Florida Coalcracker Chronicles: The National Train Museum in the City of York

The Duchess of Hamilton

This train was pulled by horse. It still had 3 classes. Third class rode the bench outside.

You could view the train from skywalks

The York Cathedral downtown.

Crosskeys Pub - chicken sandwich - bacon - cheese - chips - salad - plus a pint of wild berry cider - 12 pounds

Monday - all of our guests and Lulu were busy - on tours or in class. I wanted to see the National Train Museum and time was running out.

At 8 AM - I walked to Kings Cross Station. I bought a round trip - anytime ticket - to York. Because I bought it the day of travel it was not cheap - 72 pounds. It is 209 miles to York - yes that is the city New York is named after - and it took about 2 hours to get there. My little iPhone app was saying were were going 127 MPH! The train was full of day trippers like me - some were going on to Edinburgh in Scotland.

We pulled out at 9:15 AM and got there around 11 AM. You can walk directly to the train museum from the station. The biggest train museum in the world is in France - but this museum kicks their butt with attendance - because it is FREE. It is so nice seeing large families going into the museum - not having to fork out 10 pounds per kid. You do not feel like you have to stay there forever to get your money's worth. There is so much there to see - giant buildings - and lots of outdoor displays.

First thing I did when I got there was to have lunch. There are 2 food courts - and you eat right in the middle of the trains and displays. They serve food with nice china and silverware. Much of the food is made from scratch.

It is overwhelming - with plenty of good signage to explain each historic train. My eyes glazed over quickly. You can read about each train on Wikipedia. Even the building is an exact replica of the 1849 - largest train concourse in the world then.

Another nice thing -you are very close to Sheffield - Manchester - and Leeds. We have passed through here on trains to Durham - Glasgow - and Edinburgh. With a little bit better planning I could have seen this much sooner. I suggest if you are passing through York on a train - you get off - walk around for an hour or two - and continue on.

After 3 hours - I had enough. I had to pace myself. I took a little train tram to downtown - now I wish I didn't. I will tell you why later. The tram takes you to the famous York church. They call it Yorkminster - I don't get it - so I call it Cathedral.

I had a nice supper in the Cross Keys Pub. Cross keys is the symbol of the city. It has something to do with St. Peter having the keys to the kingdom. I had a nice Hunter's chicken sandwich with a wild berry cider. I am not a big drinker - but cider goes down real well over here - it is sweet - and toxic.

The best part of York for me - is the old Roman Wall. The Roman's settled here around 50 AD. They stayed until 410 AD. They were there longer than the USA is alive. They build a wall around the city - common in the days before guns - bombs - airplanes - etc. It is about 20 feet high. This wall is in such good shape - you can walk along the top. I did that for about 2 miles. The walkway on top is about 6 feet wide. Some places have parapets and iron fences. There are places where you can shoot bow and arrows out. The wall is a great place to take pictures. Maybe Trump was here when he decided to build a wall. Of course it is worthless now for defense.

You can walk all the way back to the train station on the walk - that is why I wished I took the wall into downtown - instead of the tram. I could have saved 3 pounds :-)

I had purchased a round trip anytime ticket. I could take any train back to London I wanted. I could stop at any city - get off and on - same ticket. I got to the train station at 5 PM. There was a 5:06 Train going straight to London - no stops - 2 hours - Kings Cross Station. The train stopped - I got on - I sat next to a sleeping guy. I had plenty of power for my iPhone - I read and watched videos the whole 2 hours. He slept. Maybe he was just avoiding me - who knows?

I got off the train around 7 PM - walked home - and told everyone around the table about the trip. The whole trip - 400 miles - two meals - no admission fees - cost me 100 pounds. Not a bad day. Thanks Simon for the suggestions.

140 more pictures on the following page - Editing is an art I do not have. I love them all.

York Train Station is built on a curve

The sign showed me which way to museum - less than 1/4 mile

This tram took me into town later

The museum is open 43 years

And old switch tender

A look into the coal bin - tender

Most trains are in fully restored and working condition

I did not read every sign - would have been there forever

I ate in the food court - that is my white plate at the foot of the yellow semaphore pole

This blue engine set the 100 MPH record

The car on the back was a dynamometer car - the fastest train car - used to measure power and speed

Duchess of Hamilton was displayed in America at the 1939 NY Worlds Fair. We returned it to them to use it during the WWII.

Engineer sat here

Some places you could examine under the train

This is Bauxite - it was a train used in mining of aluminum - it was not restored but in running condition

Wooden furniture. I rode a train car like this in 1962. I rode it from Scranton - to Chicago - to Denver - to New Mexico. I was 14 - and went with Boy Scouts from Scranton. The reason I remember so much was because we slept in a day car like that. While playing cards and goofing off - one kid put his arm in that arm rest hole and another person jumped on it - bam - broken arm Barry. He left the train near Erie - I thought I would never see him again. A few days later we were at Philmont Scout Ranch - out in the desert - a Jeep comes flying up the dirt road - a cloud of dust - and Barry hops out with a cast on. He arrived just in time to tell us Marilyn Monroe died.

This was Pet - a tiny engine used to pull around mine cars

These cars were used to dig the channel tunnel - the digger would dump debris directly into cars

This narrow gauge car was turned into a vacation home

This mule would pull mine cars up the mountain - then ride the dandy car back as gravity pulled the full train

These signs were on the front of train engines - trains had names

I rode the Master Cutler from Sheffield to London in March. Master Cutler was the boss at the steel mill where knives were made.

The turn table had engines all around

How to control the turn table

The turn table had an engine on it. Everything was so clean.

In the old days - each trip compartment had a door going out - no hall way

The copper kettle looked neat

This big wheel steam engine pulled trains up the mountain on steep grades

The building was a replica of a London great room train station

This gate went into the Eustin Station in London. They tore the station down - and built a modern one. The people went bonkers - so now they will not tear down any others - they were refurb them.

Kids could play in these trains

1960 diesel and generator. It made electricity - and electricity powered train. It would be great for a camper

Diesel and generator

Old train car - the paper would keep greasy hair from ruining seats

People watching video in the train

Model trains

This is the tunnel under the English Channel. In 2 hours you go from downtown London to downtown Paris. If you buy in advance you can go for 29 pounds each way. They had a machine that burrowed the tunnel.

We have gone to Paris and Belgium on the Eurostar. We did it in March.

Food court among the trains

Workshop where they restored trains

Restoring

Cleaning

York train station from the museum

You could have high tea in this car. High tea is simply tea with a multi-plate stacked with cookies - very overrated. You can have it at home for less than $1 - they charge you $25. Some people love being taken.