Formula One car
Our Stewart-Ford F1 car was raced in the 1998 Grand Prix season.
The Stewart team was set up by Scottish three-times World Motor
Racing Champion Sir Jackie Stewart and his son Paul.
The car on display is an SF-2 from the 1998 season. The SF-2 was
a completely new design, with only a few small components from its
1997 predecessor, the SF-1.
Autogyro
Our Weir W-2 autogyro was designed and built in Scotland. It
first flew in 1934. Autogyros are similar to helicopters. Both
types of aircraft have rotor blades which lift them off the
ground.
Rotors on an autogyro are not powered by an engine like
helicopter rotors. Instead the engine drives a propeller which
moves the autogyro forward. As the air flows over the rotor blades,
‘lift’ is produced, and the autogyro can take off.
Autogyros are used today mainly for sport and leisure
activities.
Wylam Dilly locomotive
The Wylam Dilly was built in 1813 and is one of the world’s two
oldest surviving steam locomotives.
The locomotive is named after the Wylam Colliery
where it was used, pulling coal along the Wylam Wagonway
to the river, near Newcastle Upon Tyne. A ‘dilly’ was the name for
the coal trucks used on the wagonway.
Previously this job had been done by horses. But a growing
demand for coal in the 1800s meant that colliery managers and
owners needed a quicker way of getting coal to their customers.
Design for speed
A winning racing car design combines speed with good handling.
On some tracks, cars with more straight line speed will take pole
position. On other tracks it will be the cars with better handling
that win.
In this interactive design game, you can select a front and rear
wing for your car, then test its speed and control out on the
track.
Green travel
The way we choose to travel has an effect on the world around
us.
Cars, buses, planes and trains all produce extra carbon dioxide,
one of the causes of climate change. You can help to reduce our
contribution to climate change by choosing transport that produces
the least carbon dioxide. Long journeys or the ones we make most
often are the most important to consider.
So are you a Green traveller? Or could you change your travel
habits? Find out how much extra carbon dioxide your travelling
produces, and get tips on how to reduce your carbon emissions.
Air track
Engineers are continually developing new ways for us to travel
further faster, and more efficiently. Learn how eliminating
friction helps a train go faster in this hands-on activity.
Experiment with our train on ordinary wheels, versus a train
running on an air track. Find out which train goes further and why
one stops before the other.
F1 test drive
Welcome to the Tour of Scotland Grand-Prix! In this Formula 1
simulator game you will sit inside an F1 car model and
drive through such tricky spots as the Bridge of Doom and Nessy
Nook, and past such national landmarks as the Eilean Donan Castle
and Ben Nevis.
You will also learn about the kind of control it takes to stay
on the track and win the race.
Please note height restrictions apply. If you are smaller than
137cm tall you may not be able to reach the pedals.