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.