National Railway Museum, York, England

York is the county town of Yorkshire, England, and this historic city has much to offer visitors.

The River Ouse runs through York and tourists can hop on a boat for a trip along the river.

Visitors to York can also shop in various retail outlets that vary from modern to quirky and even unique. There are cafes, bars, pubs, and restaurants galore but as York can be very busy at most times of the year thank your lucky stars there are.

Visit the Shambles area for a glimpse at olde worlde York or walk the ancient walls that still surround part of the city. Visit in springtime and the grassy areas around the walls are a golden glow of daffodils.

There are ghost walks and interesting places to visit in this reasonable small city and one of the city's and country's exceptional museums is the National Railway Museum.

You do not have to be a railway enthusiast to visit the N.R.M. at York but some interest helps.

That said however the National Railway Museum fascinates young and old, families, couples and singles and men and women. There is something for everyone with some quirky interactive displays too.

This museum has a good program of events so check out its website before arranging a visit to the N.R.M. or the museum and York.

The N.R.M. has expanded substantially since I used to visit as a child decades ago. Now with a huge collection of locomotives from around the world, some dating back to the early years of steam trains, it offers children an educational and fun visit.

There are different halls to this museum housing different trains and means of transport and most of the halls are huge.

In some cases trains are displayed along platforms and visitors can climb aboard for a taste of rail travel of old.

Other trains, however, are displayed at ground level allowing the visitor to get a full sense of the size of engines, their power and yes their magnificence.

There are some old carriages undergoing renovations as well as pristine restored carriages and engines that look brand new.

Whether the weather is clement or not make sure you visit the outside of the N.R.M.

When we visited in 2012 the Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter series of films was on display in an outer goods yard.

The best way to experience the National Railway Museum of York is to visit yourself. The images offer a glimpse of what is on offer but the locomotives are so impressive in the flesh.

The nearest airport to York is Leeds-Bradford about 30 miles or just over 48km away.

We took the tourist or road train across York to the N.R.M. This train, which takes you to the museum entrance:-

• Leaves the museum every 30 minutes, 11.00–16.00
• Leaves Duncombe Place every 30 minutes, 11.15–16.15

Current prices are

• Children £2 each way
• Adults £3 each way

When we visited there was a discount for seniors.

There are good public transport links to York.

We stayed in Bed and Breakfast accommodation for a long weekend. It was within easy walking distance of the main attractions but far enough away to avoid the hustle and bustle of a busy tourist city.

York is a good base to visit the resorts of Whitby and Scarborough and the cities of Leeds and Hull.

Refreshments

There are various places you can grab a drink or a snack in the N.R.M. We enjoyed a pot of tea at a cafe on one of the station platforms in the Museum.

Visiting the N.R.M.

This museum is free to enter, though you give a donation and is open daily 10.00–18.00

Location

National Railway Museum
Leeman Road
York YO26 4XJ

Telephone Enquiries

Tel:- 03330 161 010 (Monday–Friday, 09.00–17.00; calls charged at your provider’s usual rate).

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