We visited the Ipswich Transport Museum to explore Suffolk's rich engineering past

Did you know that Ipswich was once a power-house of industry?

Following a population boom during the industrial revolution, the medieval port became a hot bed for trade, and where there's trade, there's business.

Some big names have called the town home over the years, but by far the biggest sector was agriculture, and companies like Ransomes dominated the town. Today we explore that history.

The Ipswich Transport Museum is located in the old trolleybus depot in Cobham Road.

It houses an impressive collection of over 100 exhibits covering nearly every major industrial sector, and aims to offer a technology time-line from the early 18th century to the present - and all but one of the displays were made or used in Suffolk.

Vintage motorcycles, foldable bikes, coaches from the 1960s and even one of the first mobile cranes are all available for the public to view.

Each exhibit has a unique or interesting story, and even the way the museum started is a tall tale.

Adrian Cooper, a volunteer at the museum, said: “How it all got started was almost an accident. In the mid-1960s, a group of friends bought a Dennis Ace single-decker bus with the aim of restoring it and using it to drive with the London-to-Brighton historic commercial vehicle run. They didn’t go, and the collection kept growing from there. The bus is even still on display today.

“We want to preserve the rich history of the engineering capital of East Anglia, and we want people to know and understand this heritage.

“The museum is manned by unpaid volunteers, so all the money we get from customers goes towards maintaining the exhibits - and all restorations are done in house.”

Adrian said they want the exhibits to tell a story, and offer a time-line into how technology changes over time.

You can't turn a corner without coming across something with a stories history.

The earliest recorded item on display is a fire pump from 1732.

Emergency services are well represented, with ambulances, police cars and fire engines from across the decades on display.

The only item not from Suffolk is a horse-tram, which was taken from Cambridge, and took eight years to restore - it also features Ipswich's first and last type-D trolleybuses and an old electric tram cart.

A fact many seem to forget is that the town used to have its own car maker.

From 1966 to 1977, Trident made luxury cars in the town centre.

One is on display at the museum, which Adrian said was only one of 20 in existence.

The museum doesn't have many cars on display, as they are considered collector's items that individuals often restore by themselves.

It also dispels the myth that electric vehicles are a modern trend with lorries and car dating as far back as the 1920s, all powered by electricity, present.

Adrian said trucks and vans can also be hard to come by, as due to the nature of their work, they are often unusable by the time they finish service.

The entire history of bicycles can also be viewed at the museum, ranging from Penny Farthings to more modern models, including a nod to Stowmarket bike shop Squirrel Cycles.

There's even a lawn mower exhibit that explores their start as carpet-cutters to the time a team of students drove one, also made by Ransomes, from London to Edinburgh carrying a single haggis and a lot of beer in 1959.

Another vehicle with a fascinating story is a Ford Model T bus, which was abandoned in a bush and recovered 60 years after its finished service.

Other gems include Ipswich's first diesel bus, and two restored coaches from the 1960s.

Attendees can also see restorations in action.

Adrian said: "In total, there are about 80 of us who volunteer at the museum, which a few hundred extra we call 'friends of the museum' who help out, either through a trade or giving up some of their time.

"We have quite a back-log of potential restorations, including a bus from the 1920s and Ipswich's first trolleybus, and it's about finding the time and resources to do so.

Before moving into the old trolleybus depot, the museum worked on short leases in places like farmers' barns - and being outside meant that exhibits would deteriorate.

Once it moved in it shared the space with road-gritting lorries. Come the mid-1990s, it had the warehouse to itself, and after signing a 30-year lease with Ipswich Borough Council, the entire place was renovated.

The exhibits shown don't even scratch the service - every nook and cranny in the museum tells a story.

Adrian added: "I've been here for 11 years. When I left school, I worked on restoring vehicles, some at the museum. When I took early retirement, I decided to return.

"Our main goal is to educate the public on Ipswich's rich engineering history.

"It's often surprising how many items fall into our laps, and we try our best to keep them as faithful as possible. We've had donations from across the country and the collection continues to grow."