What is new in the rail museum in york?

[Steweyy92]

Im going up to york museum in the next month and just wondering if anything new has happened or is new in there ?

[john new]

I've seen on Twitter or Facebook they've had a shunt around of the exhibits but the post didn't say if any of the collection had been swapped in/out with reserve items or exchanged to/from Locomotion. Depending on when you were last there the Eurostar is a a fairly new addition.

[cal.n]

I think Galatea is based there at the moment for Scarborough Spa Expresses from York and Sir Nigel Gresely is in progressively smaller bits in the workshop.

 

Enjoy.

[uax6]

For sale signs???

[Liam]

I think Galatea is based there at the moment for Scarborough Spa Expresses from York and Sir Nigel Gresely is in progressively smaller bits in the workshop.

 

Enjoy.

Last went there in January and all 'number 7' had was its frames and cab - everything else was probably in bits!

 

I don't know how long it's been there but I noticed a GWR Streamlined Railcar in the Great Hall, I swear that used to be at Didcot. Hope the model railway is working when you go; wasn't when I went up.  

[Steamport Southport]

I believe the DRC is the one from Swindon, No 4. I think 6000 King George V went the other way as an exchange.

 

 

 

Jason

[brack]

Empty spaces with blue heritage plaques telling us that a certain loco lived here between the following dates?

[caradoc]

Earlier this month the cafe in the Main Hall was closed for refurbishment (although nothing was happening when I was there), and in the Station Hall they wanted over £11 for a 'Premium Sandwich' ! I lunched elsewhere.

[bennyboy]

Earlier this month the cafe in the Main Hall was closed for refurbishment (although nothing was happening when I was there), and in the Station Hall they wanted over £11 for a 'Premium Sandwich' ! I lunched elsewhere.

 

But they are actually historical artefacts recovered from a 1970s Buffet car.

[meatloaf]

Last went there in January and all 'number 7' had was its frames and cab - everything else was probably in bits!

 

I don't know how long it's been there but I noticed a GWR Streamlined Railcar in the Great Hall, I swear that used to be at Didcot. Hope the model railway is working when you go; wasn't when I went up.  

 

I went whilst on holiday at primrose valley. The layout was working in a fashion but the only trains running were an 08 pulling  a brake van and a pannier on a short goods.

 

Don't remember seeing galatea there tho.

 

2 of my 3 favourite engines of all time were there, mallard and evening star. Evening star hits you as soon as you walk in. Sounds daft but you don't appreciate how massive these machines are until youre dwarfed by them.

 

Quite liked seeing the cut up engine, ellerman Lines that shows how it all works.

[Nick Gough]

I believe the DRC is the one from Swindon, No 4. I think 6000 King George V went the other way as an exchange.

 

 

 

Jason

No 4 was at Didcot for a couple of years in the early 1970s:-

[Sir Hadyn]

There was a big shunt around of the Great Hall two weeks ago to create areas and placing of locos that have common stories and themes. I wrote all the labels for them the other week. We also have a P class from Bluebell visiting for yard operations and the Ambulance Train display is well worth a look for the human story of rail and conflict.

[caradoc]

I should have said, on a more positive note, that regardless of catering arrangements the NRM is worth a visit at any time. As well as the collection of locos and stock (does anywhere else in the world have such a large and varied fleet ?), the Warehouse collection of artefacts could on its own take a day to study properly, and the Works gives an interesting overview of railway history. Even the Gift Shop has an interesting selection of railway books, as well as the usual items directed at non-enthusiasts.

[Unicorn1]

But they are actually historical artefacts recovered from a 1970s Buffet car.

Indeed, they do have the last microwaved burger served on the ECML - I kid you not. I always make a point of seeing if it's still there on all my visits. 

It's on display more or less in the middle of the warehouse section.

Les

[Steamport Southport]

I should have said, on a more positive note, that regardless of catering arrangements the NRM is worth a visit at any time. As well as the collection of locos and stock (does anywhere else in the world have such a large and varied fleet ?), the Warehouse collection of artefacts could on its own take a day to study properly, and the Works gives an interesting overview of railway history. Even the Gift Shop has an interesting selection of railway books, as well as the usual items directed at non-enthusiasts.

 

That may have been true ten or twenty years ago but unfortunately is no longer correct. The book section especially is extremely poor. I used to spend approximately £100 on visits. Now most of the books are the sort of dross that you find in book clearance shops rather than scholarly books on railway history like they used to sell. They don't even sell the Wild Swan Midland/LMS books that were produced with the NRM. No RCTS either. Or Yeadons, OPC, etc.

