Sunday, June 25, 2023

England 07/05

Unless there is someone who is better at organising than I am, I prefer to do it myself rather than trust others. I do know some who organise better than I do. We wanted to go to York, to see the city and to see the train museum and R especially wanted to see York Minster. R told Sister 1 and without consultation, she organised a three night stay at a hotel and booked our train trip.

The problem was firstly we would be missing out on staying at R's oldest niece's rather spacious house with her two lads there. The following weekend would have been much better. Secondly, she booked from Sunday to Tuesday. When I checked I found the train museum was closed Mondays and Tuesdays. 

So we were missing out staying in spacious accommodation and almost missing the train museum. We arrived in York after a taxi ride to Newcastle Central and then train early on Sunday afternoon. After checking into our hotel R and I went off to the train museum. It was a short distance from York Station we caught a bus from our hotel, a five minute trip, and then found our way around to the back of the station to the museum. It was quite a walk for R and there was an easier way to get there. 

It was only a donation to enter The National Railway Museum, I think we paid £5 each. There were desperate warnings on its website to book in advance online, but it was no problem to just turn up. 

The museum was great, only marred by us fruitlessly trying to find the Flying Scotsman  locomotive. It was out on tour but there wasn't a mention of that anywhere other than elsewhere online which I found out later.

We looked at some marvellous trains, paused for coffee and a snack and looked at more trains. R's phone camera excelled with photos. Mine did not, badly affected by light coming in through windows.

Newcastle Central is quite a nice and rather large station. 

We had a bite to eat before our train arrived.


Here comes our London North Eastern Railway train. 

We crossed the River Tyne.

Oh my, our train is a long one. The fast train from London to Edinburgh has nearly killed domestic flights between London, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

The train was very nice, smooth and comfortable.  We sat at a table with two seats either side. Regardless of the terrific electronic signs at each seat indicating whether they were booked, from which station to which, some that may be booked and some available as open seating, still people sat where they shouldn't. Everyone moved when someone boarded and the arrivals had booked the seats. 


In less than a hour we were in York. We caught a taxi the short distance to our hotel, a Premier Inn in Blossom Street, which was very good.


City walls. The train used to enter through the walls but logistics ensured the station was moved outside. 


We checked into our hotel and off R and I went to the train museum. 

This is a replica of Stephenson's Rocket. There are originals around the world so I am not sure why the museum doesn't have an original.


What a pretty train.

A Japanese Shinkansen, bullet train which if not the first model, surely one from the 1960s. 

A Eurostar nose.

Early Art Deco, in my opinion. Nice.

A Royal locomotive. 

The famous Mallard train. 



This looks like a workhorse train. Substance over style.

A pump to fill the water tanks of steam locomotives. 

This train looks interesting. I will do my own research on this later as I know nothing of it.

Wow, what a train. Another I need to check out soon. My favourite I think. 

An early Eurostar locomotive. 

Made nicer by an inspired paint job.


 We were going to walk the same route home but as we left the museum, I spied a carpark and a set of stairs that looked like it led to the station. We headed that way, climbed the stairs and just walked through the station. It was a much shorter distance and I don't know why it is not promoted. It is late here and I can't be bothered checking what I have written for typos etc. 

36 comments:

  1. I'm rather envious of your visit to the train museum. I've visited various railway exhibits in my time but not the pinnacle of excellence that is the National Collection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Graham, while it was good, I think Tokyo's is superior with frequent turntable demonstrations, the ability to get inside train carriages, hands on tram driving while stationary, and to get there, you use a rubber tyred train from the nearest station. The cafe overlooks tracks where bullet trains fly past as well. I've seen a few, and I do think Tokyo's is the best.

      Delete
  2. Apparently my first ever sentence was 'do it self', so I do understand your preference for organising yourself.
    That museum looks right up your alley - and I am glad for you and R that you found a shorter way back to the hotel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EC, it was a big day and R was very weary, so I am pleased we found a shorter way back.

      Delete
  3. The East Coast Main Line between Edinburgh and York through Newcastle is one of my favourite railway journeys. As regards the museum, I could tell you far more about many of those locomotives than even you would want to hear.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am pleased you have such extensive knowledge Tasker. You can be my go to person for English loco information. Actually I do already know a number of people with extensive knowledge.

