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Transport museum in Johannesburg, South Africa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Hall Museum of Transport is a transport museum that aims to preserve and promote the history of over 400 years of transport in South Africa in particular, and Africa in general. It is the largest transport museum in Africa. It is located at Pioneers' Park beside the Wemmer Pan in La Rochelle, Johannesburg, South Africa.[1][2] It was established in 1964 by Jimmie Hall and the City of Johannesburg.[3][4]
The last tram ran from 1906 to 18 March 1961. | |
 | |
| Established | February 1964 |
|---|---|
| Location | La Rochelle, Johannesburg,  South Africa |
| Coordinates | 26.23406°S 28.05355°E |
| Type | Transport museum |
| Founder | James Hall, City of Johannesburg |
| Curator | Gaisang Sathekge |
| Website | jhmt |
The museum exhibits carriages from the period 1870 to 1910. These include Cape carts, two-wheeled carriages that were specially adapted for use on the South African roads; also rickshaws, hearses, mail coaches and ox wagons.[5]
Some of the two-wheeled vehicles housed within the museum are penny-farthings, tandems, tricycles, and vintage and classic motorcycles.[6]
This collection includes several double decker buses formerly used in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. There are vehicles from Daimler, Leyland, AEC and Guy. A 1952 RT double-decker London bus has been preserved, in working order, and is used for sightseeing tours. It also has a 1958 Guy double-decker diesel bus, one of 30 ever produced.[7]
The exhibit has a range of fire engines and firefighting equipment, from a 1913 Merryweather Steam Pump to a 1947 Dennis with an 8-cylinder Rolls-Royce engine. Others include the 1936 Magirus Deutz with a 45-metre extension ladder and a Ford Thames fire engine from the Randburg Fire Department.
Firefighting artefacts included in the exhibit are extinguishers, fire buckets, fire alarms, hand pumps, and hoses, and the original alarm board and switch box mechanism from the Berea Fire Station.[8]
Other fire engines include:
The museum has variety of motor vehicles with the oldest being a 1900 Clément-Panhard.[4] The Clément-Panhard took part in the 1928 Emancipation Run and finished with an average speed of 22 kph.[9] It has a 1959 Mayoral Rolls-Royce.[4]
The museum has a number of steam powered vehicles on display. From "Texas Jack", a famous steam tractor used in the Witwatersrand mines. A Sentinel steam wagon served to transport coal and haul away scrap at the mines.[10]
Other vehicles include:
The museum houses the first horse-drawn tram which was in use in Johannesburg from 1891 to 1902. It had maximum speed of 11 kilometres per hour (6.8 mph), drawn by two horses on a track laid in the middle of the road.
The museum also has the last tram ever ran from 1906 to 18 March 1961, and double-decker electric trams on display.[11]
Other trams and trolleybuses include:
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