I'm not exactly a train fan, and maybe the trainiacs here won't quite understand this, but these calming and genuine videos have helped me through family tragedy and a 12 year addiction. Only posting this for myself, but thank you xo
I like trains (and bikes and buses and canals) but a large part of my day job is working with sick and vulnerable people, and I agree that Mr Hazzard's voice and the way he talks about the railways is very therapeutic.
I live in York and often take my toddler daughter to see the horse in the dandy cart which she loves. The old station hall part is closed for a big redevelopment due to be finished for 2025.
York is a brilliant place for a visit, not just for train fans. my partner and I went for a weekend a couple of years back and ran out of time to see everything we wanted to.
I’ve been to York many times just because of the National Railway Museum and the Jorvik Museum as well the city itself. York railway station is still as beautiful as it always will be. And York Minster is also incredible.
I was brought up down the line in Scarborough. On a school trip to York in (I think) 1977, we'd just got off our rattling diesel multiple unit & were on the platform when an astonishing machine came almost purring in on the main line. It was the first time I'd ever seen the InterCity 125, & it really did look like it had arrived from the future.
Was at the museum for the turntable demo and just saying that at the start and the finish, the disorientation is literally mind boggling... I went all dizzy and nearly fell over. Remarkable experience. And then there is the station roof.... first time I saw it was filled with smoke, so I didn't appreciate it but about '65 I learnt that its one of York's 10 wonders and "sold" it to all my relatives.
The front of York Station is being done up with the removal of the Queens Road bridge, moving about of car parks, taxi ranks, and generally making it a lot nicer!
As an American who loves the UK and has visited dozens of times in my lifetime, I have some kind of deep, unexplained spiritual connection to York and Yorkshire. In 2019 I had a two week holiday in the area and spent a third of it in York and exploring the local railroads. Incredible engineering, history, and Victorian splendor all wrapped up in a tidy, beautiful package. Jago’s talented narration brought it all back to life. York is truly God’s country.
Used to be a York-KXX 1st Class commuter 20 years ago when GNER had a restaurant car. 7am down, full English Grill. 5pm back with 3 course dinner. Albert the car park attendant used to cone off a space for me by Platform 1 in return for a Christmas bottle of whisky for him and a bottle of advocaat for his wife. #goodolddays
You laugh, but they've only just got rid of them (in the past few years) on the York - Harrogate line. I used to commute on that line and if I took a later train in (after the rush hour) it would be one of those awful Pacers. Thankfully I don't have to suffer commuting any more.
Jago, you may want to look at the history of York's station roof. The Victorian roof was notoriously leaky with loose panels leading to drips onto the platforms. The columns supporting the roof were hollow and supposed to act as drains, but weren't properly maintained and regularly blocked. Finally, in the 1990's, the station management got the money to fix it. They cleared and upgraded the columns, replaced the old roof panels with modern ones that actually fitted properly, and then discovered that there 'fix' had caused its own issue. The new roof was so good at keeping the rain off the platforms in the central part of the station, but the drains in the columns couldn't cope, so every time it rained a torrent of water would run off the ends. The Victorians had known the limitations of the technology they had, accepting the leaky panels, and the odd drips. Thus the columns were never designed to deal with all the water that fell on it. It took a second fix to finally properly drain the roof. A fix to fix a fix, if you will
There's almost no Roman walls left in York. The walls existing today are mostly from 13th and 14th century. It's a beautiful city though and well worth a visit. There are plenty of museums detailing the rich history of the city and, of course, the excellent National Railway Museum (which is also free entry!).
One of the gates was taken down to widen a street with plans for getting rid of the whole wall like many cities did but some bishop objected and it was mostly preserved. Makes for very nice walking along.
@@emjayay The gateway (or "Bar" as we call them in York) was Skeldergate Bar. It was demolished by the York Corporation in the heat of the industrial revolution era of York. For some reason, the Archbishop of York had stewardship of all the walls at this point, had not been consulted and was so angry he took the Corporation to court - and won! There were no further modifications to the walls after this point.
