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Posted by
Dave
on Tue Aug 26 23:19:39 2014
edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d So many pictures I'm not sure how many messages I'll be posting!
When I got back a few weeks ago I posted pictures of the train ride up to York. The museum displays a collection of over 100 locomotives and nearly 300 other items of rolling stock, virtually all of which either ran on the railways of Great Britain or were built there. Also on the 20 acre site are many hundreds of thousands of other items and records of social, technical, artistic and historical interest, exhibited mostly in three large halls of a former motive power depot next to the East Coast Main Line, near the York railway station. Unfortunately the museum is currently facing potential financial problems which could see its functions scaled down or the site closed down.
When you enter the site you walk into the station hall, which was once York's main goods (freight) station. It was built in the 1870s and was a working railway building into the 1960s. My visit started with a collection of engines and cars used by royalty (called "saloon" cars) over the years. But in the entrance just after buying your ticket you see the "Wren," an 18-inch narrow gauge steam tank loco built in 1887 and used until the 1960's in industrial sites:
From here I moved into the main building.
The Gladstone is an 0-4-2 express passenger locomotive built for the London Brighton & South Coast Railway in 1892:
Next I saw Midland Spinner 673, a 4-2-2 express engine built in 1899. It could run as fast as 90 mmph:
Plenty more steam engine pictures later. From here I moved onto the royal saloons - private carriages built for the royal family. Queen Adelaide's Saloon, No. 2 was built in 1842 by the London and Birmingham Railway:
Next was Queen Victoria's saloon, built by the London & North Western Railway in 1869:
From here I moved on to a saloon car used by a number of kings and queens. It was built in 1903 by the London & North Western Railway for King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The saloon was subsequently used by George V and Queen Mary, and George VI and the Queen Mum:
This saloon also was used by King Edward VII:
Hey, when you need a bath, you need a bath:
This is the Duke of Southerland's saloon. The man traveled in style!
More royal saloons:
Here's a West Coast Joint Stock RPO built in 1883:
And that's it for tonight! More to come on Thursday.
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