National Railway Museum

Well, I will be honest I wasn’t looking forward to looking at loads of trains and engines. How wrong I was, I really enjoyed it.
There are talks about various things at different times of the day from the Explainers who work at the museum. All free.
You can climb into some of the trains and sit in the driver’s seat. I did this on the Mallard, the fastest steam engine in the world in 1936. That was amazing.
You can currently see the Winston Churchill exhibition which has the engine and carriage used to bear his coffin to its final resting place.
I would encourage anyone to visit even just for an hour. It’s well worth the walk.

Amazing and huge gathering of all things to do with trains. Mallard, Bullet, Flying Scotsman, Rocket, it’s all here. Free to get in but you really should make a donation in support of this fantastic place. Some nice model train layouts but I think they could make more of that — especially for the kids. Enjoyable even if you’re not a fan of trains — so many iconic things here. A must do if you’re visiting York.

any time I mentioned visiting York, there was one unanimous recommendation from everyone I met: the Railway Museum. I didn’t understand how it could be so special, but of course I had to see for myself.
I was pleasantly surprised. seeing these historic train engines and cars close up was really impressive. they are massive! there were plenty of tours and events going on, although I just walked around myself and it was great. no fee, but they ask for a donation which seems fair. definitely a must-​do in York!

This is an amazing museum for rail lovers, and good for the rest of us as well! There is so much to see here.
They have the fastest steam train in the world, the Mallard, a Japanese Bullet train, trains from previous royalty, and so many other old interesting trains.
They also have lots of rail related art, and artifacts that were on trains.
The room «The works» is the workshop for them to work on the trains. You can walk overheard and watch them work.
It is a pretty large museum as a whole.
I was also surprised that they had great food. We had lunch here one day, and it was one of the best meals I had in York. They have hot food in one section, a café in another section, and tea service in a train car outside.
We were here with 3 adults, but there were plenty of children of all ages. This place is one of the few places I’ve been that is equally great for all ages.
The Railway Museum is free, but suggested donation of 3 pounds.
It is easy walking distance from the York city centre and the York train station.
If you love trains, you have to come here!

The collection is what makes this huge museum a must-​see attraction. It is such a major collection that any display of it would be good. However, there were things that were missing or could have been done better. It must be extremely difficult to keep collecting but there were major parts of the railway story not present. It tends to concentrate o the dramatic, exciting glamorous aspects of railway history. There is relatively little about freight, and in the story of British Rail the great success of merry-​go-​round coal trains hardly got a mention, never mind the marshalling yards, and massive operation of freight and parcels trains that was once a dominant part of the railway scene. On the passenger front, a 1950s or 1960s DMU, for so long a workhorse of the post-​war railway, was nowhere to be seen and only a handful of diesel locomotives are preserved here. Signalling was not well covered. Although there is some interactive material and explanation, I would have liked to see a recreation of a signal box, such an important part of railway operations, but that was not there either, although there were pictures and displays about signalling. A vast array of signalling equipment is exhibited without explanations. So, it is a great museum, with a great collection on show, but gaps in telling its story. Maybe no museum could ever tell such a big story, but it seems to me that some really common and frequently-​seen railway equipment could usefully be added. There wasn’t a BRUTE (British Railways Universal Trolley Equipment) to be seen, yet in my lifetime these were all over the place, but are now hardly seen.

Quite an interesting place to visit. Well worth it. They do events throughout the year, so worth checking what they’re getting on with too.

I was excited at the prospect of spending a few hours at the rail museum and my enthusiasm was very visible from the start. Part of it is because I am an engineer. But, trust me, you don’t have to be one to have a good time at this place!
My better half, despite not a keen engineering enthusiast had a great time here exploring different engines, coaches, carriages and the sheer depth and width of the exhibits and the story behind them. There are also a lot of little activities to keep the young and old entertained. it’s a fun two hours you will not regret.
This place is close to the York Train Station and can be accessed from near Platform 11. entrance is free but certain things like the Mallard Experience have a fee of around £4.

