Museum chat . . .

The Christmas Cracker 2025

Two pictures from our end of season event, the ever popular Christmas Cracker, which saw the main hall of the Museum lit solely by Christmas lights. Father Christmas was present in his tramcar grotto, the mechanical organ was playing Christmas music and many visitors enjoyed a free bus ride around the local area.
The Museum is now closed until Spring 2026 for Winter refurbishment. As an independent museum funded by the visitors we can attract thank you very much for your support in 2025. A big thank you also to our entirely volunteer workforce who work so hard to make it all possible.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer pop us an email at volunteer@ipswichtransportmuseum.co.uk or give us a ring on 01473 715666.

Autumn Bus Running Day 2025

Two pictures from the Autumn Bus Running Day held at the Museum on November 2. Pictured above is KAH 407 a Bristol L4G new to Eastern Counties in 1949. When I was at school at Trimley one of these would occasionally be on the 201 service and goodness they were noisy and slow.

Pictured below is an even earlier Bristol, a 1939 K5G, originally in the fleet of Westcliffe Motor Services. Chedlet Cheese were triangles of wrapped cheese, six to a box, marketed by St Ivel with the slogan "No rind, no waste".

1922 Ransomes 'Orwell' Tower Wagon arrives

This vehicle was built for Ipswich Corporation, and used by linesmen to maintain trolleybus overhead wires until the system was converted to diesel buses and closed in 1963. It returns to the town sixty years after being bought for £65 by the London Trolleybus Preservation Society who has loaned the vehicle to the ITM. Museum Trustee Adrian Cooper said ‘This completes the set of tower wagons in our Museum – we have the original horse-drawn wagon from tramway days, the later AEC Monarch diesel version from 1948 and now this battery powered one – which was designed, made and used in Ipswich’.

David Lawrence from the London Trolleybus Preservation Society said ‘We are delighted to work with the ITM to ensure the vehicle will be on regular display once more. It has been in store recently, so it will be good to show it off’.

Mark Smith (left of picture) of Ipswich Transport Museum and David Lawrence of the London Trolleybus Preservation Society.

The new arrival squeezed into the Museum

'Stormer' rolls in

‘Stormer’ is an Armstrong Whitworth compound steam road roller built in 1924 for the Ipswich Docks Commission. It was a regular sight on what is now the Waterfront and from around 1947 shared the nickname of its regular driver, Maurice Nightingale. Maurice was born in Ashbocking in 1904 and started work on ploughing engines at the age of 14. He worked for Ipswich Dock Authority from 1947 to 1970 when both he and the road roller retired. ‘Stormer’ was named in memory of Maurice at the Henham Steam Rally in 1982. The roller is on loan from the East Anglia Transport Museum and we express our thanks to them.

Full steam ahead to the new season

Two pictures from the Ransome's Steam Up on Saturday, July 5

Ipswich to Felixstowe Historic Vehicle Run as popular as ever

Large crowds made the trip to Felixstowe for the 53rd Ipswich to Felixstowe Historic Vehicle Run organised by Ipswich Transport Museum. All types of vehicles were on display along the full length of the promenade and our thanks go to all those who took part to once again make this such an enjoyable event.

Globetrotter's well earned retirement

On Saturday 22 March a 1988 Volvo F12 Globetrotter donated by Brian Palmer Haulage of Mendlesham arrived at our museum and very smart it looks too!

Commercial vehicles have a hard and subsequently relatively short life so to be offered one of this age and locally based all its life was too good an opportunity to miss, plus there are few locally owned hauliers still in existence.

It extends our road haulage timeline forward by some 14 years and compared to the Russell Davies Scania 110, shows how vehicle design has evolved particularly in regard to the driver's working environment. It has a taller more spacious cab so that the driver can fully stand up and is fitted with double bunks for those nights away. After some 27 years and over a million kilometres covered, the expansion of ULEZ zones reduced its use so Brian decided to withdraw it from service.

It was parked up on his workshop, only being seen when venturing out for local truckfests. Brian really wanted it to be appreciated by the general public and approached us in 2024 to see if we were interested in exhibiting it. The trustees agreed to this however its arrival would have to wait until suitable space could be found. Over our winter shutdown, various vehicles have departed to either off site storage, loaned to other museums and in the case of the RS& J combine harvester, which was on loan, returned to its owners.

The other exhibits due to come this year are “Stormer” a steam roller used at Ipswich docks all its life and a RS&J tower wagon used by Ipswich Tramways so both fit in with our collection policy of being built or used in Ipswich or the immediate surrounding area.