National Railway Museum - York

[hurstg01]

I'm taking my Dad up by train from Sandhurst, Berkshire, to York for his 80th Birthday treat in early October, spending a couple of nights up there in an AirBnB before Training it back home.

I want to take him to Whitby by train for a day, then spend the other day in the National Railway Museum. I havent been there before but he has and he's a bit technically minded, and has his own O gauge set up in his garage leading to his back room so I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of getting 'behind the scenes' at the museum and look at some of their archive rooms, technical drawings, that sort of thing?

Cheers

Greg

[chopper602]

hurstg01 said:

I'm taking my Dad up by train from Sandhurst, Berkshire, to York for his 80th Birthday treat in early October, spending a couple of nights up there in an AirBnB before Training it back home.

I want to take him to Whitby by train for a day, then spend the other day in the National Railway Museum. I havent been there before but he has and he's a bit technically minded, and has his own O gauge set up in his garage leading to his back room so I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of getting 'behind the scenes' at the museum and look at some of their archive rooms, technical drawings, that sort of thing?

Cheers

Greg

if you're thinking of going to Whitby by train from York, then you might want to reconsider. Although the line through the Esk Valley is beautiful, it's extremely slow and from York, you'll have to go via Middlesbrough.

[hurstg01]

chopper602 said:

hurstg01 said:

I'm taking my Dad up by train from Sandhurst, Berkshire, to York for his 80th Birthday treat in early October, spending a couple of nights up there in an AirBnB before Training it back home.

I want to take him to Whitby by train for a day, then spend the other day in the National Railway Museum. I havent been there before but he has and he's a bit technically minded, and has his own O gauge set up in his garage leading to his back room so I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of getting 'behind the scenes' at the museum and look at some of their archive rooms, technical drawings, that sort of thing?

Cheers

Greg

if you're thinking of going to Whitby by train from York, then you might want to reconsider. Although the line through the Esk Valley is beautiful, it's extremely slow and from York, you'll have to go via Middlesbrough.

Cheers, I was thinking of going by train from York to Whitby, but not knowing the area its good to have this info. We are in no rush to get there, but Middlesborough, sheesh,

[Scotty2]

Get to Pickering from York. Go from Pickering to Whitby on the NYMR by steam. That would add pleasure value.

https://www.nymr.co.uk/pages/category/book-tickets

[paddy1970]

You can go to Pickering by bus from York : https://www.transdevbus.co.uk/coastliner/

(or by train to Malton then bus/taxi to Pickering)

[chopper602]

Scotty2 said:

Get to Pickering from York. Go from Pickering to Whitby on the NYMR by steam. That would add pleasure value.
https://www.nymr.co.uk/pages/category/book-tickets

The is no regular station in Pickering other than the NYMR . . .

Train to Malton, then slow bus to Pickering

[dundarach]

Get the train to Grosmont on the NYMR and go to the engine sheds, he'll love it!!!!

[chopper602]

hurstg01 said:

Cheers, I was thinking of going by train from York to Whitby, but not knowing the area its good to have this info. We are in no rush to get there, but Middlesborough, sheesh,

Nothing wrong with M'bro, it's got a nice station

[edthefed]

The main hall in the NRM is "dumbed down" to the level of a tourist attraction

There is an area just off the main hall which is open to the public and includes smaller items in the collection that are in storage rather than displayed as such. There is also a gallery overlooking the workshop area

There is also an archive section which was closed during covid but has according to the website now reopened a couple of days a week and that has access to drawings etc but prebooking is advisable - have a look at NRM archive / research

There is now a footbridge direct from York Station to the museum entrance

[edthefed]

Also getting to Whitby from York by train is problematic

Even if you get to Pickering the North Yorks Moors Railway only runs infrequently to Whutby and tickets need to be prebooked.

Have you thought of going the other way - heading to Leeds and onto Keighley for the Keighley and Worth Valley railway - steam hauled from Keighley to Oxenhope via Howarth ?

There is a museum of vintage carriages at one of the stations, the main workshops are in the station yard at Howarth and if you ask you may be allowed inside especially if you have an interest in technical matters

[hurstg01]

dundarach said:

Get the train to Grosmont on the NYMR and go to the engine sheds, he'll love it!!!!

