I wouldn't normally think to visit a "technical" museum, let alone be excited to do so. I mean, that's boy stuff! So how did I end up spending an entire afternoon there? Let me count the ways...
1. I was excited to spend a day with my brother and father
2. I do like cars
3. I LOVE airplanes
4. The museum's website showed a picture of this:
Which reminds me of this:
Thus off to the National Technical Museum we go...
...AND I LOVED IT!
The National Technical Museum was founded in 1908 and is the biggest Czech institution specializing in technical museum exhibits.
TRAINS
Half-tender steam locomotive KLADNO was manufactured by the engineering works of Vienna-Raab railway in 1855. The locomotive was mainly used for the transport of coal from Kladno to Kralupy nad Vltavou. Three similar half-tender locomotives have been preserved all around the world, KLADNO being the oldest of them.
Train interiors should still look like this...
PLANES
AND AUTOMOBILES
The collection of automobiles is incredible! The exhibit includes lots of cars produced prior to WWII.
Tatra
Tatra is the third oldest car maker in the world after Daimler Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot. During WWII, Tatra was instrumental in the production of trucks and tank engines for the German war effort. production of Tatra ceased in 1999, but the company still produces a range of primarily all-wheel-drive trucks.
Being that I motor around in one myself, I have a soft spots for Audi's...especially green ones. This particular Audi is the oldest in the world and was owned by Dr. Paul Pallme-König. He dismantled it at the beginning of WWI out of fear of it being taken away, and stored it in his attic, where it remained for more than 40 years. It was reassembled after his death when it became part of the museum collection.
Top speed...70 km/hr (that's a speedy 43.5 mph!)
Yeah that last pic has nothing to do with the museum...I got carried away after seeing the carriages.
Now where were we? Ah yes, cars...
Škoda
Škoda Works was established as an arms manufacturer in 1859. Škoda is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000.
FIRE ENGINES, TOO
AND OTHER STUFF...
INCLUDING MOTORCYCLES...
AND BICYCLES
For more information about the National Technical Museum in Prague, please visit
Národní Technické Muzeum