      Delete
  4. I have visited York and its Railway Museum twice and would gladly go many times more. A wonderful place.
    My last visit was more than 30 years ago and there was no Japanese Shinkansen bullet train there then, although I have travelled on one from Tokyo since.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great, JayCee. It was a bit exciting for me to travel on Eurostar for the first time, but nothing like I felt travelling up and back the east coast of Japan on a Shink. The comfort factor made all the difference.

      Delete
  5. I'm so glad that you got to the museum. I was there in 2013 and loved it. I really liked York.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow Pat. It is such a good experience. York is brilliant and we barely touched the sides.

      Delete
  6. She should have checked with you for other plans and coordinated. Nonetheless, nice trains at the museum and I sure wish we had such an easy efficient public train transit here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. R should have told her that we needed to check details before she booked. I had an inkling already that she had booked when oldest niece's house was free for us.

      Delete
  7. I was in Newcastle upon Tyne for a diploma in urodynamics. It was a fun time in the university town. The transportation museum is a better show than the ones I get to see here in Australia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, as you have said Roentare. It is a good and lively city. If you ever get the chance, visit the brilliant Tokyo transport museum.

      Delete
  8. Trains always needed great stations, and your photo of Newcastle Central looks both functional and handsome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hels, yes it works very well. York is good too, inside at least.

      Delete
  9. A fellow train aficionado here and I would have loved that museum. I remember my first steam engine ride when I was 3 years old and my love affair started on that day. I had to be pried away from the open window, my delight knew no bounds. Such a vivid memory. East Cork Railway. Midleton to Cork City.
    XO
    WWW

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WWW, that would have been when steam trains were still in service. Train travel was a bit more exciting back then for children.

      Delete
  10. I didn't notice any typos. The stations and trains all look very nice. I do prefer the old steam engines still, but modern speed is very welcome. I like the idea of a walled city.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a wonder about the lack of typos River. So many cities in England are walled. Some have lost most of their walls but York certainly hasn't. I like both leisurely train speeds and fast trains.

      Delete
  11. A train has nearly killed domestic flights. Imagine that! Things do come full circle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kirk, literally great trains and train services in Italy killed the national Alitalia airline. France has enacted a ban on short international and local flights. It is the way to go.

      Delete
  12. We have a lot of model trains, because my husband is/has been building a railway set (for years!) The engines are impressive in miniature, even more so in actuality. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit. York is a lovely city.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's interesting. I took a couple of vids of an operating miniature train system at the museum. I will put them up at some point. We did love York.

      Delete
  13. Great photos of the trains, I did enjoy looking at them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Margaret. It was great to see some trains I had heard about for a long time.

      Delete
  14. Nice train museum, I didn't know that was there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TP, maybe another place to add to your English list.

      Delete
  15. I make all our plans whether with John or friends. Call me Bossy.
    I love taking the train in Europe, I wish we had better train service. We have a tiny train museum that I like. It also has an outdoor space.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I would happily let you take control Jackie. Toronto and Montreal have good public transport, but you are really long distance high speed trains, and given your topography, that won't happen beyond between major central cities. I looked at your train museum and it is clear that it lacks space.

      Delete
  16. I remember those "early" Eurostar locomotives, I believe. (I first rode the Eurostar in 2000. Would it have been in use then?) It's great to have someone figure out the logistics for you, even if there were some slight hiccups.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve, I should think that train would have been in use then. The trip to York ended up being fine but I would have planned it a little differently.

      Delete
  17. Organising trips is challenging. We have to balance so many things. Glad to see you had been to River Tyne. I have a good old friend who lives in Newcastle. And I am planning a trip there, in about a year's times. I have never been to Europe. Looking forward to it.

    (By the way, in case you have subscribed to the feed of my blog, you might have been experiencing disruptions in the feed updates.
    My blog feed wasn't being picked up by some feed readers.
    May be you would like to update the feed subscription with this feed URL:
    https://follow.it/bpradeepnair?pub
    Thank you.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pradeep. Europe really opened my eyes and still does each time I visit. You should have a great time.
      Yes, this morning my reader is showing 23 new posts from you. I am sure there are not that many unread. I'll look very shortly.

      Delete
    2. Ok, sorted that out. I unsubscribed then resubscribed using your link.

      Delete

Friday Funnies

I've never quite learnt the definition of memes and I can't be bothered, but I think these are memes? I've gathered them from di...