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Science Museum Newhall Street

Hi

Does anyone remember any details about a museum in central birmingham that used to have a great mechanical engineering section. It used to have a steam loco on rails which used to move forward occasionally. We are talking about 40 years ago. I remember some large mechanical devices that would still rotate under electrical power.

Richard
 
Re: Sicience Museum

hi john ;
yes a gang of us kids from ladywood used to go there every sunday afternoon we was all from king edwards rd
we used to fight each other to go first on the draught machine the gadgets was good and intresting
also dd you go on the old telephone systems where you cpould speak on these early system telephones they had we was there for hours
we learnt alot we spent alot of time around the blue bird car the fastest car ever on record for its year
great place to take your kids astonian
 
Re: Sicience Museum

Yes it was a wondrous place for a young lad to wander round for a couple of hours on a Sunday, and the best thing of all was it was free.

Phil

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Re: Sicience Museum

Yes, a wonderful place - with more thinking than the Think Tank.
For a time I worked for Plessey, who had taken over Ericson Telephones, the suppliers of the demonstration Strowger telephone exchange that was so popular. It had stood, irrepairable for some time; several of our engineers had tried to get it going, without success. One day I decided to go and have a crack and 'bury' myself in the museum. The problem seemed impossible but I stumbled upon a circuit diagram and eventually I found that a replacement pair of relay contacts had been wired incorrectly. After a few days of total bewiderment and a few minutes actual work the thing was working again - and so it continued for years. My contribution to the enjoyment of countless youngsters and no small amount of job satisfaction for me.
Ted
 
Re: Sicience Museum


Spent a lot of time in there :):), when should have been at school :rolleyes:,

also a lot of time on the Draught`s machine, so much stood me in good form in future years playing the game :):):):):):):):)

Was a great place :)
 
Re: Sicience Museum

The images were great - brought back some memories ... wonder what happened to all that equipment.

thanks for the response

Richard
 
Re: Sicience Museum

Some great responses - I too remember the draughts machine and also the telephones.

I wonder what happened to all those beam and steam engines.

thx for the replies

Richard
 
Re: Sicience Museum

HI, yes I went there too. Some, but not all of the stuff went to the positively awful, (my opinion) "THINK TANK" on the old A-B Row site.
 
Re: Sicience Museum

Great; we always called those things, in the last clip, 'steam rollers' even when they became diesel powered. The draughts machine you could beat by remembering the one set of moves that let you win.
 
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Many happy afternoons spent at the old Science Museum. The one item I recall clearly, more so even than the train, was a machine that individually wrapped Roses chocolates.

Last time I visited would have been for a Doctor Who Anniversary event, Im thinking 1993. I havent summoned the enthusiasm to visit the Think Tank.
 
Many happy afternoons spent at the old Science Museum. The one item I recall clearly, more so even than the train, was a machine that individually wrapped Roses chocolates.

Last time I visited would have been for a Doctor Who Anniversary event, Im thinking 1993. I havent summoned the enthusiasm to visit the Think Tank.
 
Heres a few photos outside the old science museum.They were having a traction engine rally.Our three children loved going there.IMG_0025 copy.jpgIMG_0026 copy.jpgIMG_0027 copy.jpgIMG_0028 copy.jpgIMG_0029 copy.jpg
 
My Dad was an Engineer and he used to take me and my cousin to the science museum some Sunday's. On one visit the Birmingham Mail or post had taken a photograph of group of people looking at a screw turning machine in action, and in the middle is me with dad explaining the wonders of the machine.
My farther would have liked me to be an engineer like his farther and grandfather before him, but I became a buyer for Rover, my cousin became an engineer.
 
Thanks Winston great photos.

Sent from my HTC Desire X using Tapatalk 2
 
Just picked up on this thread as a new member. The science museum was a haven for me and my mates during school holidays in the mid to late 1960's. I enjoyed a last nostalgic visit there just before it closed down but sadly didn't have a camera with me. Been reading recently all about the drive to bring some Spitfires to Brum from the far east. I remember that we had one in the old Science Museum. It was one of my favourite things there, as well as the John Cobb land speed record car. What a wrenching loss when the place closed down, to be replaced by that soulless amusement arcade next to Curzon St Station. You have to wonder what is wrong with Birmingham City councillors, that they could agree to this. When you consider the closure of the Aston Transport Museum as well, it make you think that they would like to sweep the industrial heritage of our great city under the carpet... I now live in Switzerland and for sure the Swiss are far more proud of their heritage.
 
I did not know the science museum had gone yeah every Sunday i was there in the 60s what has happened to the the tram,train, planes etc ?????????? B/ham council replace it with the think tank SOUNDS LIKE ?
 
As I remember it, the ThinkTank is a whole lot bigger than the old science museum, they've got a college in the building and a cinema paying for a lot of the costs and they're now charging through the nose for admission. I'd have been surprised if the council had turned it down. Then again I've never been inside ThinkTank and I don't particularly want to.
There's now a nice history section at the Art Gallery (free section) with lots of stuff to play with and buttons to push. That's why most of us used to like the old Science Museum.
 
I never managed to beat the draughts machine but a friend at school boasted that he knew a way to fool the machine and could win every time
 
DavidGrain said:
I never managed to beat the draughts machine but a friend at school boasted that he knew a way to fool the machine and could win every time
Click to expand...

Spent a lot of time there in the 50s, (school time) and on the draughts machine, I beat it a few times, was a good education
 
Outside the plating works was a large glasshouse where he grew orchids, Mr Elkington was a member of the Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society's Orchid group and is recorded as showing prize - winning blooms on more than one occasion. Industrialists had to pay 2'6 to enter a show though the toffs entered for free... Joseph Chamberlain was also an orchid grower.
 
Hi! My father Keith used to work at the Museum of Science and Industry, Newhall Street from 1963 - 1996. From a very early age I remember being brought along by my dad to the museum's Steam Weekends held in March and October each year, and also the annual Traction Engine Rally held the second Sunday in May. The rally started May 1960 and ended in May 1995. The museum had many many wonderful exhibits, the 1924 Burrell steam tractor 'Busy Bee' being my fave! Also of note was the 1892 Aveling and Porter steam roller, which sadly along with the Busy Bee is in storage as part of the Birmingham Museum collection. It was heartbreaking to see the science museum close in 1997, but very wonderful memories have come from there.
 
Hi, What memories you must have! I loved the Science Museum, so easy to to travel to and to get around. I remember the lighthouse part and the jacquard machines, the button-makers and the bread-slicer, also something to do with soda water? Not forgetting waiting for the train to move!!! Happy days!
rosie.
 
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