Railway Museum in York England

York Railway Museum is home to the world famous british steam engine icon "Mallard" the world's fastest steam locomotive. Other steam locomotives at the Museum include Sir Nigel Gresley's other designs too.

The fast and frequent train service, which brings the Museum within two hours journey time of London, has resulted in a number of companies opening offices in the city. Getting to the City is fast and easy. Go to Kings Cross Mainline Station for a great day out from London.

The Train Museum here was voted the European Tourism centre of the Year by the European Cities Marketing Group in June 2007. York UK was voted (first) out of 130 other European cities which placed Gothenburg in Sweden (second) and Valencia in Spain (third).

Young boys, just as I did, would spend hours and hours just looking over these wonderful steam locomotive, as glamerous as any modern design piece. In those days we would call the hobby simply; train spotting!

Mallard was built in 1938, and on July 3 of that year made history. For a few shining moments of train glory, on a level straight track between Grantham and Peterborough, the A4 Pacific reached the ultimate of 150 years of British engineering history and is still an unbroken speed record for a steam train of 126 miles an hour.

The display in the museum shows the visitor that Mallard was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, chief mechanical engineer of the LNER (London and North Eastern Railway), and that its sexy curves and smooth lines were influenced by the streamlining innovations of the Bugatti brothers' racing cars from Italy. It also explains that the locomotive weighs 102 tons 9cwt, and that the boiler pressure was 250lb per square inch and that the great driving wheel has a diameter of 6ft 8in.

Another historical note the record; Duddington and Bray, both from Doncaster, were the driver and fireman who powered Mallard to this unbelieveal record. It is pointed out that, unlike diesel or electric locomotives, the performance of the steam locomotive was dependent on the teamwork of the footplate crew. If Bray had shovelled slower, Sir Nigel Gresley's engineering genius would have counted for nothing on that July day in 1938.

George Hudson was responsible for bringing the train service to the City in 1839. Having long believed in creating a successful railway from London to the north of England, Hudson took an active part in securing the passing of the North Midland Railway Bill. With George Stephenson he planned and carried out the extension of the North Midland to Newcastle, and by 1844 had control of over a thousand miles of railway.

With the emergence of tourism as a major industry, the historic core of York became one of the city's major asset, and in 1968 it was designated a conservation area.

The existing tourist attractions were supplemented by the establishment of the National Railway Museum in 1975. The opening of the University of York in 1963 added to the prosperity of the city.

This is another must see attraction on one of your London Day Trips from the capital.

Click to leave York Museum for London and Beyond