Transport Archives - Page 8 of 16

How Many Left? New Event At GTM For 2015

Feb 122015

A new event, celebrating the ‘not quite classics’ of the motoring world, will take place at the Grampian Transport Museum on Sunday 24th May. With thanks to Martyn Smith.

‘How Many Left?’ is open to any mass-produced car from the 1960s onwards, which has less than 500 licensed examples left.

The criteria relate to any given vehicle model – taking, for example, the humble Austin Allegro.
The 1100DL model had around 3,000 examples on the roads as recently as 1994, today however that number has reduced considerably to just 18!

Vehicle owners can check eligibility of their pride and joy online, using the How Many Left website, www.howmanyleft.co.uk.

The website is an independently run database and search engine of vehicle statistics, created by web developer Olly Smith, and provides information on cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles registered with the DVLA.

How Many Left? will feature static displays, allowing owners to display these forgotten gems for the public to see. There will also be a number of track based activities taking place, including parades and demonstrations, auto tests and the ever popular public passenger rides. Prizes will be awarded on the day to the rarest vehicles on show, taking initial production numbers into account.

Museum curator, Mike Ward, is looking forward to the May event.

“Some cars are considered rare because few were produced initially. These may be technically and socially interesting but affect few people’s lives. Others are rare because they were expensive and aimed at a small elite market. These too did not affect many people’s lives. Genuinely rare are those cars that were made for every day use in large numbers but few have been saved or preserved.

“These affected many people’s lives. ‘How Many Left’ will consider the rarity of cars using a special formula that compares the production run with how many there are left and we will award prizes accordingly. This way we can recognised the role fondly (or not so fondly!) remembered popular classics had in peoples lives. It promises to be a really interesting exercise!”

Entry forms for How Many Left? can now be downloaded from the museums website – www.gtm.org.uk. There is no entry charge for vehicles, public admission on the day is £5 for adults with children under 16 and gtm+ members admitted free of charge.

Exciting Positions Still Available At GTM

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Feb 122015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

Following on from a recent volunteer recruitment drive, the Grampian Transport Museum has successfully inducted a number of new recruits to the organisation.

However there are still a number of exciting opportunities as the award winning tourist attraction gears up for the start of the new season, which commences on Sunday 29th March.

The organisation is looking for volunteers to support the operation in a number of key areas:

Market Intel Officer – The Museum aims to survey one in every ten visitors, to gain all important feedback which will help to shape the future direction of major projects and day to day improvements. Our Market Intel Officer is crucial to ensuring that the target survey sample rate is met and results collated for the Marketing steering group.

Customer Care assistants – Part of the Front of House team, the Customer Care Assistants are always on hand to share their knowledge and passion for the displays with museum visitors.

Junior Driving School instructors – A key part of the museums remit is to introduce youngsters to the basics of road safety. This can be achieved through initiatives such as the Junior Driving School. This is a ‘learning through play’ facility, designed for 4-10 year olds.

Membership Support – The museum runs a popular membership scheme which operates on an annual basis. The membership support role will ensure that all members have a first point of contact with the organisation and are kept up to date with special events and members-only exclusives.

Collections Assistant – Assisting with the photographing and filing of all items as they are acquired by the museum.

The museum, which is an educational charity, relies on the kind assistance of volunteers, who give up their own time on a regular basis or as required. There are a range of benefits and incentives on offer to all volunteers, as curator, Mike Ward, explains:

“It is often noted that the GTM is a very active, popular museum that manages a very high rate of exhibition change each season. This is all achieved with a very small paid staff; in fact just two full time people and a further four ‘full time equivalents’ if the part time hours are added up. The high output of the museum is due very largely to our amazing team of around 70 volunteers.

“Volunteers here are treated very much as staff. They are given a job title and role that they are happy with and fits their skills set. Staff and volunteers work side by side in a totally integrated system. We celebrate success together regularly and ensure everyone’s contribution is valued and rewarded. Volunteers come from all backgrounds and age groups. Many gain vital work experience, training and skills at the GTM that help to build up a CV whilst others enjoy the opportunity to share knowledge gained during their working lives.

