RESIDENTS wanting to check out and ride on buses that were used in times gone by can get themselves to Wythall Transport Museum this bank holiday weekend.
The venue will open its doors on Sunday and Monday (May 24 and 25) to celebrate 100 years of motorised buses at the pioneering depot in Walsall.
Visitors will be able to take in two days of special exhibits and adding a touch of celebrity glamour to the occasion will be Walsall’s ‘master mechanic’ Fuzz Townsend from TV’s Car SOS. He will be touring the museum and speaking to those who go along.
The Walsall Corporation first ran motorbuses in 1915 and played a key role in ferrying the West Midland’s workforce to the region’s factories and offices.
Dave Taylor, trustee at the museum, said: “Walsall bus depot has a fantastic history and has made an important contribution over the years to developments in public transport.
“It has always had a reputation for experimenting with different types and vehicles, some examples of which will be on show and giving rides to visitors this weekend.”
As well as the Walsall Corporation buses, with their distinctive blue livery, there will also be a host of classic buses which also connected the town to the rest of the region – they include Midland Red, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton Corporations, and West Midlands.
Among the Walsall buses will be the number 56 – the longest bus on the road in the UK in 1968 and the first to be equipped with CCTV – not for security but so the driver could see whether passengers had alighted safely.
There will also be a 1953 Leyland double-decker designed for the Dudley – Walsall – Stafford service.
And there will be a host of other attractions for all the family, including a miniature steam railway and, on the Monday a display of scale models built by members of the Model Bus Federation.
Admission on the event days is £6 for adults, £3 for children and a £15 for a family ticket (two adults and two children).
Visit www.wythall.org.uk/walsall for more information on the days.