this was a wonderful introduction to York station. As an American I've never been to York, but there was an episode of the BBC show Top Gear that featured a steam locomotive running the east coast main line from London to Edinburgh. The train stops in at York and the overhead photography showed the intriguing curved roof and sweeping turn through the yards. The gorgeous steam engine resting, puffing, seeming to beg to go forth again toward Edinburgh. Because of this I was curious about York and your video has filled in the gaps for me, thank you
The present station is something to behold from the inside. Victorian engineering at its finest. Anyone who hasnt been to York should consider a weekend break - discover the National Railway museum, Guy Fawkes house and York Minister. Have a riverboat cruise down the Ouse, Direct present day LNER services from London and Edinburgh. (last time travelling from London to Edinburgh, a certain Mick Hucknell joined the train at York and sat in the seat across the aisle. A quick google showed he had been at a gig in Scarborough and was on his way to Dundee. I didnt speak to him. TBH, I dont think he wanted to be recognised. Fortunately, it was green all the way and no signal was Simply Red until we reached Edinburgh)
As a teenager in the late 50s, I travelled regularly between York and King's X and also to Scarborough and Leeds. I still remember watching the A4s spinning their wheels to get traction starting towards Newcastle. It was a shame to remove the central tracks in the station.
The more one contemplates the titans of Victorian railways- Brunel, Dan Gooch, the Stephensons, architects such as Barlow, Scott and Lewis Cubitt- the more one grasps their exemplary importance in fusing art, technology and commerce. These men built to last. They were proud of their achievements and the local heritage their lines reflected in design. Rail transit seemed the acme of international modernity, but its roots were in an England that harked back to the straight, well-engineered roads and aqueducts of the Romans. The remake was in iron and steam. The fathers of the railroad were mavericks in the Britain of the early 19C- poor, foreign, uncouth- who upended ruling-class values, social and financial, and were courted by the highest in the land. Their power was based not on inherited land, military might or favoritism at court but on invention, inspiration and relentless personal effort. Practical above all, yet artists in spite of themselves, they created the nerve system of the modern industrial world. Amazing breakthroughs in speed and reliability of travel came with the stability of monuments to inventiveness, like the York train shed, which will endure to be marveled at like a Roman amphitheater or medieval cathedral. You need not visit a museum to behold their artefacts. They are all around, still in daily use. Functionalism in art was preached by Bauhaus; the railwaymen were doing it 100 years earlier. Hudson, the Yerkes of York, deserves to be in their fraternity. He may have cut corners and lined his own pockets, but he was a genuine visionary and patriot, not just a greedy swindler. His downfall was due to his early success, which launched the Railway Mania and made him a scapegoat for the extravagances of imitators.
York forgave its errant son in time for it's 750th anniversary as a city in 1977. The statue of him was re-erected at the junction of Station Road and Leeman Road and a street was renamed "Hudson Street" in his honour.
1999/2000-ish I had fallen in love with a York student. Myself, I lived on the continent where both of us originally were from. It would never pan out between her and me. I made the journey to York a few times though and some of the shots from your video reminded me of the walk to where she had a room, halfway between the station and the factory where they made KitKat then. Bittersweet and wonderful memories. The train rides from Manchester, peering into the backyards of Yorkshire, taking the National Express to and from London another time. Drinks and Tuesday nights about town with the flatmates of hers... Thanks mate, this was something albeit it, not what you intended.
I went to uni in York, so for three years this station was my portal to the "real world" back down south. I went back for a holiday a couple of years ago and parked near the station, when cutting through the platforms back to the hotel (the old NER offices!), the nostalgia was so strong it felt physical. Beautiful station in a beautiful city.
It's great to see that the new York Station was preserved so beautifully when the New York (Penn) Station was so tragically torn down and replaced with a cave.
I believe it's a listed building, which would explain that. That's the reason why York doesn't have automated ticket barriers as well - there isn't space to add enough of them to cope with the volume of commuters at the front of the station and the fundamental, structural, changes needed wouldn't be allowed under listing building rules.
Another service York boasted was a direct tunnel link to the Royal Mail sorting office a short distance away meaning post could be taken directly from there onto the platform and onto mail trains. The lift shaft still exists and the door can be seen on one of the platforms, though it no longer works.
Recently we stayed in a hotel in Hudson Quarter and our room overlooked the station canopy. We also ate in an Italian restaurant which was George Townsend' s architectural offices. All of which led us to do some research on this fascinating piece of railway history
As someone who has recently moved from the London area to the North East, I am pleased Jago has discovered that it's not so grim oop North after all! Looking forward to more northern videos.
