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 Sans Pareil
can be
viewed in the Shildon (see Locomotion
National Railway Museum 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. 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
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Science & Industry
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See Also:
YORKSHIRE AIR MUSEUM - RAF BASE
NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILROAD
CHARLES
DICKENS MUSEUM LONDON
GREENWICH
MARITIME MUSEUM ROYAL OBSERVATORY
BEAMISH COAL TOWN LIVING HISTORY
