Dávid Vitézy wrote that no exhibition of this size had previously been staged in the Közlekedési Múzeum’s history of more than 125 years. “Öveket becsatolni!” was considerably larger than any exhibition once held in the museum’s former Városliget building.
The exhibition opened on 20 June during the annual Múzeumok Éjszakája, or Night of Museums. Vitézy wrote that he opened it with Prime Minister Péter Magyar before the two toured the displays in a live broadcast. He also argued at the time that Kőbánya should become the museum’s permanent home.
Restored rarities and a hands-on inspection
Ten newly restored exhibits were among the vehicles on display. They included the only surviving Csonka passenger car, an Ikarus 256 bus and the Turán 9 saloon carriage.
At one of ten interactive stations, visitors could try part of a railway carriage inspection by tapping the running gear with a hammer. This allowed the public to do more than view the large vehicles and objects: they could also experience one of the methods used to examine them.
Visitors came from across Hungary during the four-and-a-half-month run. The museum organised more than 50 guided tours and seven large events. These included the Ikarus MiniFeszt, which Vitézy described as the best-attended edition so far, and a festival of model railway layouts.
A total of 1,600 children attended 81 museum education sessions. According to Vitézy, this was a record among the exhibitions held at Északi Járműjavító to date.
A decade without a permanent exhibition
The Közlekedési Múzeum has been without a permanent exhibition for a decade. A model of the proposed new museum has already been displayed in the site’s former paint workshop, while a conditional public procurement procedure for its construction was launched in October.
Vitézy wrote that a decision on the project could be made once the final bids and available budget were known. He ended his post by saying work was under way to enable the historic halls of Északi Járműjavító to welcome visitors throughout the year.
Source: Vitézy Dávid
