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MANCHESTER MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY
Industrial Revolution Steam History for the Family

Manchester, England was at the forefront of the industrial revolution in the late 1700’s early 1800’s. Textile mills were much the driving force of that revolution where steam engines could power the spinners and looms replacing the hand labor. Coal to make the steam engines go came from England northeast country and railroads needed to get the coal to the factories. In the young days of steam train development a competition was held to determine the design of a locomotive for the new Manchester to Liverpool rail line. In the Rainhill Trials, the “Rocket” of George Stephenson beat Timothy Hackworth’s “Sans Pareil”. Hackworth’s engine had the power, but the Rocket had the speed. Today the original San Pareil can be viewed in the Locomotion National Railway Museum at Shildon. While, at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry you can actually take a ride on a working replica of Stephenson's next generation of the Rocket, the "Planet".

The Manchester Museum of Science and Industry is located in the former first railway station in Manchester, a group of the world’s oldest passenger railway buildings not far from the revitalized tourist area of Castlefields and Deansgate Locks. The museum situated in the first city of the industrial revolution houses a collection of steam and electric power engines, provided by Manchester’s industrial growth and development. The display galleries of the museum are presented in the historic buildings, railway passenger Station Building built in 1830 for the Manchester-Liverpool rail line, Engine Shed with the power collection, 1830 Warehouse for the Great Western Railway Company. (See Didcot Railway Center) and the Air and Space exhibit in the one time Campfield Market Hall built in the 1800’s. The Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotive, is the largest steam locomotive exhibit in the Power Hall. A complete EM2 electric locomotive, the Ariadne, built at the 'Gorton Tank' works of the London & North Eastern Railway is here along with cutaway views of the inner workings of steam engines and locomotives. The Space and Aviation display of aircraft from the first days of flight to the space age is crammed into the iron frame work of the former market hall with the giant wings of an enormous Shackleton bomber looking like it might want to bust out and fly away, a slightly incongruous mix of 19th Century architecture and 20th Century technology.

The Manchester Science and Industry Museum offers a number of family activities for children. The first Fridays of every month except August the Museum offers a hand-on science gallery puppet show for children under 5 called Xperitots. Engineer Eric and Forgetful Fireman Fred help a little bit older kids learn how steam locomotives work on weekends and holidays. For all ages everyday from 11am to 4pm demonstrations of the engines in the Power Hall are given and in the Museum Theater “Doctor Who” performs his mysterious investigations with props, costumes and monsters from the hit BBC TV series. The Dr. Who exhibit runs through November of 2007. A separate admission is required to the “Doctor Who” Show. Admission to the museums permanent exhibitions are free. Train Rides are a bargain at £1 and run from Noon to 4. But you can watch the engineer and fireman take about an hour to get the boiler up to steam. The train doesn’t run on some weekends, check the website. © Bargain Travel Europe

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See Also:

Chester Tourist Gem

Yorkshire Air Museum

Charles Dickens Museum London

Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory Greenwich

Beamish Coal Age Living History Museum Coal Town

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