This lovely museum was a source of delight and inspiration to many, many people. The prize exhibit was 46235 “City of Birmingham” which arrived straight from a cosmetic overhaul at Crewe in 1964 and, hence, is one of the few (if not the only) surviving steam locomotives in authentic paint. The poor thing was pushed and pulled hydraulically backwards and forwards, half-hourly, I think (this always seemed to me a rather cheap and un-dignified trick) and sat in a purpose-built hall along with “Leonard” a 2’ Kerr-Stuart 0-4-2ST and “Lorna Doone” a Bagnall 0-4-0ST of similar gauge. There was also “Secundus”, one of only two locomotives built in the city, a venerable 0-6-0WT with Gooch valve gear. I recently met this old friend again in the goods shed at Corfe Castle station on the Swanage Railway, close to where Secundus spent most of her (or his?) working life- quite an emotional re-union. There was also, amongst other locally-made exhibits, a circular button-making machine- perhaps the most complicated mechanical device I’ve ever come across. This wonderful device of oiled brown metal would be set into chattering and spider-like motion at the push of a button and was absolutely fascinating to watch. Indeed, much of the museum would often be a blur of movement, especially on the regular steaming days. A large model of a colonial railway carriage with the roof hinged up so that you could appreciate the lavish interior springs to mind also- this was next to a display of radios (you could listen to the same piece of music from each in turn by selecting buttons) and I hear the tune in my mind still. A diorama that I remember, still, with a degree of awe was that of an alchemist in his workshop, long straggly white hair and staring into the glass phial of who knows what in his hand- an absolutely haunted and terrifying figure that put me in mind of “Adam Eterno” (anyone else remember him?) the ragged time traveller from the comic “Lion”. A locally made Japanese suit of armour made a similar impression on me. Some of the exhibits made it to “Think Tank”, which is, I’m afraid, very much a shadow of the old museum and I found it desperately disappointing when I took my children there.
him being in engineering he used to look at all the old machines - I wasn't so interested at the time, I'm sure I would appreciate it all better now!