I really enjoyed the collection at the NRM. The explainers, as they call the docents, were fairly knowledgeable on the trains. Though a little wonky, I would recommend the Mallard experience as it’s worth the scan £4 price and an interesting foray into what it may have been like to set the still unbroken steam train speed record. The collection of artifacts was quite extensive for those so inclined. But I was personally most enthralled in the machinery of the trains.

We enjoyed a brilliant time here, having specifically travelled from Bristol via train to visit this museum and spend a few days enjoying York. Staff were friendly and informative throughout. Bring a camera and make sure to charge your batteries as there are hundreds of photo opportunities throughout. The exhibitions on domestic train travel and engineering were presented in an engaging and modern way; no stuffy rooms full of artefacts locked under glass. The section on international trains, in particular the Japanese bullet, was very interesting. We enjoyed a decent lunch in the main hall. This was somewhat above the price to be expected in nearby cafes, but this seems to be the case with all museums and really ought to be expected. A free day out, whatever the weather. A £3 donation is encouraged and we were more than happy to make a contribution.

Absolutely wonderful museum to visit if you are in York. It is easy to access from the train station. You do not have to be a train buff to enjoy this museum. It shows the history of the train system in England and how it has changed over the years for those who want more of a historical background. If you have kids, this a good place to take them so they can also enjoy a day out.

This is a superb Museum and probably one of the most interesting Museums I’ve been too.
Its a huge place with loads of Trains to look at from many different eras, there is so much to look at! There is one hall with the more older trains and then the great hall with the famous Mallard and the huge locomotives, there is also an old bullet train which you can go on and has monitors to show when it was used, there is also a replica of the Eurostar Train, its a very interesting place and even if you’re not a train fan its defiantly worth a look for any age!
There are a few nice cafes in the museum and around the trains themselves.
its also free but they do like to get a donation if possible.
There is also a gift shop to buy some train gifts.

The railway museum is a good place to visit whilst in york! better still its free! although a donation box is at the front for a contribution. there are many exhibits from the old steam trains to the modern bullet train. well worth a visit!

Ok so I am not a train geek but I really enjoyed this museum. I love to visit York anyway, and the boy wanted to go so off we went.
The museum was great! Wonderful to peer into the old trains and see how they were decked out for previous monarchs. The old postal train is amazing to see how it all worked — I was genuinely impressed!
There also some nice anecdotes around the museum, and a few trains you can go inside. There is a café that looked really good, but I didn’t try it as it seemed a bit too pricey for me. If it had been cheaper and we’d eaten their I would probably up my rating.

Trains! Lots of them! Need I say more?
There’s a reason this is a National Railway Museum! The UK has such a fantastic railway history, it’s almost heartbreaking when you think of the state of the railways are in now (there’s a little section on this on the museum about some destructive decisions that were made). Very informative and great place for big and little kids and did I mention there is no entrance fee? Also check out the website or ask at the incredibly lovely staff about daily events and talk as well as upcoming special exhibits!

This is a phenominal museum of british industry and its free. The exhibits are outstanding. I would a pay a tenner just to see Mallard. This is a must see.

I have to admit that York is one of my favorite cities in the UK.
This museum is very interesting– You can go back in time and enjoy the view of old locomotives and also trains of the future which are too fast to ride the railways today.
If you like trains then you need to spend at least 3 hours at the museum or you’ll regret later.
I will definitely go there again.

The most beautiful collection of stream engines in the world. Staff are quite polite and available, however there are historians that visit these trains, and will tell you the history by engine number. Just seek them out, they are easy to see.

Trains, trains and trains. Locomotives, passenger cars, model trains, all sorts of displays about train travel and the importance of Britain’s national rail, as well as some EuroStar and Japanese Shinkansen.
The great hall is fulled with a double dozen of these massive beasts, all in fantastically preserved condition. Many of them are free to be climbed up to and in to. Lots of rail history here, from locomotive badges to old signals to signage.
It’s just a fantastic exhibit and understandably is the most visited museum in the UK that is outside of London. It’s also the biggest railway collection in the UK. If you are even a little bit into trains, it’s worth the stop.
The museum is connected to the York Railway station by a special bridgeway and there is also a «road train» that tours between here and the York Minster.

