Trying to think up ideas for a family day out over the weekend and the weather looks Baltic.

So, the NRM in York…

Is there stuff for a 2 year old and a 4 year old to climb on?
Are there model railways for them to look at?
Is there any Thomas The Tank Engine type stuff?
Is there any social history type stuff that will stop my wife moaning as me and the boy just gawp at the big shiny choo-choos?

As ever, your input would be most appreciated.

Last time I was there there was plenty of things to climb on and plenty of knobs and levers to twiddle.

Yes

The Yorvik Centre is OK too

http://www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/

Is there stuff for a 2 year old and a 4 year old to climb on?
Yes

Are there model railways for them to look at?
Yes

Is there any Thomas The Tank Engine type stuff?
Yes

Is there any social history type stuff that will stop my wife moaning as me and the boy just gawp at the big shiny choo-choos?
Yes

Took the family there this time last year whilst visiting York.

Yes
Yes
Dunno about T the Tank, but my girls aren’t into that (13 & 16 yrs)
Yes

They were also doing short rides on Stephensons Rocket and Queen Victoria came to talk to us.

Bets bit for the girls (and me) was racing Segways though!

Pretty good (half) day out for all of us.

If you like trains it’s brilliant. If you don’t, it’d be pretty dull, because it’s full of trains. If you’re a train anorak, you’ll be diappinted that Mallard was moved some ago and there’s no A4 pacifics, but there is a streamlined 6229 (the Duchess of Hamilton) which cool (in train anorak terms). If your interest in trains is marginal, it’s still worth the time and money as , as mastilles-f says, plenty of twiddling and fiddling to be done, which works for most males.
Also, if this sort of thing floats your boat, you might be interested in a trip a few miles to the north and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

The Yorvik Centre is OK too

http://www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/
true, but not as ok as the trains

good for kids. I went as a child of 10ish so nearly 20 years ago. It was good then so I imagine it is at least as good now.

There are lots of full size locos, rolling stock & a fair bit of engineering stock too (cranes & stuff).

There wasn’t a model layout last time I was there (about 6 months ago).

There is an outdoor play area for children too.

Avoid going of there’s a Thomas event on, it gets properly rammed.

As your 2 small spiders are below school age I’d recommend going during the week during term time if at all possible as it’s much less busy then.
HTH

Duchess of Hamilton

rubbish.

just full of trains and that.

Modified for me

good for kids. I went as a child of 50ish, nearly 2 years ago.

I’ve just checked the prices for Jorvik. You could launch a satellite for less than that! 😯

For the pacific’s you need Barrow Hill Round house near Chesterfield but not until the weekend after. They’re closed over easter preparing for the gala.

The York Wheel is just found the corner from the NRM at the moment too.

In the grounds of the Royal York (station) Hotel.

Worth a go if the weather is clear etc.

Yorvik is quite expensive, and your kids would be too young to ‘get’ it – my 2 girls were 6 and 7 and it didn’t really do anything for them.

I’ve just checked the prices for Jorvik. You could launch a satellite for less than that

Kids under 5 are FOC IIRC
So £9.25 each for you and the missus

I saw. But I’m not paying nearly £20 to take 2 kids round something that they may not get anything out of. I would if it was only a tenner.

Mallard is back now. Link

I would if it was only a tenner.

make the missus wait outside? 😀

Slightly ot, I’m not normaly one to bear a grudge but this thread has touched a still raw nerve, I remember being taken to the British Museum of Transport when it was in Clapham to look at the trains only to find it was shut as the trains were being moved to York – so York can stick their museum!! 👿

Thanks for sharing that with the group.

Please don’t say that you are going to York this weekend because I don’t want to get there and find that they’ve hidden all the trains.

It’s good, but Locomotion in Shildon is loads better, just so you know.

