A Stroll Around The Museum of Transport
Another place I've never been in before but the sound of old transport sounded like it would be an interesting place to get used to my DSLR and lens. Entering the Glasgow Museum of Transport, which is about a 5 to 10 minutes walk from Glasgow University, this set up caught my eye.
Makes you feel like you've gone back in time, doesn't it?
It's fairly much like a movie set. Most of the stores you can't go in but there are a few that are open. Popped into the old underground station.
Care for some cigarettes? I don't really smoke or even tried, mind you. Don't know if this works but I think it would have been fun if it supplised souvenirs.
Didn't see the reflective metal bars so I never had the polariser on in this shot ^^;
The old subway, clock and signs. These days it's fairly much all digital...
I wonder if Makoto Shinkai will set his fourth movie in the old days since he's directed two set in the future and one in the modern day.
Signal office.
Couldn't get a decent shot of the insides.
You can't go inside the trains so I thought I tried to get as close as I could through the windows and used a polariser to filter out the glass' reflection.
Leather seats look comfy in the No. 1.
More "No spitting" signs... Can't really imagine people spitting while aboard the train but they still do in the streets.
This No. 39 train looks nicer inside despite the harder looking seats.
Round Glasgow in half an hour... Reminds me of the loop trains.
The handle you see is a "cable grip" for clamping carriages together in the old days by hand apparently in 1935.
Anyone want to drop by the cafe before we go on?
Again, it's not real and I think it would have been fun if it was and served food in the old setting. This shot didn't turn out very well because of the lighting so I had to do an HDR merge to merge all the details into one shot.
No video games during those days yet but odd that I don't see any Lego. Used to build all sorts of things with those bricks and still have a bucket of them in the house. Best toys I played with I think together with Mecanno.
Back outside to take a closer look at what the chemists used to sell.
I don't recognise a thing... Probably because I hardly use the chemists ^^;
The fashion conscious who wanted stylish looking objects probably would have hated the electronics in those days.
Now that I think about it, fashion probably only picked up after technology made lives convenient enough for people to have time to sit and think.
On the same side of the "street" there's a short documentary playing in the theatre but, I didn't spend time to sit and watch.
Would have been great to go into the other stores to see more old antiques but I guess it's a transport museum after all. Still, this is probably my favourite part of the museum.
And speaking of transport, here's the main part of the museum. The real cafe is at the far back on the second floor with glass window walls overlooking the exhibit.
Plenty of antique cars.
Or horse carts too since cars were initially only affordable by the rich. Anyone drink whisky?
This gypsy van looks very extravagant. Tall people might have trouble fitting in though ^^;
Living while travelling on the move reminds me of Snufkin from the Moomins except he doesn't have one of these.
This is the Ford Anglia which resembles the car owned by Mr. Weasley shown in Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets according to the sign. I only watched the first movie and never really followed through with the others because it didn't really keep my interest.
I can drive but don't have my own car yet.
Speaking of cars, quite a lot of guys around my area like to remove the silencer from the exhaust pipes to feel and hear the engine rev but, they should really think about the people trying to sleep at night...
Moving onto the modern day train. Not much has changed really and you can still see these designs of you take the train here in the UK today...
Except the bus company has now taken over now.
Ah... The old steam trains. I think they're more stylish than today's trains. Reminds me of The Railway Children novel.
This particular one is from 1894, 4-6-0 Locomotive No. 103.
Never really been on one but my parents tell me how everyone had to shut the windows whenever they were passing through tunnels. Otherwise you would end up being covered in black soot.
The display platform was closed off but I think it doesn't look much different from today's except they seemed to have sold rugs and pillows... The train carriages must have been pretty bare inside.
Models of the first trains in Glasgow - Again, testing my polariser on the glass displays. Looks very well modelled.
This blue one reminds me of Thomas The Tank Engine back from the nursery school days... He's still popular I think but not as much as Pokemon.
Don't see trams running in Glasgow any more although you can still go on them in Hong Kong for around 20p (US$0.30). Much cheaper than going by train or bus but it's also much slower and there's no air conditioning during the hot summers.
Lots of bikes on the second floor for people who are into them - both motorised and the good old ones you have to cycle on.
And last but not least, a whole room filled with models of ships that used to run along the River Clyde.
Otaki...
I thought it was Japanese ^^;
Gelria, passenger liner. Testing out the kit lens' macro ability.
Hmmm, maybe I should join a world cruise ship.
Military Otakus should like this 1920, battlecruiser dubbed "The Hood", the last of its kind.
That crane in the background still exists along the river today.
And that ends the tour and my little photography session!
Kai0