@@highpath4776 Agreed, moving North is not for everyone, and possibly not for those who might want to move back South, but can be worthwhile in later life. I am not suggesting that everyone should do it (although if they did, house values might equalise or even reverse) but only that Jago's excellent videos should be less London-centric.
When I was little, the great hall formed by Brighton station's roof impressed me in the same way. :) I was smaller then, of course, and I don't think it's so long as York's, but it had transparent parts in those days, making the space much lighter than it is now, and the station was much busier. It was as grand as anything I knew! :) The flip side was that the station was so busy, an arriving train might have to wait for a free platform for a small child's lifetime, and with no views out of the cutting.
So many images I can recall seeing on my own visit to York, the walled city and railway musuem. Stood under that roof and on that platform to watch trains until my own returned me to London. As others have said, very much worth a visit! I stayed at the old convent now hotel by the gate, lovely people, so a shout out to them.
I can remember seeing the trains rushing through the station on the middle tracks. I also remember crossing the footbridge to get a train to Edinburgh one morning, then returning at night to find the bridge had been removed in a day. This was for electrification in the 1980s.
A few years ago, I had to make a connection at York. I had 3 minutes to go from one end of the station to another, and he other train would have been in 2 hours. I was mesmerised by the roof, and long story short, I got to spend 2 hours exploring York - beautiful place!!
As a child, we visited my great grandparents in York. You missed the absolute terror of a fast steam loco going through the station. Bellowing smoke and steam as it passed under the footbridge... Many a smokey walk to Acomb ensued
When my late mother and I visited Britain in 1984, York was our first stop out of London, as I knew the railway museum was there. York Station dazzled me; I still call it a "Cathedral for Trains." -- It's a pity there is a 30 MPH curve through the whole thing, but I presume that is one reason nearly every train stops there .
My school railway society booked a trip behind Flying Scotsman from Finsbury Park to York just before it left for its tour of the USA. As well as the (old) railway museum, we sneaked into the closed York North loco depot where Blue Peter and Bittern were stored. At the time the old station was still in use as a wagon store so we had a look round there as well :)
York is one of my favourite places to visit in the UK, lots of fantastic buildings and history to see and its such a nice thing to see the station is also one of those things too (Even if it is a lot more recent). When I first visited by train back before I was really into rail travel and knowing nothing, I got a wonderful treat upon arrival.
I moved to York from London (Cockfosters) about 22 years ago! York has a fantastic station, historic city centre and home to the (National) Railway Museum! Thank you @Jago Hazzard for this video.
I adore this place. It’s such a beautiful station and the staff are always so lovely. I’ll never forget when a group of us went there and the assistance staff got us all to do the conga in the subway!
Just watched and this is now one of my favorite videos from you. I've mentioned in previous comments on a few of your prior videos that I visited York four years ago. I really liked it there and am glad I spent a few days there. Just about every shot of yours in this video I saw first hand myself. Which is a very nice, if unintentional, touch by you. If you have footage from walking around the city itself, you should do a video or two on just the city! No need to mention the railroads. I don't think any of us will complain. It offers so much for people to see. For those who are considering visiting the UK (or UK residents thinking about visiting York): do it! Spend a few days there and walk around. There's a volunteer group that offers free walking tours of the city, that was fantastic, and the guy leading it was quite knowledgeable. And I liked the station itself. Though I admittedly didn't spend too much time there. I'm glad they did a good job of repairing the bomb damage rather than demolishing the entire thing and putting up something boring and drab. And being next door to the National Railway Museum was cool. With so many railroads serving York, it does strike me as an appropriate site for the museum.
Loved this film, it made me so proud to have worked at British Rail Eastern Region HQ from 1973 to 1987, in various finance-related jobs. We always thought Eastern was the "Premier Region"! By the way, Market Weighton is pronounced "Weeton"
The plans involve knocking down the bridge over the tracks leading to the 'old' station now the CYC offices and moving the taxi rank outside a la Newcastle Central station. The land behind the station will be offices and houses - used to be sidings. The NRM is also being re developed and enlarged at the same time. Thanks for showing somewhere outside London.
Also worth mentioning that as part of the same initiative, they are expanding the NRM and prior to building commencing, as is always the case in York, the archaeologists have recently moved in to the area between the NRM and station. As well as turning up ancient artifacts and remnants of the Roman cemetery that lies beneath the station, they have also been unearthing 19th century station ephemera as they dig around the foundation of a coal furnace that served the original railworks.
