Britain’s National Rail Museum, York

When I visited Britain’s National Rail Museum in York earlier this year, I was surprised to find how big it is despite half of it being closed for re-roofing and much of the collection waiting for completing of a new addition.

Only a small portion of the currently-open building!

At its full size, when the work is done, it’s the second largest train museum in the world and one of the most-visited. Even as it is, the range of its exhibits and the high proportion of truly historic locomotives and cars make it worth a trip.

And, conveniently, it’s easy to get to: It’s right next door to York’s busy railroad station, in buildings that were once used for locomotive storage and repair.

The collection starts with some of the earliest British rail equipment, including a freight cart from an early mine railroad that preceded locomotives and was hauled by horses and mules, one of the earliest locomotives, twin to the first locomotive sent to the U.S.., and a carriage from Britain’s first scheduled passenger railway.

The wide variety of steam locomotives on display comes to an end with the perhaps intentionally-named Evening Star—the last steam locomotive built for British railways, built in 1960, five years after the decision to end steam operations, and five years before its own retirement. That’s the engineer’s cab in the first image.

One of the smallest steam locomotives ever, the Pet was designed for movements in the rail yard and described as the heavy-duty equivalent of a forklift.

From the era after steam, the museum has a Deltic diesel locomotive, one of the early diesel types in passenger service, which gave way to the now familiar InterCity 125 High Speed Trains.

The HST was meant to be a stopgap while a more advanced model was designed, but it has remained in service for over 40 years. A 125 holds the world speed record for a diesel hauling passengers. Below that, an early postwar electric freight locomotive, and part of a prototype for an advanced model.

Two of the most spectacular residents of the museum are two of the largest and fastest steam locomotives ever; one holds the world speed record for steam (and probably always will). Both are impressively streamlined to the point that some visitors don’t recognize them as steamers. In blue, the speed champion, Mallard; in impressive maroon, the Duchess of Hamilton. Another famous speedster, the Flying Scotsman, visits the museum from time to time.

Later periods are represented, too. Among the items, a Eurostar train of a model that’s still running under the English Channel, and a work engine and muck car that helped build the tunnel it runs through. Below that, a self-propelled electric coach to serve lightly-used branch lines.

But, obviously, locomotives are not the only rolling stock needed for a railroad. Shown here, a buffet car; a dynamometer car used to measure rail conditions and direct repairs and Topaz, a luxury Pullman car.

The museum is part of the national Science Museum Group, and is the recipient and custodian of all sorts of rail memorabilia and equipment, not just rolling stock. Among the nostalgia items, an Art Nouveau station bench, a collection of engine name plates and a station sign from the Welsh village that allegedly has the longest town name in the world.

A model of a signaling station offers insights into how trains stay out of each others’ way, and is the site for some training sessions for enthusiasts. There’s also a model railway and the huge diesel innards of a freight-hauling diesel-electric locomotive.

A long hall holds library-like stacks of railroad items, not easily viewed or labeled; they will (I was told) have a better chance of getting individual attention when all the construction and renovation is complete.