“There can be no doubt that volunteering at the GTM is enjoyed by the vast majority. Our longest serving volunteer has given up several days a week for the past 20years. We are always keen to hear from enthusiastic people who want to be part of this great local institution.”

One of the museum’s most recent recruits is Old Rayne resident Graham King. Graham has joined the GTM as a Customer Care Assistant, having worked in a variety of roles over the years including over 20 years service in the RAF and, more recently, working as a tour guide at the Glen Garioch Distillery in Oldmeldrum. Graham is looking forward to beginning his new role with the museum:

“For as long as I can remember I’ve had a real love of cars. When I retired I decided it was time to take on a new project and so I bought myself a Westfield sports car. In my working career I’d always loved meeting new people and it’s these two things combined which got me interested in joining the team at the Grampian Transport Museum. I think it’s important to keep developing my interpersonal skills and would also like to pass on my knowledge and passion to visitors.”

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Grampian Transport Museum should contact Cheree Pithie, Administrative assistant, on 019755 62292 or email events@gtm.org.uk

Transport Museum Receives £40k For New Visitor Reception

Aberdeenshire, Articles, Information No Responses »

Jan 162015

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The Grampian Transport Museum is delighted to announce that it has received a grant of £40,000 from Museums Galleries Scotland, the national development body for museums and galleries in Scotland.

The award, from the organisations Capital Fund, will provide a major boost towards the cost of the museums current development project.

Construction of a brand new visitor reception extension is due to commence at the end of the 2015 season, with completion anticipated in the spring of 2016. The project was one of twenty Recognition and Capital projects in museums the length and breadth of Scotland to benefit from funding in this latest round.

At present the museum has a 4 star visitor rating from Visit Scotland – improvements to the museums catering, toilet and retail offerings, which are included in the new facility -being all that stands in the way of a prestigious 5 star rating. The new area will also provide the museum the opportunity to showcase the range of work it undertakes with young engineers from across the region, including the Greenpower F24 teams.

Funding for the ambitious project has now surpassed the half way mark as curator, Mike Ward explains:

”This is a terrific start to 2015! We’ve made no secret of the fact that we want to improve the welcome that our visitors receive and provide a reception facility that is beyond their expectations! This extension will not only help us achieve a much sought after 5 star award from Visit Scotland but also to showcase, for the first time, the hitherto largely hidden educational work the museum undertakes.”

Museums Galleries Scotland Chair, Douglas Connell said:

“We are pleased to start 2015 with a substantial funding round to support ambitious museum projects which increase the accessibility of museum collections and range from Renfrewshire Council’s Paisley Shawl Collection Digitisation project to Biggar Museum Trust’s plans for enhancement of its exhibitions and interpretation.

“The Scottish Government has demonstrated its continued support for the sector through funding which has enabled us to invest almost £1.5m over the last 12 months, with demand for financial assistance to deliver high-quality museum projects now well exceeding the funds available. Momentum is clearly increasing as we develop plans for building sector sustainability in line with the National Strategy.”

Former Grampian Police Car Returning Home

Aberdeenshire, Featured, Information No Responses »

Jan 162015

Museum curator, Mike Ward with the former Grampian Police Rover SD1 Vitesse

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The Grampian Transport Museum, Alford, can today announce the latest addition to the museums extensive vehicle collection.

A former Grampian Police Rover SD1 Vitesse, which is due to feature on the Channel 4 series ‘For the Love of Cars’, was purchased at auction on Saturday (10th January)

The vehicle – registration C356 YST – was commissioned by the force in 1985 and used to check for speeders on the then new Stonehaven bypass.

Thanks to its 190bhp 3.5litre V8 it proved to be more than capable of catching the many high performance vehicles which the relatively new oil industry had brought to the region – typically the Audi 100s and Quattros which were popular around Aberdeen at the time.

Presented by actor Philip Glenister (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes), For the Love of Cars follows a crew of mechanics as they recover and restore classic vehicles which are in need of some TLC. The former high-speed pursuit vehicle has been stripped down to allow for new metal to be welded in where required, before receiving a full respray.

Complete with original Grampian Police livery, the vehicle has a number of original features including stop signs, sirens and blue lights which are all in good working order.

Curator Mike Ward is delighted to be able to bring the vehicle back to Aberdeenshire.

