‘Tram Man’ gets museum rail vehicles BACK ON TRACK

Glasgow’s Riverside Museum faces just such a dilemma, for none of its exhibits, ranging from the mighty South African Railways class 15F class 4-8-2 No. 3007, through Highland Railway Jones Goods 4-6-0 No. 103 and, right down the scale to Glasgow horse tram No. 543, actually run, although the museum has provided several interactive displays to bring the rolling stock to life as far as possible.

But, the museum has a secret weapon which it deploys on Mondays, in the shape of ‘Tram Man’. Fifty-seven-year-old Iain Simpson, of the museum’s education and access staff, dons an authentic Glasgow Corporation Tramways inspector’s cap from the early 1900s. He adds a replica, heavy green serge, brass-buttoned, motorman’s coat, which includes special black mourning cuff bands, introduced to mark the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, and sets forth to tell the story of Glasgow’s transport on rails.

The 11am and 2pm tours are entirely free, and the participants are attracted by two announcements over the museum public address, plus a mighty, town crier-style, live address to the