York is a wonderful station in a wonderful town. Thanks Jago! My only gripe is that the big, scruffy gap between the tracks on platforms 3 and 5, and the disused platform areas. I know there used to be a third track which has been removed, and it's left with pieces of old rail piled in the space. Whoever is responsible (?Network Rail) please put the track back, remove that pile of rails, and tidy up the station in general. It would make all the difference!
What a pleasant surprise to have a Jago video about the city where I live! It's quite strange really seeing a lot of clips used in this video of places I walk or drive past very frequently! Just yesterday in fact I was walking over Lendal Bridge (pictured at 6:55) thinking how hard it is to believe that where there's now a grass bank there used to be a railway station between the road and the city wall
When I see those old photos of the railway sidings abutting hard against the city wall, I'm astonished they managed to fit them in there, or that they even thought it was a good idea. But then the Victorians never gave a second thought to demolishing or fundamentally modifying anything that good in the way of trade and industry, no matter how old it was. Much of the city walls disappeared for similar reasons.
@@philroberts7238 very true. Maybe the confusion comes from the fact there is a gap in the city wall near Fosse Islands. During the middle ages the river Fosse was damed which caused the river to backup. The resulting swamp would have been impossible to pass, so there was never any need to build the walls there. A dam was also quicker and easier to construct then the walls
@@simonfrost7094 Further north, the Victorian engineers decided it would be a great idea to build Berwick station right in the middle of where the Great Hall of Berwick Castle once stood...
Thank you for highlighting this out of London station. I've only ever got off during engineering works to change trains, but goodness it's a gorgeous and busy place with lots of interest on and off the tracks.❤
The beautiful city of York and its station and curve which was an excellent location to view the steam locomotives rolling in particularly the Gresley A4s and later the departure of the English Electric ''Deltics'' with the sound of their complicated two stroke diesel engines.I've spent many hours in the rail museum there over the years.The North Eastern Railway has an interesting history especially with its busy and heavy freight haulage.
Great video. I learnt a few things, even as a Yorkshire person and railway enthusiast. Market Weighton (pronounced wee-ton) is a small place but was an important junction. The line, however, continued to Beverley and Hull and is much missed.
As ever a good piece of work. To me York station doesn't look right without the centre roads occupied by a Gresley, Thompson or Peppercorn pacific waiting to take over an East Coast express. Btw it's not Market 'Wayton' but Market 'Weeton' and maybe one day trains will once again run between there and York.
The major works about to begin at the front of the station involve removing the bridge which carried the road over the former tracks leading to the old station inside the walls. That will improve the view of the walls themselves, and allow more room for buses and pedestrians. These are welcome and long awaited improvements. On the other side of the station work is proceeding to upgrade the Railway Museum and build new housing and offices.
I can't wait for them to remove that bridge! When I commuted from York station, walking (or running, if I was late) over that bridge was the bane of my existence. The fact it is utterly pointless and has been for decades just rubbed salt in the wound!
Something I think often goes unmentioned when talking about York station is the positioning on the road so when you come out you walk directly towards the minster. It really signifies you are in York.
Terrific to know that you have ventured north, Jago. Next time you might like to cross the Pennines and view the scandalous neglect of railways in the north west--no, not Manchester or Liverpool, they are the north Midlands, but North Lancashire and Cumbria. The track which once carried London-Barrow-Workington expresses is dilapidated north of Barrow: there aren't even electric signals, let alone electric trains. The line to Windermere, formerly of the Lakes Express, is single track, with electification cancelled by the Westminster government--and of course the Keswick line long ago fell to the Beeching axe. Parliament seems to believe that north of Mancpool lies the English equivalent of the Saraha, uninhabited other than for a few nomadic herders 😡.
I've been lucky enough to visit York a couple of times and it's definitely one of my favourite stations, visiting from Birmingham it's a fantastic contrast with New Street!
York is one of my most favourite stations too , since my 1st visit back in Christmas 1983 have visited the station and used it and also the NRM too , and have seen it change over the years with the different traction and track layout,one of my best memories of the station is the pneumatic point motor sounds from the 1980s and the dark winter night with a class 45 / 47 loco arriving and departing on a trans pennine service to Liverpool or Newcastle , wonderfully memories , thanks for this video 😊
York for me is one of the most important and historical railway sites, especially since it contains the National Railway Museum, which at one point contained most of the entire National collection. The station is also very unique and the local history is also worth checking out.