“We’ve been aware of this particular vehicle for some time now – it’s no stranger to our museum and in fact has appeared here before. When we found out that it was up for sale it was always our intention to try and bring this rare example ‘back home’. The hammer went down at £9,750 which is a new world record for a Rover SD1 at auction.

“It’s sure to be a fantastic addition to our collection and we’ll also make sure it’s put to good use at our very popular Emergency Vehicle Rides session which takes place on 10th April.”

Volunteer Vacancies At GTM

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Jan 082015

With thanks to Martyn Smith, Marketing & Events Organiser, Grampian Transport Museum.

The Grampian Transport Museum in Alford is expanding its range of services and activities and needs to add to its teams of volunteers.

An educational charity, GTM runs much of its operation with the assistance of volunteers, who give up their time on a regular basis or as required.
Each year the museum changes around one third of the exhibition, which means there is always something new to see.

Behind the scenes, however, it takes a lot of planning and assistance to execute these changes in time for the start of each season.

On event days it’s difficult to get any closer to the action, but at the same time Event Volunteers provide information and guidance to museum visitors. Many of the museum’s volunteers get ‘hands-on’ with the vehicles, giving them some much needed TLC before they take pride of place in the exhibition.

There are a number of exciting volunteer roles at GTM throughout 2015 – these are based on a short term agreement of up to 12 months and cover a wide range of disciplines.

Current volunteer vacancies include the following:

Market Intelligence Officer – The Museum aims to survey one in every ten visitors, to gain all important feedback which will help to shape the future direction of major projects and day to day improvements. Our Market Intel Officer is crucial to ensuring that the target survey sample is met and results noted for the Marketing sub-committee.

Collections Assistant – Assisting with the photographing and filing of all items as they are acquired by the museum.
Membership Support – The museum runs a popular membership scheme which operates on an annual basis. The membership support role will ensure that all members have a first point of contact with the organisation and are kept up to date with special events and members-only exclusives.

Exhibition / Customer Care Assistants – Part of the Front of House team, the Customer Care Assistants are always on hand to share their knowledge and passion for the displays with museum visitors.

Junior Driving School Instructors – A key part of the museums remit is to educate youngsters on the basics of road safety. This can be achieved through initiatives such as the Junior Driving School. This is a ‘learning through play’ facility, designed for 4-10 year olds.

Social Media Assistant – An ideal opportunity for a school leaver or University student to add to their CV! The museum is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help maintain an active presence across all social media channels; Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram.

The above are all voluntary posts, however museum volunteers receive a range of benefits and incentives throughout the season. To find out more about volunteering at Grampian Transport Museum please contact Cheree Pithie, Administrative Assistant, on 019755 62292 or email events@gtm.org.uk

Grampian Transport Museum received the title ‘Visitor Attraction of the Year’ at the 2014 Aberdeen City & Shire Tourism Awards in March 2014 and is a 4 star Visit Scotland accredited attraction.

Green Campaigners Highlight Need For Cycling Investment

Aberdeenshire, News 1 Response »

Dec 312014

Mid-Formartine councillor Paul Johnston is backing Green calls for cycling routes in parallel to the A90 from Balmedie.

Local Green campaigner Debra Storr said: “As part of the AWPR and Balmedie-Tipperty dualling, there has been talk of providing an adequate cycle route alongside the A90 into Aberdeen and out to Ellon.

“But there is nothing from either Transport Scotland or in NESTRANS’ latest Business Plan that would start to put infrastructure on the ground.”

“It is time to stop spending money asking people to walk and cycle more and to actually provide the infrastructure needed.

“There are hundreds of millions of pounds being spent on the AWPR and the Balmedie-Tipperty dualing. A tiny proportion of that would deliver a safe cycling route. Cycling into the city will get much worse along the A90 with the two grade-separated junctions at Balmedie and Blackdog being particular hazards.”

Cllr Paul Johnston said:

“It is clear from NESTRANS’ own monitoring report that their efforts over the past decade have been fruitless with an increase in cycling from 2% to 2.5% modal share in the City called a ‘notable achievement’. But as they do no monitoring themselves and rely on the local Cycle Forum, even these figures are doubtful.

