Railway Museum in York / Flying Scotsman / Etc

My son (who turns 5 this week) is much much more than a railfan, he's a rail-lunatic on speed. Because of his unending passionate love for the railway, my husband & I have become railfans by proxy almost. We've visited every rail museum we can over here, the best so far being the Illinois Railway Museum in Union (we live near Chicago) and the US's National Railway Museum in Green Bay because it has a UP Big Boy there.

Anyway! We're in England for 2 weeks this Spring and we're taking 2 days out to go to York to the National Railway Museum. Mainly to see the Flying Scotsman being restored, but also just because it sounds like it is Made Of Awesome.

Anyone been? I'm bringing a husband, the inlaws, a 5 yr old and a 2 yr old.

what exhibits are lame and not worth it? What is the best part? The place seems ginormous and I'm hoping someone has been so they can suggest the "don't misses".

FYI: on Steam Our Scotsman
http://www.flyingscotsman.org.uk/sitecore/content/SOS_Home/sos.aspx

I think it is the best and plan on spending a lot of time there.
Have you been to the one in Old Town Sacramento, California?

I've been!  My husband is a huge railway enthusiast (esp steam trains) so it was almost a rite of passage in our relationship, hehe.   The Flying Scotsman restoration is really interesting, so definitely worth it!  There's a huge exhibition on the history of that train as well which was pretty cool. I also liked seeing the royal trains/carriages, the japanese bullet train, and there are some diesels and a garden railway out back.

Actually, I think all of the museum is worth visiting (I can't think of anything lame), and you can certainly do all of it in a day so you might as well.  You can check to see if you can get on to one of the tours/demonstrations that go on periodically during the day, that can be quite interesting.

I have to say I was dragged there unwillingly and sulked (so unlike me!) for at least the first 5 minutes I was there.  But...I loved it!  It's a great place to go, the trains are amazing.  And I'm not even a train fan, just a history fan.  Loved it so much that on our semi-annual trip to York I requested to go back with my mom and dad (who also loved it).

I was like that 5 year old, and I still am now! The locomotive named the "Flying Scotsman" has superstar status certainly in the UK, maybe elsewhere, so much so that the really dyed-in-wool railway enthusiasts know her by her number, 4472. (Locomotives, like ships, are female, even with a name like 4472's, and you only had to see her at work to know that she is a lady.) I'm getting choked up here. When she left Bristol Temple Meads on a special steam tour about 10 years ago, I saw grown men wiping away tears.

I would have thought that if a person is mad about railways, the NRM would be sheer paradise in earth, and it would be invidious to select one exhibit over another. They cover the whole range of railway history over the last 200 years. And it's free. Spend a day there. Go by train. Railsaver UK have a web page with a "spend the day in York" section with some suggestions for places to eat, things to do, etc.

http://www.railsaver.co.uk/nationalexpress.htm

"Meet at Café Puccinos, up in the station’s old signal box, for coffee and a bit of trainspotting. Then head across the footbridge for the short cut to the National Railway Museum. You can easily spend a whole day here, and it’s free. My son’s runaway favourite is the Japanese bullet train carriage, but you can also see the enormous turntable in action, step inside 1930s sleeper carriages and see engines being mended behind the scenes. There’s a good outdoor play area, too. Those with a head for heights can take a spin on the new Yorkshire Wheel next door. And kids love the “road train” that takes you into town. Good places for a picnic lunch include the nearby Museum Gardens. Then head to the picturesque Rowntree Park, on the banks of the River Ouse, with its play areas. Make time to wander through the city and see the numerous street performers (bound to cost you a few quid). And you may be tempted to blow the budget on wooden toys at Christmas Angels. For tea, your best bets are Pizza Express, five minutes from the station, and the famous Bettys, wonderfully high-quality yet surprisingly child-friendly with a good kids’ menu. Finally, take a walk back to the station along the city walls—a free experience that’s hard to beat."

Ditto.

We are having our joint Hen/Stag night on the Real Ale Train attached to this...

http://www.watercressline.co.uk/

It's worth a visit (outside the drinking hours) if you make it to the South.

Vicky

I'm glad to ehar it is possible to see it all in one day, because we are spending two! That way we can spend some extra time pouring over the exhibits.

My son's passion certainly isn't a fleeting thing, he'll be the train loving grownup just as he's been a train loving kid.

And it is contagious. My father in law (over in Suffolk where we will be staying) has built an entire model train layout in the 9 months since we've last been in England. My mother in law does dollshouses, so she got into the landscaping, tunnel building, buildings etc while he did the electrical. Of course my son Philip calls it His table, and can't iamgine theya re doing it for themselves as well.

Honestly, I am more excited about seeing this that I could have imagined. The joy on Philip's face will be priceless - he's already telling strangers about going to see the Mallard and the Flying Scotsman, most of them of course have no idea what he's talking about! But that doesn't stop him from explaining...

I'm glad to ehar it is possible to see it all in one day, because we are spending two! That way we can spend some extra time pouring over the exhibits.

My son's passion certainly isn't a fleeting thing, he'll be the train loving grownup just as he's been a train loving kid.

And it is contagious. My father in law (over in Suffolk where we will be staying) has built an entire model train layout in the 9 months since we've last been in England. My mother in law does dollshouses, so she got into the landscaping, tunnel building, buildings etc while he did the electrical. Of course my son Philip calls it His table, and can't iamgine theya re doing it for themselves as well.

Honestly, I am more excited about seeing this that I could have imagined. The joy on Philip's face will be priceless - he's already telling strangers about going to see the Mallard and the Flying Scotsman, most of them of course have no idea what he's talking about! But that doesn't stop him from explaining...

aww, your post made me smile.  Your son sounds like how DH was when he was a kid- he's always been into trains and it's still a strong passion as ever for him now.  (Case in point, there's a 13-foot intricate model railway upstairs in our spare room that DH built over a year and a half and is his pride and joy, hehe.)  Just wait until your son is old enough to regale you with stories of obscure pieces of railway history!  You'll know more than you ever wanted to know about trains soon enough.

Not been to the NRM since I was about 15 (and that's about 30 years ago) just after it opened.
There's loads of other stuff to do in York as well - my favourite museum is the Castle Museum which is located in old court and prison buildings opposite Clifford's Tower (often called the castle), there's also the Jorvik Viking centre, York Minister, the city walls, and loads of nice real ale pubs!  

Those with a head for heights can take a spin on the new Yorkshire Wheel next door.

That was dismantled a few months ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_Wheel

Of possible interest?

http://www.iknow-yorkshire.co.uk/tourist_information/yorkshire/all_yorkshire/yorkshire_moors_railway.htm

http://www.dvlr.org.uk/

http://www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/

http://www.kwvr.co.uk/

http://www.nymr.co.uk/

http://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/