St Helens transport museum offers chance to step back in time with vintage bus rides

A St Helens museum is inviting people to step back in time and get on board a vintage bus.

The town’s North West Museum of Road Transport is holding its Spring Heritage Bus Running Day this month and it’s giving people the chance to go inside a collection of its period vehicles and take a trip on their former routes.

There will be buses running from the museum in Hall Street to Moss Bank, Eccleston, St Helens Junction among other local places, retracing the paths and places they would have gone to in their service heyday.

With the hope that they will also have a guard on board the buses, museum events team member Ged Pennington says: “We try to keep it as authentic as we can, so people can experience what it would have been like when the buses were actually running.

“We have a free heritage bus service running every week but with this event we’ll have around six or seven running, with trips on the buses we look after as well as some buses that are visiting us for the day. It’s a chance to show people what transport used to be like – and for some children it can be their first ride on public transport!”

Ged adds: “It’s a fantastic day and we always have great feedback.

“For the younger people it’s a lot of fun, and for older people and those who used to work in the industry it’s a lovely trip down memory lane.”

The museum, which is in the old St Helens bus depot, is run entirely by volunteers.

As well as a collection of museum-owned single and double decker public transport vehicles, it’s also home to a private collection of buses dating back to the 1930s.

There are also vintage cars, motorbikes, fire-engines, push-bikes and even a milk float all on show, as well as a model railway layout complete with Thomas the Tank Engine which is great for the younger children.

“There are trade stalls selling transport-related books, photos, models and more, and snacks and drinks are on sale.

“The Rainhill Model Railway Club will be showing some of its model railway layouts, and there’s a huge train set in one of the rooms. There’s a real variety of things for people to see and do on the day,” says Ged. “Something for everyone.

“We have got such a fine collection and the aim is obviously to preserve this for generations to come, and to keep that going. 

“The Heritage Bus Running Day is just a great day out for everyone. It’s fascinating for families – let’s face it when I was little, 40 or 50 years ago, it was the only real form of transport for people yet – but with lifestyles having changed so much these days and when most people have cars, some people have never travelled on public transport, on a bus.

“So they love it. But of course we also get enthusiasts too. It ticks all the boxes.”

The NW Heritage Bus Running Day is Sunday, March 16, from 10am to 4pm. Admission is £6 for adults and free for children under 16. A programme with timetables will be on sale and all the bus rides are free.

Find out more about the North West Museum of Road Transport here.

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