“The more robust census result show continued drops in people cycling to work with cycling less than 1% and falling. The current spend on promotion is clearly pointless without the infrastructure on the ground to match.”

Debra Storr continued:

“I asked both Councils about their existing cycling infrastructure in April. Aberdeen City Council believes it has about 100km of shared cycling/walking paths, 67km of advisory on-road cycle path and a couple of km of off-road and mandatory cycle paths. Aberdeenshire doesn’t even keep records of this.

“I think this speaks volumes of the priority given to cycling and unless both councils focus on providing cycling infrastructure that people want to use, cycling will remain the preserve of a few very brave souls. The only way to encourage everyone to cycle more is to make space for cycling and that needs dedicated cycleways that are safe for everyone.”

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Key Messages On Economy And Green Transport On The Roads

Environment, Featured, News No Responses »

Oct 312014

ARR Craib Transport Ltd sponsors takes key messages on economy and green transport on the roads. With thanks to Eoin Smith, Tricker PR.

A north east haulage firm is taking key messages about the region’s economy and sustainable transport on the road – quite literally. ARR Craib Transport Ltd has sponsored branded trailers for the Aberdeen City & Shire Economic Future and Nestrans, allowing the groups to raise their profile with local communities and road users.

The curtain-siders, which carry key messages about the aims and objectives of each group, will be used by ARR Craib across all UK long-distance routes.

The ACSEF trailer carries the strapline ‘Driving economic development in Aberdeen City & Shire’ while the Nestrans trailer focuses on the Getabout car sharing scheme.

ARR Craib chief executive officer Eddie Anderson, who is on the board of both ACSEF and Nestrans, says the company feels passionately about strengthening the region’s economy and helping to ease congestion on the roads.

“An efficient transport network helps businesses to grow and attracts investment into an area, so the aims of these two groups go hand-in-hand,” says Mr Anderson.

“Our vehicles travel the length and breadth of the UK, and we hope that the ACSEF trailer will help raise awareness of the region and the opportunities that it presents for businesses.

“More locally, we want the Getabout trailer to communicate key messages about the benefits of car sharing to both the environment and people’s own finances, and of course the benefits to everyone of having less cars on our congested roads.

“As a company, we always try to maximise our operations by taking as many different loads as we can on one route to avoid unnecessary journeys, so car sharing with two or more people travelling together on the same journey makes perfect sense.”

ARR Craib has previously won awards for its approach to developing a clean and green fleet and reducing its carbon footprint.

Colin Crosby, ACSEF chairman says:

“A big thank you to ACSEF’s board member Eddie Anderson and ARR Craib for this generous offer. It’s a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of ACSEF within the City & Shire and throughout Scotland. Working together with the private sector to help raise the profile of the north east is vital for the ongoing economic success of the region.”

Nestrans Chair, Councillor Peter Argyle, adds:

“We really appreciate the kind offer from ARR Craib to use this eye-catching platform to promote some of our key messages. Getabout is a major project for Nestrans with the aim of encouraging healthy and sustainable transport choices for everybody within Aberdeen City & Shire. We hope this will also raise awareness and attract new members to our CarShare initiative in the north-east.”

ARR Craib Transport Ltd provides transport and logistics services within the local, radial, UK and international transport markets. The company operates more than 300 vehicles and 500 trailers controlled from bases and distribution hubs at Aberdeen, Cumbernauld and Eaglescliffe. It employs around 400 people.

Services include rail freight and rail terminal management, warehousing, material handling, facilities management and manpower provision. More information can be found at www.arr-craib.co.uk

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Full Steam Ahead At Grampian Transport Museum

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Oct 102014

With thanks to Martyn Smith.

The Grampian Transport Museum will be welcoming visitors this October with a number of special activities taking place during the school holidays.
The museum’s final rides afternoon of the season takes place on Wednesday 15th October, from 1.30pm – 3.30pm.

Celebrating its centenary year, the museum’s Sentinel Steam Waggon will take centre stage and will offer visitors the chance of a ride around the museum’s outdoor circuit.

The Sentinel will be joined by a pair of stunning Stanley Steam cars, owned by a local enthusiast. Dating from the early twentieth century there are thought to be just three of these left in Scotland!

