Steam locos, memorabilia, a stuffed dog and much more at the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Last month I finally got to visit the fabulous Railway Museum in York, a veritable cornucopia of railway history, stuffed full of historic locomotives, carriages, rolling stock and railway memorabilia.

Incredibly, entrance to the museum is free and there’s enough there to keep you entertained for hours on end, although sadly my visit had to be brief as I had a train to catch. Here’s some photos from my hour or so in the museum, which I thoroughly recommend!

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Located a short walk from York station on the the former York North locomotive depot, the National Railway Museum displays a collection of over 100 locomotives and nearly 300 other items of rolling stock, virtually all of which either ran on the railways of Great Britain or were built there.

The largest museum of its type in Britain, the museum attracted 727,000 visitors during the 2014/15 financial year, and covers a 20 acre site, displaying hundreds of thousands of items and records of social, technical, artistic and historical interest.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Once a bizarre fixture at Wimbledon Station, “Laddie” is a stuffed Airedale Terrier that was used to collect funds for the LSWR Orphanage.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Ornate Pooley table top weighing machine, formerly of the North Eastern Railway.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

There’s some beautiful old carriages on display.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

This splendidly ornate cast iron, single stall urinal, was located at Curthwaite Station on the Maryport & Carlisle Railway. It is believed to be manufactured by George Smith & Company, Sun Foundry Glasgow, c. 1870-1890.

A larger, but equally elaborate, urinal used to stand outside Brixton station in south London.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Urinal detail.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Turning the brake in the guard’s van.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Great Northern Railway 0-6-0ST steam locomotive, No 1247, built in 1899.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

I’ve always wanted to take a look inside a travelling post office railway carriage!

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

The mechanism for picking up mail on the move.  See demonstration below:

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Inside a BR Pullman train.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Nifty BR goods truck.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

L&SWR platform ticket machine.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Wagon detail

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

London Midland & Scottish Railway United Dairies milk wagon, 1937.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

There’s some fine locos on display although not enough of the magnificent Great Western Railway for my tastes!

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Dining carriage.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Inspecting the engine controls.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Enamel signs.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

LMS Crab 2-6-0 locomotive.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Royal train.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Outside, an 0-6-0 diesel shunter was on display.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

£3 earned us an enjoyable ride on the looping track of the miniature railway.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

The ride took us past several items in the yard.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Japanese Bullet Train, which once whisked passengers along at speeds of just over 130mph..

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Bullet train and Eurostar train.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Spacious, airline-style seating inside the Bullet train.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

This immense Chinese Government Railways Steam Locomotive 4-8-4 KF Class No 7 was built by Vulcan Foundry at at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire in 1935.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

The Chinese locomotive is the largest single locomotive in the museum, standing over 15 foot tall and more than 93 feet long, and was the largest single-unit locomotives ever built in the UK. It is truly mahoosive.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Southern Railway commuter carriage.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

The world famous Mallard.

On 3 July 1938, the A4 class locomotive raced down Stoke Bank at 126mph to set a new steam locomotive world speed record . That record still stands today.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Pipes’n’schizzle.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

This was my favourite, the 1934 Diesel Railcar No 4 built by the Great Western Railway.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

I go all a-quiver when I see that chocolate and cream livery!

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

The Southern Railway Q1 was built in 1942 to a design by the innovative OVS Bulleid for the Southern Railway to help deal with the huge increase in rail traffic caused by the Second World War.

Under wartime ‘austerity’ materials were in short supply, hence the pug-ugly locomotive comes without a ‘running board’ above the wheels.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Replica of the “Huskisson” railway carriage which ran on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Working replica of Stephenson’s Rocket, widely acclaimed as the world’s first modern steam locomotive, constructed with many components that became standard on all future design.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Cutaway showing the gubbins of a loco.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Locomotives are stationed around a working turntable.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

BR Diesel.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

Great Western Railway steam loco, 4-6-0 No 4003 “Lode Star”, designed by G.J. Churchward, built at Swindon in 1907, and withdrawn in 1951.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

BR C-C Diesel-Hydraulic Class 52 No D1023 “Western Fusilier”, built in 1963 and once seen thundering around former Great Western tracks.

In photos: a look around the wonderful Railway Museum in York

This SE&CR steam loco was running short trips but we sadly ran out of time so didn’t get to take a ride.

Visit the National Railway Museum
Leeman Road
York
YO26 4XJ
Tel: 0844 815 3139

Opening times: 10am – 6pm
(Closed 24, 25, 26 Dec)

Admission: Free

http://www.nrm.org.uk/

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