Ken Jones updates us on the relocation of the exhibits from the now closed Aston Manor Transport Museum.
In December 2011 "Aldridge News on Line" carried the following paragraph
In December 2011 "Aldridge News on Line" carried the following paragraph
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 Gray the finance director hope that the move to Aldridge will be the start of a secure future for the vehicle Museum, but nothing is formalised yet and the future is still uncertain. Volant Passenger Vehicle Solutions, the company which also uses the building in Aldridge, near Walsall, hopes to convert part of the building into a bus refurbishment business and bus manufacturing site. The owners of the building, Jack Allen Holdings Ltd, 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 bus production line will be. "There will be viewing areas where you can look through and actually see the production in progress."
The situation is still on-going, the AMRTM buses currently occupying both parts of the building so plenty of room between vehicles at present.
So with permission from the museum staff Ken Jones went to take a look and sent the following pictures.
The collection is currently not open to members of the public.
The collection is currently not open to members of the public.
LOG 302 A 1954 Daimler CLG5 with H30/25R Metro-Cammell bodywork |
6370 HA A BMMO D9 from 1964, alongside SOS SON built by BMMO for Trent |
JOJ 222 A 1950 Leyland PD2/1 with Park Royal body withdrawn in 1969. |
XNX 136H A1970 Leyland Leopard with Alexander Y type body new to Stratford Blue and later worked forMidland Red North |
A110 WVP A MCW Metrobus MKII from 1984 |
VDA 512J a dust cart outside the building said to be the first dust cart produced at this site by Jack Allen All photos © Ken Jones |