please empty your brain below
dg writes: There is now
I rather like the Overground shade, rather reminiscent of the orange Opal Fruit in its heyday, I think.
That brief enough?
As for the tube simulator, that's only a very slight bespoke modification of BVE, which, if you're so inclined, you can download for free, along with various Underground lines to drive (also free). You don't get the replica driver's handle for your PC though, you have to use keys!
dg writes: There is now
Anonymous | 11.27.07 - 9:10 am | #
Thank You...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ltmuseum
Acres of unused floorspace, indeed every refit since 1980 has seen more large exhibits removed. Just four buses - a B-type, RM, DMS and rather untypical TF. No RT-family type which in one form or other equalled the Routemasters 50 years at London ’s service, and I noted two incorrect exhibit captions without really looking. There is plenty of political correctness on show here now, lots of emphasis on Caribbean recruitment and the mannequin bus driver of DMS 1 is, of course, a woman. And why not, "representing the diversity of the London TFL serves etc"?
Except of course that DMS 1 is portrayed in its 1971 "first day in service" mode, no adverts and blinded for route 220. Yet there weren't any female LT bus drivers until 1975 because the organisation wouldn't allow them until forced to by the 1974 Sex Discrimination Act! Oh, and she's wearing grey uniform and these didn't come in until 1974 either! Maybe it’s not nice to realise that LT once considered women unfit for all but the lowest grades, but to suggest otherwise is falsifying history!
Next to the Q Stock car is a nice display of traditional LT 1950s/50s guard's equipment - red & green flags, door control key, whistle and oil lamp, but incongruously also including a metal L-shaped "J-door key" (used to access train cabs) which didn't appear until the mid-80s!!! Lots of nods to TFL's new responsibilities – cycling, taxis and boats - which hardly have any relevance to the museum's core interests surely? Ditto traffic lights now sit on the main floor, but boring bog-standard modern versions rather than black & white banded early examples with “stop” and “go” respectively on the red and green lenses.
A huge area is given over another inclusive “world cities” montage, when LT has enough design heritage to cover such a space 1000 times over. Considerable space is also taken up by various “kids” zones on several levels, and much of the whole museum seems to be aimed at children with various “activity” features (some of which even work!). If you’re interested in such esoteric subjects as tickets, ticket machines, e-plates, train destination plates, signage, cap badges or staff uniforms, you’ll find little or nothing to interest you here (indeed for such a hugely uniformed organisation, there are only about two or three LT cap badges in the whole place and probably more on e-bay at any given time!).
Yes much of the “missing” material can be seen at Acton “Depot” store but this doesn’t excuse its omission at Covent Garden . Clearly, it is no longer the “ London Transport Museum ” (i.e. the museum of LT the organisation) but if it is now the “ London transport museum” (i.e. the museum of transport *in* London ), they why are not the suburban operations of the SR and LNER not given their due credit?
And when it comes to influence on the lives of Londoners, a Mk1 Ford Cortina (built in London, by Londoners, and in the plant LT buses served) would be more relevant than, say, banging on about up-market yuppie river services? Presumably it is actually the “ Museum of Transport *for* London ” although seeking not to trade under that name. Indeed one new display makes sure the current head of TFL (i.e. Ken Livingstone) and his team get a glowing report in a way that was never ever done for current personalities in the days of LRT and LT.
I’m not sure what the museum is supposed to be for these days and I’m not sure they do either… To paraphrase an old V&A advert "an ace shop with a naff museum attached".
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