Now that sounds like a plan and something I need to look in to - cheers

chopper602 said:

hurstg01 said:

Cheers, I was thinking of going by train from York to Whitby, but not knowing the area its good to have this info. We are in no rush to get there, but Middlesborough, sheesh,

Nothing wrong with M'bro, it's got a nice station

Might be worth a look there too, cheers

edthefed said:

The main hall in the NRM is "dumbed down" to the level of a tourist attraction

There is an area just off the main hall which is open to the public and includes smaller items in the collection that are in storage rather than displayed as such. There is also a gallery overlooking the workshop area

There is also an archive section which was closed during covid but has according to the website now reopened a couple of days a week and that has access to drawings etc but prebooking is advisable - have a look at NRM archive / research

There is now a footbridge direct from York Station to the museum entrance

Great info, thanks. I’ve heard back from the museums ‘Search Engine’ which sounds like what I am after for him.

It was going to be a surprise on the day of leaving Sandhurst as to what we were going to do, but I May have let a little part of the secret slip as I need some ideas off him as to what he’d like to research; more cunning thinking needed I think

edthefed said:

Also getting to Whitby from York by train is problematic

Even if you get to Pickering the North Yorks Moors Railway only runs infrequently to Whutby and tickets need to be prebooked.

Have you thought of going the other way - heading to Leeds and onto Keighley for the Keighley and Worth Valley railway - steam hauled from Keighley to Oxenhope via Howarth ?

There is a museum of vintage carriages at one of the stations, the main workshops are in the station yard at Howarth and if you ask you may be allowed inside especially if you have an interest in technical matters

Another option I’ll have to look in to, cheers

[Collectingbrass]

If he's modelling anything or anywhere particular you could ask to see whether the NRM can pull their archives for that.

He may also appreciate this collection of their archive drawings

[Tony1963]

Hijack warning.

Is there a Napier Deltic engine on display at the museum?

[darkyoung1000]

hurstg01 said:

I'm taking my Dad up by train from Sandhurst, Berkshire, to York for his 80th Birthday treat in early October, spending a couple of nights up there in an AirBnB before Training it back home.

I want to take him to Whitby by train for a day, then spend the other day in the National Railway Museum. I havent been there before but he has and he's a bit technically minded, and has his own O gauge set up in his garage leading to his back room so I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of getting 'behind the scenes' at the museum and look at some of their archive rooms, technical drawings, that sort of thing?

Cheers

Greg

Not much more to add to the excellent advice already given, but worth noting that depending on his preferences, the Network Rail archives are based at Clifton Moor in York

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/our-histo...

They might (or might not) entertain a visit in person to see some of their archive drawings.

Plenty of good places to stay close to the station (and over the other side of the river - a short walk over the bridge too.
Hope you have a cracking time!

[Fusion777]

Tony1963 said:

Hijack warning.

Is there a Napier Deltic engine on display at the museum?

There definitely used to be- not been for some years.

[aeropilot]

edthefed said:

The main hall in the NRM is "dumbed down" to the level of a tourist attraction

Yep.

I visited there for first and only time back in 2013 to see the 6 x A4's on display......by train from Kings X, and while it was great to see the 6 x A4's all together, the rest of the museum was a massive disappointment.

Edited by aeropilot on Sunday 7th August 21:18

[zarlak]

I Was at Grosmont on Tuesday, lovely spot...

[MitchT]

Have a look at the NRM on Google maps. If you click the streetview man you can click into various internal views. I can easily lose a whole day there.

Here's a big room full of interesting bits and bobs...
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.9601205,-1.0954207...

[Maxdecel]

Fusion777 said:

Tony1963 said:

Hijack warning.

Is there a Napier Deltic engine on display at the museum?

There definitely used to be- not been for some years.

2012 Can't imagine they'd remove it.

[Tony1963]

Maxdecel said:

2012 Can't imagine they'd remove it.

Thanks to both of you. Fingers crossed that I can visit for the first time in over 40 years…