Visit to London

This topic has 21 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 13 July 2012 at 20:50 by magpie.

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26 September 2010 at 16:19 #21731
Mark Bus
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@markbus97330
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26 September 2010 at 16:19 #56132
Mark Bus
Participant
@markbus97330
Greetings,

I’m laying over in London for 12 hours on a trip to Nepal in October. Can anyone recommend a day trip into London that would be of interest to a model engineer?
26 September 2010 at 17:25 #56135
Paul Boscott
Participant
@paulboscott25817
Mark
If faced with a similar situation I would start with the Science Museum

you could spend all day there

Check with SMEE to see if there is someone at home on the day

At
Marshall House
28 Wanless Road
London
SE24 0HW

I was warmly welcomed given a conducted tour of the building from the archive on the top floor to the machine tools in the basement. I also had a coffee and a chat.

Then on to see the Harrison clocks at Greenwich (read the book Longitude first)

If there was time left a walk down the hill to the Naval Museum

Paul Boscott

Edited By Paul Boscott on 26/09/2010 17:30:27
26 September 2010 at 17:27 #56136
oilcan
Participant
@oilcan
it’s been many years since i was in london, but if i remember correctly, the science museum has a large collection of models displaying the development of the steam engine. superb model of King GEorge V as well.

as I intend to go for a weekend to see the model engineer exhibition this december i hope some of the forum members who live down south can suggest other places to visit.
26 September 2010 at 18:34 #56138
Rhys Owen
Participant
@rhysowen69347
You could try a visit to the Kew Bridge Steam museum.
26 September 2010 at 18:47 #56139
Billy Mills
Participant
@billymills
Four more for the list:-

Imperial War Museum Lambeth

RAF Museum Hendon N London

Dehavilland Museum near J22 M25

London Transport Museum

One place only would have to be the Science Museum for non clock people or

Greenwich to see the real Harrisons running ( except H4) . Would agree to read the book however the Channel 4 film Longitude is stunning from the brilliant tracking shot start to the last frame.

In 12 hours, Tube to Science museum then tube to Westminster, boat down Thames to Greenwich, past Cutty Sark remains to see clocks and the meridian lines then rush to airport.

Regards,

Alan.
26 September 2010 at 20:57 #56143
Axel Bentell
Participant
@axelbentell
I could spend a whole life visiting museums in London. I can also reccomend Brussels war museum (better than Lieg&#233, it has a hangar with tanks and planes, and guns of course, including gages for the making of muskets, its a trip you will want to make over and over!
27 September 2010 at 06:11 #56151
Sam Stones
Participant
@samstones42903
I was very disappointed with my visit to the London Science Museum back in 1972.

My reasons?

1. I only had an afternoon to spare before catching the train back to Manchester.

2. I had my six year old son with me and, with all the excitement, he was soon worn out.

3. We migrated to Australia a few weeks later.

Conclusion?

You could spend months if not years in a place like that.

Sam

Edited By Sam Stones on 27/09/2010 06:13:36
27 September 2010 at 09:24 #56155
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
On one famous occasion (for me at least) I was on the top floor of the Science Museum, all was quiet, when a voice said “Excuse me Sir, we do want to close today” I was so deep in concentration that I had not noticed everybody else had left!!

Edited By KWIL on 27/09/2010 09:24:36
27 September 2010 at 10:13 #56156
DMB
Participant
@dmb
Here`s another 4 model engineers visiting `the smoke` –

Rotherhythe Museum, only a small one, relates to adjacent Brunel tunnel under the Thames.

John
27 September 2010 at 10:48 #56157
Steve Garnett
Participant
@stevegarnett62550
I was going to mention the Rotherhythe museum, but I’m afraid that it was going to be a ‘don’t go out of your way’ type of mention. I went fairly recently and it’s small, with not much more to see than a few wall displays. Of course if you want to find out about the history of the tunnel it’s pretty reasonable… I still haven’t quite got over Mark Brunel’s picture of how a river tunnel works. I’m not going to describe it, it really has to be seen!