It’s good, but Locomotion in Shildon is loads better, just so you know

No it’s not, it doesn’t have the Mallard. that’s pure win for me

It’s a great place – last summer they had some “science” lectures on – basically about how trains are powered but otherwise a thinly veiled excuse for some science teachers to make things go bang to get the kids excited. My two (then 4 and 7) loved it, though little Miss was a bit traumatised when Barbie was shot across the room by a steam cannon! (Alpkit bouldering mat saved her though)

Oh, and if you are anywhere near Chesterfield, check out the Barrow Hill roundhouse – free entry most weekends, maybe a dozen steam and diesel trains in various stages of disrepair, run by lots of aging enthusiasts who deserve the support of all chuffer nutters

Oh my god it’s excellent.

Lots of trains, lots of history, lots of stuff to do. My woman liked it and she doesn’t give a stuff about trains. She even bought me a Flying Scotsman wallet.

Mallard was there last time I was there. City of Truro and the Duchess of Hamilton give me the horn too. You only get to see bits of the Flying Scotsman though as it’s undergoing restoration.

Very good for kids, my lad loves it. Just wait for the reaction as they enter the great hall, get the video camera ready!

Don’t get the road train into York though, absolute rip off.

Oh and park in the car park on the left as you come under the railway bridge, the actual NRM car par is about £9! I know the museum is free but £9 parking is just wrong.

It’s got trains and trains and more trains and a whole load of railway-related junk that nobody else seems to want – which, as I’m not a train-nerd I found quite fun.

There is a model railway bit behind the bullet train – the best bit is spotting all the animals and cars that clearly are not with the rest of the model scale. There’s also a bit near the back where you walk over a very untidy workshop. Not enough fun interactive things IMO but the kids running about the museum looked liked they were enjoying themselves immensely.

Take an anorak with you : )

It’s brilliant, my boy (3) absolutely loves the place. He’s a proper steam-train obsessive. The first time we went The Flying Scotsman was on the turntable, and Mallard was there last time – he went properly nuts when he saw it and raved about it for weeks afterwards. I really need to take him back there at some point soon. 😀

My wife gets bored of looking at gigantic steam powered machinery after about ten minutes. Weird. There are lots of shops in York though, apparently…

As above, great of you like trains. Im not a major fan but like old stuff generally as well as engineering so it was quite good. The wife wasn’t that bothered but my 1.5 year old loved it- I can only image how long it would take to calm him down now hes a year older!
I liked walking under the steam engine from front to back and seeing the coal scoop mechanism so it didn’t need to stop.
Good stuff and not that expensive considering how big the place is..

Locomotion in Shildon is loads better.

Is Locomotion in Shildon loads better?

What about Shildon Minster, Shildon Walls and Shildon Castle? Also, we’ve got vouchers for Bella Italia. Is there one in bloody Shildon eh? No.

I think we’ll go to York. Is the rail museum any good?

Jorvic centre is disappointing and isn’t worth the entrance fee IMHO. NRM is loads better and free (depending if you want to make a donation)

EDIT: Don’t park at the offical NRM car park. There’s 4 within 5-10min walk that are much cheaper

You are asking a bunch of middle-aged geeks if a day out at the NRM is a day well-spent 😆 .

Has the only Japanese Bullet train outside Japan. And you can learn about Dr Yellow 8)

Ha, Mallard Schmallard, I bet none of you lot have actually seen it go through Durham station in 1961(ish!)

I remember seeing The Silver Link A4 Pacific go through as well.
I’ll get me anorak.

…and you pensioner’s bus pass. 😉

ive taken my kids before, they loved it, you could easily spend the whole day there, its free to get in.
top day out imo, im not a train spotter or owt, but i still enjoyed it.

Harry_the_Spider – Member

Is Locomotion in Shildon loads better?

It really isn’t

What about Shildon Minster, Shildon Walls and Shildon Castle? Also, we’ve got vouchers for Bella Italia. Is there one in bloody Shildon eh?

No.

Shildon hasn’t even got running water

I think we’ll go to York. Is the rail museum any good?

It’s fantastic