Visiting the National Railway Museum: from the Flying Scotsman to the Deltic

For all those rainy weekends and long school holiday breaks when it seems like there is nothing to do, why not try something a little different and make a trip to the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York?

The engineering fans amongst you can marvel at technology dating back to the early 19th century, whilst art lovers can check out posters and art inspired by the railways. There is even a collection called Running the Railways that houses hundreds of pieced of furniture, fixtures and fittings from the trains of Great Britain; offering a wonderful insight into times gone by.

The NRM also takes a look at the impact the railways have made on our lives over their history in numerous exhibitions. Although trains enjoy a green image today, this has not always been the case. In Victorian time's trains were dirty, polluting beasts that caused the displacement of many communities, as homes were demolished to make way for new railway tracks. However the change the railways brought about was not all bad. They enabled people to travel more quickly and easily than was possible before, and the stations often brought beautiful architecture into Britain's towns and cities, with styles ranging from neo-Gothic to the classical style of Temple Meads in Bristol.

One prominent icon of the railways is the Flying Scotsman. This impressive locomotive was at the forefront of numerous rail breakthroughs, making the first Edinburgh to London trip and breaking records for its speed in the 1930's. Today, the Flying Scotsman is being restored to its former glory, and it is hoped that it will be up and running in 2011.

To see the NRM's Flying Scotsman collection, as well as other stunning locomotives including the Deltic from the mid 20th century and the Columbine from the mid 19th century, visit the museum located on Leeman Road in York, open from 10.00am to 6.00pm daily.