We are getting very close to moving the final items out of the Witton premises, but with Christmas and a request to hand over the keys to the premises back to the City Council on the 28th, we still have some heavy and awkward items to move away. 

  These include some display cabinets, a telephone box, Bundy clocks, one of which is complete, a wheeling machine and some work benches. 

 There is also the small issue of a tram body but I feel there is a major logistical problem at the Aldridge end to actually get it inside the section of building we may eventually occupy as a new museum.

 What we require is a forklift capable of lifting weights up to half a ton

(ignoring the tram, which is probably around 5 tons). 

 Then a suitable vehicle to lift these on to, with the forklift available at the Aldridge end to reverse the process.

 While I hardly expect anyone to offer to assist on Christmas Day, I, certainly, can be available on any other day up to and including the 28th if necessary, if by any chance someone has the means to move these items. 

  We would not expect this to be done for free, but at a reasonable price.

 Anyone able, capable and have the equipment to help?

 My home phone no. is 0121 – 449 4606 (also a fax) should you want to talk further about this.

Hope somebody can help at short notice and I apologise for troubling the readers of Aldridge and Streetly newsletter with this request so close to Christmas

 Kindest regards

 Alan Neath

 07932 174550

 

Chasewater Vintage & Classic Transport Show, 2010

Vintage & Classic Transport Show, 2010

In Aid of the Midland Air Ambulance

A first class show put on by Helen Tindill and her team – how much work must have gone in to arranging it.  After last year, the question was – could the success be repeated?  Not ‘arf!  Repeated and exceeded, a great effort by all involved – including of course – the exhibitors for all the work that they put in to keep their vehicles in pristine condition.

I took some photos quite early in the proceedings, hoping to get back later and take more, but with the show being so well attended, and a good number visiting the railway, the time just wasn’t there.  There is a set to be found on my flickr link.