"...there's nothing quite like the sight of an East Coast fast train coming into York..." -- but how much better it would look as a non-stop on the missing through lines in the big gap in the middle
Like you, York is one of my favourite large stations if only because we had our honeymoon in York and travelled there by train. It is full of charm and interest and grandeur which is echoed in the hotel next door. The saddest aspect was when Costa decided to 'revamp' the cafe on the end of the bridge. It lost all its character for a boring corporate look. Such is progress.
No way, I can’t believe you came to York, I could have walked past you! I’m from London originally but moved to York for uni, and it’s so exciting to see your videos in both places - the railway museum here in York is a great bonus too :)
York is one of my favourite cities, so it was really interesting to hear about the history of its station. I think it's actually a good thing that the current station doesn't look much from the outside; the alternative is frequently one of those places where the architecture sticks out like a sore thumb.
Love York station and the city itself. Been many times and always have had a wonderful time. The circular stained glass window/skylight in the roof of the York Tap is also stunning if you care to look up. Also once saw Tim Dunn by the city walls. And Gareth Dennis. All the train peeps!
That is probably the coolest station I've seen so far. I'm a welder by trade and just love how they made the structure flow. Yes, there is a lot of industrial workings, but it all flows in my opinion. Bravo Zulu sir.
Great video. A place I’ve proudly called home for the last 15 years and a station I drive trains from across the Pennines. My only sadness is seeing how much of the railway has disappeared over the years.
The very noticeable chill when you get off at York from London. And the impression of past grandeur overcome by sleepiness and a strong whiff of toilet splashed on the tracks.
Oh really?..... 'Sleepiness'? Last year over 8 million people used York Station. 'Strong whiff of toilet splashed on the tracks'? Train toilet waste goes into tanks and has done for decades.
Since I was a child and throughout my adult life. Every time I've visited York, I've stood at the spot you start the video on for a family photo. It was odd seeing that scene without someone I know in it. :) My uncle was a BR painter who spent his last years on the job painting York Station. Great video.
I remember being taken, in the late 1950s to the old station where the railway museum was still in its original position. I went again decades later for The Great Gathering of A4s reflecting that in 1964 I had visited it as a steam shed.
York is a beautiful station and by far my favourite outside of London too Speaking of George Stevenson, Colin Baker’s Dr. Who met him and before he left in the TARDIS he said to George “Your invention will take off like a rocket, Stevenson!” 😂😂
York is another one of my "home" stations. I remember old platform 1 of the 1877 station being converted for Motorail use, not the old station. But might have moved, so they could build Hudson House. Itself now demolished. Update: After research I find Motorail was launched in 1966 a re-branding of what was previously known as Car-Sleeper. I suspect Car-Sleeper operated from the old York station, and the new Motorail terminal in the 1877 station, opened to coincide with the re-launch/re-branding.
It is a lovely station, for sure and fairly bustles at times. Carlisle (citadel) is not dissimilar in layout, but was originally opened rather earlier in 1847, and was last extended in 1876 for the Midland Railway, upon the closure of other stations in the city. It was at one time being used by seven different railway companies. I'd hazard a guess it's a bit larger than York, too.
Carlisle Citadel is much smaller than York. Its claim to fame was that, as you say, it was served by seven railway companies - more than any other in Britain before the Grouping in 1923, when it was reduced to two. Arguably more distinctive than York from the outside, but inside there is no match for York's fine roof.
Recently went to York (unfortunately not by train, but that's another story) and called in at the station as my son needed the loo. Have a great video of him looking at the huge roof in wonder. Also think we may have been sitting where the old station was in the walls. I always assumed York Station was always York Station
Good old George Hudson, a Charles Tyson Yerkes before Charlie Tyson Yerkes! As a child I recall the old railway museum, located in, what I assumed to be goods sheds, behind the Railway Institute building and probably part of the old station complex. Rather cramped and dingy by today's standards. Needless to say, my father was a big wig on the railway so I managed to get shown round a lot of the buildings, not all of which were accessible to the general public. I also got to see the locomotive sheds in operation before they became the new Railway Museum. I find the simility of Newcastle to York rather striking, whilst not unusual for a railway company to build stations in a 'house' style, however, the rest of the stations on the ECML are very different in style to these two.