A number of static displays will be on show too – a live steam 3.5” gauge Stevenson’s Rocket will be on show alongside a selection of miniature traction engines and railway locomotives.

Then the fun continues with a special Halloween Activity Afternoon on Thursday 23rd, from 1pm – 3.30pm. With Halloween activities, quizzes and crafts plus face painting, balloon modelling and a magic show it’s an afternoon not to be missed.

Entry to both events is included in the museum’s standard admission which is £9.50 for adults, £7.50 for concessions and 2 children admitted FREE with every adult.

Grampian Transport Museum is open daily from 10am – 4pm up until Sunday 26th October, giving visitors the chance to see fantastic displays including the Great Train Robbery Exhibition and 1910 ‘round radiator’ Maudslay, which are on display this season only.

New Deal For Railways Great News For NE Passengers

Aberdeenshire, Opinion No Responses »

Oct 102014

MSP, Dr Eilidh Whiteford welcomes new rail franchise announcement. With thanks to Paul Robertson

Dr Eilidh Whiteford, MP for Banff and Buchan, has welcomed the announcement by Scottish Government Transport Minister of a new deal for Scotland’s railways, with a new franchise agreement that will see reduced fares and better working conditions for staff.

Operator Abellio, which will take on the running of the £6billion franchise from 1 April 2015. Abellio will move their UK HQ to Glasgow creating 50 new jobs alongside 150 jobs secured from First.

As a result of the new deal, passengers and staff will enjoy a range of benefits including advance fares starting at £5 between Scottish cities and a commitment to earnings of at least the Living Wage for all staff and subcontractors.

The deal also includes at least 100 apprenticeships; a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies; rail staff pensions and travel rights protected; free wifi on all trains; a new approach to cycling with more than 3,500 parking spaces and bike-hire at a number of stations; 80 new trains due to arrive at start of December 2017; 23 per cent more carriages across the network.

Commenting, Banff and Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford said:

“The new contract is great news for passengers in the North-east.

“The new deal will rejuvenate our rail service and deliver a first class service that will rival any public transport system in Europe.

“A large investment in new trains in the coming years is a welcome development in shortening journey times, and the pledge of £5 fares between Scotland’s major cities is a great step towards making public transport an affordable alternative to taking the car on long journeys.

“The pledge to pay Living Wage to all employees including subcontractors and the commitment to no compulsory redundancies is welcome news for those railway workers and with all staff to have their rail staff pensions and travel rights protected, this really does represent a better deal.

“The establishment of a new Scottish training academy will also help build a better rail industry for the future – and the commitment to 100 apprenticeships will help get things off to a flying start.”

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Third Young Engineers Car Confirmed For Goodwood

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Oct 032014

With thanks to Martyn Smith, Marketing & Events Organiser, Grampian Transport Museum.

The Grampian Transport Museum (GTM) Young Engineers Club is continuing to enjoy one of its most successful years ever.

Following on from news that the Alford Spyder and Alford Rocket would progress to Goodwood it has now been confirmed that the Bullet will complete a hat trick for the Alford based club.

Competing annually in the international Formula 24 (F24) race organised by Greenpower, team’s race against each other over two 90 minute races with the winner being the team that goes furthest using a standard set of batteries and motor.

The National Final takes place at the world famous Goodwood race circuit on Sunday 12th October.

The team recently travelled to the East Fortune airfield where the Spyder won one race and the Bullet came second in the other, confirming that both vehicles would be entries for Goodwood. The Bullet has now qualified for the final due to the number of miles completed at the Alford and East Fortune heats.

The team would like to thank all their supporters and helpers together with their 2014 sponsors which include BP, EnQuest, GTM, TAQA, Norco, Pedal Power (Inverurie), Rotary Club of Alford and District and SCDI.

The YE Club, which was formed in 2008, is an important part of the museum and will be showcased in the new reception area for which fundraising is underway.

Trustee Paul Lawson, who has helped oversee the team during the 2014 season, commented:

“This is an amazing and well deserved result for the Club and recognition of all the hard work that has been put in this year. The opportunity to take part in the event at Goodwood is a fantastic opportunity for the youngsters and an experience they’ll remember for many years to come!”

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