The Ipswich Transport Museum has existed as a collection for almost sixty years. Established by local enthusiasts with the acquisition of just one old bus in 1965, it was soon augmented by local fire engines, commercial vehicles (among them a Ransomes electric truck) and examples of Ipswich's engineering products, such as a very early mobile crane. From the very early days, the ethos was always to preserve and acquire vehicles and material of local historic relevance to Ipswich. Almost every exhibit in the museum was made or used in the town, and in this respect, the collection is thought to be unique. The one major exception is our 1880s horse tram, which was actually used in Cambridge, but is very similar to those employed during that period in Ipswich. It is one of a number of successful and very high profile restorations that the museum has undertaken, and now sits in pride of place next to our 1903 Ipswich electric tramcar. 

For the first 25 years or so, the fledgling collection clung onto existence at a variety of rented agricultural premises around Suffolk, with vehicles moved 'pillar to post' at regular intervals. Rent and restoration projects were funded by donations and subscriptions, and the hugely popular, annual Ipswich to Felixstowe Historic Vehicle Run was originally devised in the early 1970s as a major fundraising event. Fast forward to the early 1980s, and an opportunity to acquire both storage and workshop space within Ipswich Borough Transport's Priory Heath depot arose. With the deregulation of the bus industry, these premises eventually became surplus to the borough owned bus company, and the museum was allowed to adopt 'The Old Trolleybus Depot' as a permanent base.

The museum was made ready to open to the public in the early 1990s, and has since then gone from strength to strength. It is open regularly at weekends and during local school holidays, with the exception of the coldest winter months. In 2019, the total number of annual visitors exceeded 10,000 for the first time, an important milestone for an entirely voluntary, self funding organisation. Themed events are held at intervals to showcase various aspects of the collection, and today the ITM is probably best known for the large number of local trams, trolleybuses and motorbuses that it has preserved for posterity.

The museum's latest major project is the restoration of a 1920s Tilling Stevens Petrol-Electric motorbus. This is a very rare survivor indeed, being one of just six built with bodywork by Ransomes Sims & Jeffries for the Eastern Counties Roadcar Company, which was headquartered in Ipswich. The ECRC had been established in 1919 largely with the interest and assistance of the national transport firm of Thomas Tilling Ltd. Thomas Tilling operated large fleets of buses in London and Brighton under their own name, and prior to WWI, had evolved their own unique design of motorbus chassis, utilising a fairly conventional petrol engine, but very unorthodox form of electric transmission. By coupling a large traction dynamo to the engine flywheel, clutch and gears were totally dispensed with, the driver propelled these vehicles along simply by manipulating a resistance lever and throttle pedal to vary the current generated, which in turn supplied the large mid mounted traction motor. The vehicles were sturdy, reliable, and smooth running, and uncomplicated to drive and maintain. Tilling Stevens motorbuses of the TS3 and the larger TS3A type formed the majority of the ECRC fleet, for their first 10 years of motorbus operation in Suffolk.

Rapidly rendered obsolete by advances in conventional motor vehicle technology, few now survive. The museum is fortunate to have rediscovered the remains of one of these vehicles in late 2013, and has worked ever since to complete the kit of parts needed to resurrect a 100+ year old motorbus, running on solid rubber tyres. 

The body, as discovered in Witnesham, a village just outside Ipswich, in 2013. It was subsequently donated to the ITM, and collected in 2014. It initially was put on undercover display, but was later put into safe storage. 

10 years of carefully acquiring spare parts, and the assistance of a generous legacy from the late Roger Harrison, meant that in 2021 we were able to acquire a donor chassis of the correct TS3A type to match our body. The Ransomes bus body was mounted onto the chassis for the first time in 2024, and found to be a perfect fit.

Much work now needs to be done to secure the future of this vehicle for generations to come. It is believed to constitute the earliest surviving motorbus to have worked in Ipswich, and also the oldest surviving 'Eastern Counties' motorbus. 

So far we have:

Re-instated spoked wheels and solid tyres (new) on the front axle.

Stripped and repainted the chassis frame and bonnet assembly.

Rebuilt the carburettor and magneto, enabling the chassis to be reliably started up and driven to move it around the museum workshops.

Sourced and commissioned new aluminium castings for the engine water branches (using 3D printing technology to create patterns). 

Relocated the traction dynamo to the proper mounting position, and begun manufacture of new spring coupling for the dynamo drive.

Carried out some conservation work to the remains of the Ransomes body, and begun to mock up the new platform and staircase assembly. 

The appeal

So far the museum has invested around £40k in this project to make it a viable restoration, and we have raised (as of September 2024) an additional £45k to start the work needed on this important survivor.

We are appealing for funds, because it is expected to require at least an additional £60k to see it through to roadworthy completion. The body restoration will be hugely expensive due to the vast quantity of replacement timber required, and the skilled labour that will be needed to make best use of the material. The cab, seats, interior and upper deck structure will have to be created new, from scratch. Fortunately, some patterns and just a couple of similar surviving vehicles exist as useful examples to copy, in some details. The sheer size and cost of the project means that any donation, no matter how large or small, will be hugely appreciated by the ITM and the small team of Tilling Stevens volunteers.

If you want to be able to see and enjoy a 100 odd-years old, solid tyred, open topped, open staircase petrol-electric motorbus, restored and operational in a public museum collection within the next five years, here is your golden opportunity to assist us in our aim.

 Thankyou