Sounds like a fascinating childhood. I'm quite envious. I have a tiny piece of old York here - the clock which once hung on the canteen wall in the Railway Institute still keeps good time today, and under the LNER face, one can still make out the original NER lettering.
@@phaasch I have a driver's manual for the Class 55 and was lucky enough to 'drive' one as a child. By which I mean the driver let me sit in the big seat whilst he operated the important controls. Something that would be frowned upon in this day and age! And for reference, 'we' were travelling light engine, so no danger to the travelling public!! 😊
Internally Newcastle Central is very like York, but the frontages couldn't be more dissimilar. Newcastle is also older (opened in 1850) than the present York station.
@@baxtermarrison5361 Not so long ago a colleague of mine had the 'pleasure' of being taken off driving for a number of weeks and sitting through numerous 'investigatory' meetings with neither tea nor biscuits before being exonerated and allowed to return to driving duties. The crime? Allowing an interested child (with parent) into the cab and to sit in the driving seat - while the train was at a station with the brakes set to emergency and no key in the driving desk (so all controls were inactive). If anyone ever wonders why industrial relations are so bad on the UK railway today, this sort of thing is why.
Thank you for this! I love York (both the station and the city). I had a really pleasant time with a cup of tea & far too early for my train in that station once.
It is indeed York
Only the bravest of takes from Jago Hazzard
Good old York.
The title "This is York" is borrowed from the excellent British Transport Films documentary of the 1950 era.
The gold standard in titles!
What is York? How do you define York? 😊
@@tr0nt Truly the takest of takes.
I'm not exactly a train fan, and maybe the trainiacs here won't quite understand this, but these calming and genuine videos have helped me through family tragedy and a 12 year addiction. Only posting this for myself, but thank you xo
Best wishes
@@HuntingCatIsBack/videos Really appreciate it :)
I like trains (and bikes and buses and canals) but a large part of my day job is working with sick and vulnerable people, and I agree that Mr Hazzard's voice and the way he talks about the railways is very therapeutic.
Going through my own battle with addiction, and I agree, these videos, for a small while, take me away from reality. It's nice.
@@FannyLerouxTime/videos Don't rush. You will get there
York is a must visit, you can't really call yourself a British railway enthusiast until you have visited the railway museum there.
Agree entirely
I've not been to the railway museum.............
Recently 🤣
Yes york is the railway center.
Forgot last time i was there...
Think it was last decade.
I live in York and often take my toddler daughter to see the horse in the dandy cart which she loves. The old station hall part is closed for a big redevelopment due to be finished for 2025.
York is a brilliant place for a visit, not just for train fans. my partner and I went for a weekend a couple of years back and ran out of time to see everything we wanted to.
I live up the road from the remains of Hudson's stately pile and his private station at Londesborough. Always love York station
I’ve been to York many times just because of the National Railway Museum and the Jorvik Museum as well the city itself. York railway station is still as beautiful as it always will be. And York Minster is also incredible.
I was brought up down the line in Scarborough. On a school trip to York in (I think) 1977, we'd just got off our rattling diesel multiple unit & were on the platform when an astonishing machine came almost purring in on the main line. It was the first time I'd ever seen the InterCity 125, & it really did look like it had arrived from the future.
And still, some 45+ years on I think the HST looks modern and up to date. A great design.
Was at the museum for the turntable demo and just saying that at the start and the finish, the disorientation is literally mind boggling... I went all dizzy and nearly fell over. Remarkable experience.
And then there is the station roof.... first time I saw it was filled with smoke, so I didn't appreciate it but about '65 I learnt that its one of York's 10 wonders and "sold" it to all my relatives.
I understand that the York Tap pub used to house a model railway club or a model railway shop. It's a nice little pub, I was there last summer.
"Rail Riders" it was called. Back in the '80s I used to take my children there from time to time.
The front of York Station is being done up with the removal of the Queens Road bridge, moving about of car parks, taxi ranks, and generally making it a lot nicer!
As an American who loves the UK and has visited dozens of times in my lifetime, I have some kind of deep, unexplained spiritual connection to York and Yorkshire. In 2019 I had a two week holiday in the area and spent a third of it in York and exploring the local railroads. Incredible engineering, history, and Victorian splendor all wrapped up in a tidy, beautiful package.
Jago’s talented narration brought it all back to life.
York is truly God’s country.
York is the English Texas
@@sianwarwick633 We're not English. We're Yorkshire. ;)
York is most definitely one of my favourite places in the UK.