Yes it really is a small museum…

Just the building with the chimney, and half of it’s the entrance and café.
27 September 2010 at 11:44 #56159
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
If anyones interested there’s an artical in 1956 ME vol 114 no 2860 by C. E. Page “The First Thames Tunnel”, quite interesting. Ian S C
27 September 2010 at 14:56 #56166
Gordon W
Participant
@gordonw
If I had to go to London again, definitely the Science Museum, spend the rest of the day researching railway related beers, failing that stick to London Pride. Is this of topic?
28 September 2010 at 02:07 #56184
John Olsen
Participant
@johnolsen79199
My Mum and Dad popped into the Science museum early in the morning on their way past just to get some brochures etc to plan a full visit later in their stay. They too were asked to leave when it reached closing time…..

regards

John
28 September 2010 at 09:07 #56199
Nicholas Farr
Participant
@nicholasfarr14254
Hi, I went to the Science Museum around 1970. One thing I remember seeing was a large plump bob suspended from a fairly high point over some lines marked on the floor arranged in a small arc. Apparently they used to start swinging the bob over the centre line, i.e. the 0 axis, first thing in the morning and by the late afternoon I think it had moved round in a clockwise direction and was swinging over one of the other lines. I can’t remember what the degree seperation of the lines were or how many lines were maked on the floor, but the idea of the exercise was to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth on is own axis. I don’t know if this is still there or not.

Regards Nick.
10 October 2010 at 22:15 #56766
Sub Mandrel
Participant
@submandrel
An example of Focault’s Pendulum.

I read the book, by, I think, Umberto Eco, but I can’t remember the plot.

Neil W.
13 July 2012 at 09:59 #94320
Nicholas Farr
Participant
@nicholasfarr14254
Hi, I know this is an old thread, but yesterday I took a visit to London myself. I managed to get to the Science Museum for a couple of hours or so later in the afternoon and was eager to see if Foucault's Pendulum was still their. Well apart from the whole layout of the museum being totally changed since my first ever visit, indeed they still have the Pendulum. Instead of markings engraved into to the floor (as I remember it) it has two raised quadrants opposite to each other, separated by a small circular block. One quadrant is marked out in degrees 0 to 90 and the other quadrant is marked out in time 10.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs.The pendulum is 22.45 metres long and is keep in motion by an electrical impulse system.

There are a few more photo's of some other items that may be of interest to you, in my Science Museum album.

Regards Nick.
13 July 2012 at 11:22 #94327
Cornish Jack
Participant
@cornishjack
Foucault's Pendulum? memories from very young having a set of Children's Encyclopedia in which was a very atmospheric drawing of the Pendulum. Made my first visit to Paris for a training conference about eight years ago and the boss agreed to my staying over for a night stop. Grabbed the Metro with no idea where to go, so booked to the first station I recognised – Notre Dame. Left the station and wandered – saw a big church on top of a slope , popped in and found myself in the Pantheon memorials to the French greats, Victor Hugo et al and … suspended from the ENORMOUS dome – Foucault's Pendulum – the original!!! Selected for the original experiment, apparently, because the suspension length (300'?) would allow it to act as though it was detached from the Earth.Quite, quite amazing.
13 July 2012 at 12:04 #94332
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
Like the lathe, I imagine it had a lot of work done to it before going on display, we hav'nt come that far in the last 200 years have we. Ian S C
13 July 2012 at 13:36 #94335
John Haine
Participant
@johnhaine32865
With travel and checkin time, you may not have as much time as you hope. The best value venue for just one visit will ne the science museum ad others have suggested.
13 July 2012 at 15:52 #94355
maurice bennie
Participant
@mauricebennie99556
A visit to ABBEYWOOD SE29AQ on the south bank of the THAMES to see 4 enormous steam engines 42 feet beam 25 foot dia flywheel .one has been restored and can be seen in steam (check to find out when.)These are the engines which were desined by Joseph Bazaljette and made by J.Watts to pump the sewerage from London.

There is road works going on so check to see what is happening.
13 July 2012 at 20:50 #94373
magpie
Participant
@magpie
HI John & Maurice. Did you check the date at the start of this thread ? I think Mark may have been and gone by now !!!!

Cheers Derek
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