 

I have also visited railway museums all around the world and yes, most of them are far better than the NRM currently is. The one in Utrecht is especially good, as is the one in Budapest which is a fine example of what a railway depot really was like. It's not size of museum or variety of exhibits, it's how you portray and explain them. On this criteria the NRM is definitely in the "must try harder" bracket.

 

 

Jason

Edited July 5, 2017 by Steamport Southport

[brian777999]

Just curious, does the United States have something similar ?

[Steamport Southport]

Just curious, does the United States have something similar ?

 

The National Railroad Museum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Railroad_Museum

 

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%26O_Railroad_Museum

 

I believe The Smithsonian also has quite a few early locomotives.

 

 

But they also have quite a few private collections that are apparently very good.

 

 

Unfortunately when I've been in the States, I've not been anywhere near anything train related.

 

 

 

Jason

[caradoc]

That may have been true ten or twenty years ago but unfortunately is no longer correct. The book section especially is extremely poor. I used to spend approximately £100 on visits. Now most of the books are the sort of dross that you find in book clearance shops rather than scholarly books on railway history like they used to sell. They don't even sell the Wild Swan Midland/LMS books that were produced with the NRM. No RCTS either. Or Yeadons, OPC, etc.

 

 

We'll have to agree to disagree, on my visit last month I thought there was a decent selection of books, including one I had not seen before, Britain's Heritage; The Sixties Railway (Greg Morse, Amberley Press 2017), which I bought.

[Sir Hadyn]

That may have been true ten or twenty years ago but unfortunately is no longer correct. The book section especially is extremely poor. I used to spend approximately £100 on visits. Now most of the books are the sort of dross that you find in book clearance shops rather than scholarly books on railway history like they used to sell. They don't even sell the Wild Swan Midland/LMS books that were produced with the NRM. No RCTS either. Or Yeadons, OPC, etc.

 

I have also visited railway museums all around the world and yes, most of them are far better than the NRM currently is. The one in Utrecht is especially good, as is the one in Budapest which is a fine example of what a railway depot really was like. It's not size of museum or variety of exhibits, it's how you portray and explain them. On this criteria the NRM is definitely in the "must try harder" bracket.

 

 

Jason

The re-display of the Great Hall is part of the trying harder. You won't have seen it yet. Give us chance

[Clearwater]

That may have been true ten or twenty years ago but unfortunately is no longer correct. The book section especially is extremely poor. I used to spend approximately £100 on visits. Now most of the books are the sort of dross that you find in book clearance shops rather than scholarly books on railway history like they used to sell. They don't even sell the Wild Swan Midland/LMS books that were produced with the NRM. No RCTS either. Or Yeadons, OPC, etc.

 

I have also visited railway museums all around the world and yes, most of them are far better than the NRM currently is. The one in Utrecht is especially good, as is the one in Budapest which is a fine example of what a railway depot really was like. It's not size of museum or variety of exhibits, it's how you portray and explain them. On this criteria the NRM is definitely in the "must try harder" bracket.

 

 

Jason

I think you have to remember that the NRM is a "national" museum. It's free to enter and a major part of its role is to educate as to the history of railways in this country. Inevitably, that will mean that the focus of the collection has to be towards the mainstream and not, in every case, to what the harder core rail enthusiast, as seen on rmweb, would wish to see. Compared to the 70s/early 80s, the current museum is light years ahead and, in my view, covers for both enthusiasts and families quite well. Having been by myself, the artefact shed is fascinating. With my wife and son, the goods shed with its mocked up dining car cafe and other social history was well presented and interesting.

 

That will extend to the shop. As noted, the museum is free to enter. Consequently, the turnover and revenue from the shop and other outlets forms an even higher focus than in other entrance paid museums. I'd expect that those who run the shop are conscious that a) they only have a limited floor allowance (both front of house and for storage) b) the competition for more specialised books from the internet, amazon etc limits their competitiveness and c) the profile of their customers and what they spend on. Whilst you may, on occasion purchase an RCTS or Yeadons, I'd wager that the average family who visits the museum is way more likely to spend their money, particularly if they've saved on the entrance money, on some of the more family orientated books or general railway history books on sale.

 

Personally, if I want a Wild Swan title, I either buy it physically from somewhere like Ian Allen Bookshop or direct from Titfield. The former to try and keep them on the high street; the latter to give them the retail margin rather than eg, Amazon. In neither case would I expect to go to the NRM to find such titles on the shelf.

 

David