The Rushden Transport Museum cares for the RHTS collection of artefacts, documents and photographs that have been donated over the years since 1984 when the museum first opened its doors to the public. In 2015 the museum gained Accreditation Standard with the Arts Council, which is like a kite mark for collection care. The collection policy now concentrates on transport related items within a 50 mile radius of Rushden and with items that have a good story to tell. A selection of the collection is shown below, but to get a true impression of this unique setting it is best to visit us, so we look forward to seeing you soon.
‘The Lancer’ was the name given to the Ashford Litter belonging to the Rushden Ambulance Corps.
It was purchased in 1897 at a cost of £11-3s-0d and was used during Rushden’s celebration of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee on 23rd of June that year.
Ambulance: Ashford Litter – ‘The Lancer’
The ‘Lightstrung’ bicycle was made in Rushden by the Lightstrung Company, formed in 1886. The name originated because they were both light and strong or ‘strung’ in Rushden (Ruzdin) dialect.
This example was named ‘Daisy’, as inscribed under the saddle. but not by its owner, a letter tells us its story.
Bicycles: The Lightstrung
Cans: collection care brings out the detail on them
The dray horse brasses belonged to drayman Arthur Seward who worked at Kettering Station, first employed by Midland Railway in 1915. Later in 1923 this became LMS and finally although no longer working with horses, he worked for British Railways driving a Scammel (the mechanical horse).
Drayman
Hurrican Lamp -steel parafin oil lamp with glass bowl, steel wire cage and carry handle, screw for adjusting wick, screw cap for parafin container. Hanging bracket numbered 2850.
The manufacturer of hurricane lamps with a bat trademark was Erfurter Sturmlaternenfabrik Fr. Stuebgen located in the city of Erfurt, Thuringia.
The bat can be seen on the glass and on the metal fuel container.
The 2850 marking together with a bat factory logo and DR Patent inscription mean the lantern was produced in the 1923 – 1927 period.
X – Cross Road sign
Rectangular crossroads sign, top part a large black cross with glass reflectors, below with raised lettering ‘CROSS ROADS’.
The name of the iron founders “GOWSHALL LTD printed on the cross bar
Dimensions 21″ height x 12″ width
Z Bend or Double Bend road signs!
Before the Worboys Report of 1964 the Double Bend sign had a red triangle at the top of the post above the rectangular plate with the symbol above ‘Double Bend’.
The symbol was similar to the one still in use today, a black line depicting the road travelling through a capital ‘N’ shape. The symbol could be reversed, to depict which way the first bend went.
The same symbol was also rotated to become a ‘Z’ shape for use when the road was generally bendy ahead, with the distance in miles, rather than specifically being a double bend.
Our signs do not seem to conform, but we won’t lose sleep over that!