Q21.05 Manchester “Transpo 73” Exhibition
This exhibition was staged from 19th May to 3rd June 1973 at Trafford Park.
On p.210 June 1973 RO details were given of the steam locomotives proposed to be on display but no follow up report appears to have been published.
Did any member visit “Transpo 73” and if so can they provide a list of locomotives and other railway and transport exhibits actually present? Other references suggest several late substitutions of exhibits took place. (Peter Hall: 13999)
ANSWER
A21.05. Manchester “Transpo 73” Exhibition.
The locomotives present included 0-6-0ST “Warrington” in green WD livery numbered 150 from Dinting, MSC locomotive No. 32 (HC), MSC No. DH 24 a diesel hydraulic Sentinel fitted with Rolls Royce engine, BR Class 25 No. 7592 and AC electric No. 84007. New mark 2 carriages including a restaurant car, which was in use, were among the many other pieces of railway equipment. Movement was carried out by MSC Sentinels. (Martin Welch: 10228, Denis Whitehead: 24574)
I visited the exhibition on 1.6.73 and fortunately made a fairly full list of what was present. If I recall correctly, the exhibition was planned partly with an eye on the then forthcoming 150th anniversary of Greenwood’s first horse bus in Manchester in 1824.
The rail exhibits were in the sidings next to the modern transhipment shed (previously used by Clan Line) on 6 Dock South, and next to the rail lines leading to the swing bridge across the Ship Canal into Trafford Park. Some displays and numerous road vehicles were inside the shed. Present were:
Locos:
MSC 32 “Gothenburg” 0-6-0T HC680/03
MSC DH24 blue 4wDH
150 “Warrington” 0-6-0ST restored in WD livery, from Dinting
Class 84 84007
Class 25 7592
1 “Britomart” blue 0-4-0ST HE707/1899
Coaches:
M5882 M3274 M4864 M1906 M3736 M1905 M3977 M3099 M80027
Exhibition train DB975073/975074
Cinema coach DW150353
Other rail stock:
5 assorted parcel vans
13 assorted wagons
Preserved buses etc.:
JCP 60F Leyland PLSC Lion in “Edinburgh” livery
JND 726 Daimler CVG6 – Manchester
DCK 219 Leyland PD2 – Ribble
UMA 370 Atkinson – SHMD
Manchester tram 765
MR 3879 Reo Speedwagon
EC 634 Commer 10-seat estate bus
Modern buses:
XNA 405L Leyland Leopard – Selnec
VVM 603L Leyland National – Selnec
an unregistered Seddon Pennine 4-236 with Pennine 23-seat body in Selnec livery
Also a Charterway Coachcraft demonstrator –
an unregistered MB O309D with Charterway 18-seater body
Other vehicles:
A “Unimog” road-rail vehicle on trade plates 864 RO
9 other preserved vehicles – lorries, vans and cars
Several modern goods vehicles including a fire engine and a horsebox.
When I visited, “Warrington” was in steam and giving cab rides along one of the sidings, the Unimog was demonstrating shunting 2 tank wagons (one oil, one cement) and MSC launch “Silver Arrow” was running tours on the water round the docks.
Denis Whitehead. 24574
RCTS QUERY CORNER – Q21.05 MANCHESTER “TRANSPO 73”
EXHIBITION
I can help to answer this query as I was a “volunteered” onto the Exhibition
organising committee as a member of the Divisional Civil Engineer’s Department at
Manchester. The Exhibition was set up principally by the Transport Committee of
Greater Manchester Council, with the Ship Canal Company, Manchester Docks and
BR, and it ran from 19th May to 2nd June 1973. Items of rolling stock were to be
included, but there was some limitation of what could be accommodated on the
Docks Railways due to very severe curvature of the trackwork. The locomotives
displayed were 0-6-0ST “Warrington” in green WD livery numbered 150 from Dinting,
MSC locomotive No. 32 (HC), MSC No. DH 24 a diesel hydraulic Sentinel fitted
with Rolls Royce engine, BR Class 25 No. 7592 and AC electric No. 84007. A
vintage Manchester Corporation tram No. 765 was also on display. Coaching stock
on show was a 2 Mk 1 coach BR exhibition train with 2 new Mk 11 opens, one first
class and the other Standard class. There was also a set of 3 Mk 1 coaches
forming an on- board restaurant service, including a catering vehicle. Also being
shown were a number of company freight wagons. The KWVR was represented by
the Gresley sales coach. BR also laid a modern PW turnout set of points on the
dockside with associated mechanisms and signal to show it operating. Many
businesses and transport organisations had stands and displays inside the large
warehouse on the South side of No. 6 dock. As a
precaution a trial run into the docks was carried out in the previous November to
test what could be allowed to run into the site using the Trafford Park internal rail
system and the MSC lines. A Mk 1 coach was tried out behind Class 25 No 5238,
and assisted by MSC loco D 14. This MSC loco propelled the coach onto a
dockside line via a sharp curve which very nearly resulted in buffer locking, and the
coach brake gear had to be adjusted to allow the coach bogie to rotate sufficiently
to negotiate this curve. Incidentally, about this time, I found myself volunteered to
the BR committee planning the Reddish Depot Open week-end, but that’s another
story.
Martin Welch. 10228