Used to be a York-KXX 1st Class commuter 20 years ago when GNER had a restaurant car. 7am down, full English Grill. 5pm back with 3 course dinner. Albert the car park attendant used to cone off a space for me by Platform 1 in return for a Christmas bottle of whisky for him and a bottle of advocaat for his wife. #goodolddays
You know its old footage of York when you see a Pacer 2:14 😂
I noticed that too :P
You laugh, but they've only just got rid of them (in the past few years) on the York - Harrogate line. I used to commute on that line and if I took a later train in (after the rush hour) it would be one of those awful Pacers. Thankfully I don't have to suffer commuting any more.
That footage coming into York was absolutely beautiful! I enjoy these little excursions to other parts of the UK.
As an Aussie, I really do too!
Jago, you may want to look at the history of York's station roof. The Victorian roof was notoriously leaky with loose panels leading to drips onto the platforms. The columns supporting the roof were hollow and supposed to act as drains, but weren't properly maintained and regularly blocked. Finally, in the 1990's, the station management got the money to fix it. They cleared and upgraded the columns, replaced the old roof panels with modern ones that actually fitted properly, and then discovered that there 'fix' had caused its own issue. The new roof was so good at keeping the rain off the platforms in the central part of the station, but the drains in the columns couldn't cope, so every time it rained a torrent of water would run off the ends. The Victorians had known the limitations of the technology they had, accepting the leaky panels, and the odd drips. Thus the columns were never designed to deal with all the water that fell on it. It took a second fix to finally properly drain the roof. A fix to fix a fix, if you will
York looks very interesting, a Roman walled city. Never been myself, but would like to. Nice of Jago to visit other places in UK.
There's almost no Roman walls left in York. The walls existing today are mostly from 13th and 14th century. It's a beautiful city though and well worth a visit. There are plenty of museums detailing the rich history of the city and, of course, the excellent National Railway Museum (which is also free entry!).
York is magnificent.
Definitely worth a visit in my opinion
One of the gates was taken down to widen a street with plans for getting rid of the whole wall like many cities did but some bishop objected and it was mostly preserved. Makes for very nice walking along.
@@emjayay The gateway (or "Bar" as we call them in York) was Skeldergate Bar. It was demolished by the York Corporation in the heat of the industrial revolution era of York. For some reason, the Archbishop of York had stewardship of all the walls at this point, had not been consulted and was so angry he took the Corporation to court - and won! There were no further modifications to the walls after this point.
this was a wonderful introduction to York station. As an American I've never been to York, but there was an episode of the BBC show Top Gear that featured a steam locomotive running the east coast main line from London to Edinburgh. The train stops in at York and the overhead photography showed the intriguing curved roof and sweeping turn through the yards. The gorgeous steam engine resting, puffing, seeming to beg to go forth again toward Edinburgh. Because of this I was curious about York and your video has filled in the gaps for me, thank you
The present station is something to behold from the inside. Victorian engineering at its finest. Anyone who hasnt been to York should consider a weekend break - discover the National Railway museum, Guy Fawkes house and York Minister. Have a riverboat cruise down the Ouse, Direct present day LNER services from London and Edinburgh. (last time travelling from London to Edinburgh, a certain Mick Hucknell joined the train at York and sat in the seat across the aisle. A quick google showed he had been at a gig in Scarborough and was on his way to Dundee. I didnt speak to him. TBH, I dont think he wanted to be recognised. Fortunately, it was green all the way and no signal was Simply Red until we reached Edinburgh)
York is an incredible place. Recently spent a couple of nights there with my partner, and it was a wonderful place to be.
As a teenager in the late 50s, I travelled regularly between York and King's X and also to Scarborough and Leeds. I still remember watching the A4s spinning their wheels to get traction starting towards Newcastle. It was a shame to remove the central tracks in the station.
The more one contemplates the titans of Victorian railways- Brunel, Dan Gooch, the Stephensons, architects such as Barlow, Scott and Lewis Cubitt- the more one grasps their exemplary importance in fusing art, technology and commerce. These men built to last. They were proud of their achievements and the local heritage their lines reflected in design. Rail transit seemed the acme of international modernity, but its roots were in an England that harked back to the straight, well-engineered roads and aqueducts of the Romans. The remake was in iron and steam.
