Museum Day.

Thursday 1st November 2012.
York Pavilion Hotel, York.

We're having a short break in York, there are four of us, friends Val and Pete, plus Jayne and myself, Val and Jayne used to be in the same class at school so have known each other a long time.

Waiting for dinner.

 

This worked out well yesterday as the ladies went shopping leaving Pete and me to visit the Railway Museum. 

 

We walked along the footpath which follows the River Ouse from  our hotel into York , the high water marks left by the recent floods are scary with debris on the trees six feet above the footpath which itself is about eight feet above normal river level.

Hireboats available on the Ouse at York.

 

Big wheel, not sure about these springing up in cities.

 

At the museum we joined a short queue at the entrance but once inside it wasn't too crowded.

 

First thing that grabbed me was a cut away Napier Deltic engine, 18 cylinders, 36 pistons, 3 crankshafts, 2 stroke diesel, a mechanical work of art to me, first developed for the Royal Navy and later used to power diesel trains in the early sixties, they made a beautiful noise.

Bit big for a Narrowboat.

 

I found the Royal Train carriages interesting, as you would expect, very luxurious with lots of buttons and cords to summon the servants who were in their own basic carriage directly behind.

 

The Flying Scotsman was in the workshops having a complete overhaul, although according to this report things are not going well.

 

The troubled Flying Scotsman in the workshop.

 

Last stop was the souvenir shop,  I bought a "Bisto Gravy" cloth shoulder bag for Jayne and  for me a copy of "Bradshaws Guide" the one which was used by Michael Portillo in the BBC series "Great British Railway Journeys".