#royal train

This is such a gorgeous picture! 🎄🎅❄️

The other day, me and my mum embarked on a grand adventure to the National Railway Museum. Having previously tried and failed to visit on two previous occasions, we naturally made the most of our day there. I in particular took many, many photos, and there now follows but a small sample of these:

It wouldn’t be a Tumblr post without a crab, and so we start with an LMS Crab 2-6-0 - this is in fact the first of the class, LMS #13000 (later #2700).

LMS Royal Saloon #799. Originally built in 1941 as an armoured saloon for the Queen Mother, who used it to travel around the country to boost morale during the War. This saloon was used by the Royal Family right up until 1977, when the present royal train came into service.

GNR J13 0-6-0ST #1247. This was the first steam engine ever to be privately purchased direct from British Railways, in 1959. Mum for scale.

Waterloo Station 1967 by Terence Cuneo. Exactly what it says on the tin. As with all of Cuneo’s paintings, this one is crammed with all sorts of little details and cameos (including his trademark mouse, who is sitting on top of the Johnnie Walker advert to the right).

SECR D Class 4-4-0, #737. Not a whole lot to say about this one that hasn’t been said already. I just included it here to provide context for the next photo. Speaking of which:

Pullman coach Topaz, with whom #737 currently shares exhibition space. Rather than the traditional chocolate-and-cream, this Pullman carries its original crimson livery, which seems to have been the inspiration for that worn by the Pullmans seen in Thomas.

BR (SR) Merchant Navy 4-6-2 #35029, Ellerman Lines. As you can see, she’s been cut in half to more easily demonstrate how a steam locomotive works. Which is pretty neat, even if it does make for a rather grisly spectacle.

Furness #3 0-4-0, Coppernob. Also known as that engine who used to be on display in Barrow-In-Furness, and still carries literal battle scars from a 1941 air raid on that town. Also also known as Nobby, if you’re @mean-scarlet-deceiver​ or any of their followers.

LNER A4 4-6-2 #4468, Mallard. I couldn’t not take a photo of the world’s fastest steam engine (whose 126mph record was quantified by the dynamometer car just visible in the background).