My kids absolutely loved this!
Free entry, and more trains than you can shake a very big stick at.

Appropriately for the country that gave the world railways, the National Railway Museum is the largest of its type in the world.
The museum was opened on the present site in 1975, when it inherited the collection from the British Railways collections previously at Clapham and York. Today, it displays over 50 locomotives (mostly British) and 80 items of other rolling stock. (The national collection comprises around 100 locomotives and 200 other items of rolling stock — the remainder are distributed around other museums, particularly Locomotion at Shildon near Darlington.)
As well as rolling stock, the museum has a model railway layout (which runs to scale speed and timetables), a small outdoor miniature railway for small children, a workshop with viewing gallery and a museum store with everything from models to engine nameplates, railway crockery and silverware and furniture! There is also a substantial library and archive open to the public.
The museum is huge, and rather sprawling in layout: allow half a day (at least) to do it justice. The station hall, a former goods depot, is laid out like a station, and houses complete trains, as well as the collection of Royal Trains, which is one of the most impressive parts of the collection (Victoria’s favourite Royal Train is a lesson in high Victorian sumptuousness — even the ceilings are padded and lined with silk). One of the locomotives here is the Southern Railway’s Winston Churchill, which pulled the great man’s funeral train from London to his place of burial.
Outside, the South Yard depot houses some diesel locomotives and a short walk away is the Interactive Learning Centre for smaller children.
Back through the shop and the passage under Leeman Road brings you to the Great Hall, with locomotives set around a turntable. Here are Mallard, which holds the world speed record for steam traction (126mph), a Japanese Bullet Train, reproductions of Stephenson’s Rocket of 1830, and a section of the Channel Tunnel. Other locomotives include some built for export, as well as representatives from the various British railway companies prior to the grouping of 1923 and nationalisation in 1948. The balcony area (library and archives) provides an excellent overall vantage point. Below this is the scale model railway.
The Works section, adjacent, includes both the workshop (where you can see vehicles undergoing restoration), the history of signalling, a live display of the East Coast Main Line signalling panels (relayed from York Signal Box), a viewing platform next to the entrance to York Station, and the Warehouse, with the collection of other railway artefacts as well as a Deltic locomotive.
As you can gather, this is one big museum, so be prepared and don’t try and do it one go — a tea break was, after all, an institution on the working railway! As others have said, wear comfy shoes: some of the surfaces are uneven, and you wouldn’t want to miss clambering on board a locomotive.
If I have a criticism, it’s that the curation is a bit haphazard — quite a number of the locomotives had no descriptions, some of the displays clearly haven’t been updated to take account of privatisation (references to British Rail abound), and there is no clear logic to the arrangement of many of the exhibits — by timeline, for example.
I suspect this is partly to do with the difficulty of re-​arranging the locomotives which come and go from the national collection, but it can make it hard to find something specific. The great ‘Stirling Single’ locomotive was hidden rather forlornly in the Depot next to some diesels, with no description at all. Still, I suspect that won’t bother the vast majority of visitors, particularly the vast number of families with excited children!
On the upside, there is a huge amount of information on the workings of the railways, there are plays and other special events and entertainment to bring the exhibits to life, as well as special exhibitions. They have a substantial educational programme for schools.
Practicalities
The main entrance is actually rather indistinct, on the south side of Leeman Road (look out for the ‘NRM’ flags). It’s a short walk from the railway station, and there is parking nearby. The museum has level access throughout, with extensive use of lifts, although not all exhibits are accessible by wheelchair.
It has a very good shop, with books, DVDs, toys, prints, posters and the like. There are cafes in the Great Hall and the Station Hall. A self-​guided tour is also available.
Entrance is free.
It won the European Museum of the Year award in 2001, and is the busiest museum in the UK outside London, with three quarters of a million visitors.