The fathers of the railroad were mavericks in the Britain of the early 19C- poor, foreign, uncouth- who upended ruling-class values, social and financial, and were courted by the highest in the land. Their power was based not on inherited land, military might or favoritism at court but on invention, inspiration and relentless personal effort. Practical above all, yet artists in spite of themselves, they created the nerve system of the modern industrial world. Amazing breakthroughs in speed and reliability of travel came with the stability of monuments to inventiveness, like the York train shed, which will endure to be marveled at like a Roman amphitheater or medieval cathedral.
You need not visit a museum to behold their artefacts. They are all around, still in daily use. Functionalism in art was preached by Bauhaus; the railwaymen were doing it 100 years earlier.
Hudson, the Yerkes of York, deserves to be in their fraternity. He may have cut corners and lined his own pockets, but he was a genuine visionary and patriot, not just a greedy swindler. His downfall was due to his early success, which launched the Railway Mania and made him a scapegoat for the extravagances of imitators.
York forgave its errant son in time for it's 750th anniversary as a city in 1977. The statue of him was re-erected at the junction of Station Road and Leeman Road and a street was renamed "Hudson Street" in his honour.
1999/2000-ish I had fallen in love with a York student. Myself, I lived on the continent where both of us originally were from. It would never pan out between her and me. I made the journey to York a few times though and some of the shots from your video reminded me of the walk to where she had a room, halfway between the station and the factory where they made KitKat then. Bittersweet and wonderful memories. The train rides from Manchester, peering into the backyards of Yorkshire, taking the National Express to and from London another time. Drinks and Tuesday nights about town with the flatmates of hers... Thanks mate, this was something albeit it, not what you intended.
I went to uni in York, so for three years this station was my portal to the "real world" back down south. I went back for a holiday a couple of years ago and parked near the station, when cutting through the platforms back to the hotel (the old NER offices!), the nostalgia was so strong it felt physical. Beautiful station in a beautiful city.
I love York. The station and NRM are terrific
Was lucky to live in York for a number of years, the station is always a spectacle going back, but I love a lot of train stations of course
It's great to see that the new York Station was preserved so beautifully when the New York (Penn) Station was so tragically torn down and replaced with a cave.
I believe it's a listed building, which would explain that. That's the reason why York doesn't have automated ticket barriers as well - there isn't space to add enough of them to cope with the volume of commuters at the front of the station and the fundamental, structural, changes needed wouldn't be allowed under listing building rules.
Also New York is like 100 times the size of York so the stations would have drastically different passenger numbers and demand
Another service York boasted was a direct tunnel link to the Royal Mail sorting office a short distance away meaning post could be taken directly from there onto the platform and onto mail trains. The lift shaft still exists and the door can be seen on one of the platforms, though it no longer works.
I'm just back from a trip to York. Very charming place!
Recently we stayed in a hotel in Hudson Quarter and our room overlooked the station canopy. We also ate in an Italian restaurant which was George Townsend' s architectural offices. All of which led us to do some research on this fascinating piece of railway history
York is the most iconic station. It's instantly recognizable.
As someone who has recently moved from the London area to the North East, I am pleased Jago has discovered that it's not so grim oop North after all! Looking forward to more northern videos.
I agree, although I moved to Tyneside in 1994!
the problem is once the idea to move north is made , it is difficult to do the reverse relocation in the future
@@highpath4776 Agreed, moving North is not for everyone, and possibly not for those who might want to move back South, but can be worthwhile in later life. I am not suggesting that everyone should do it (although if they did, house values might equalise or even reverse) but only that Jago's excellent videos should be less London-centric.
@@highpath4776 Go back south? Why on earth do that?!
@@EllieMaes-Grandad warmer weather ?
When I was little, the great hall formed by Brighton station's roof impressed me in the same way. :) I was smaller then, of course, and I don't think it's so long as York's, but it had transparent parts in those days, making the space much lighter than it is now, and the station was much busier. It was as grand as anything I knew! :) The flip side was that the station was so busy, an arriving train might have to wait for a free platform for a small child's lifetime, and with no views out of the cutting.
So many images I can recall seeing on my own visit to York, the walled city and railway musuem. Stood under that roof and on that platform to watch trains until my own returned me to London. As others have said, very much worth a visit! I stayed at the old convent now hotel by the gate, lovely people, so a shout out to them.
I can remember seeing the trains rushing through the station on the middle tracks. I also remember crossing the footbridge to get a train to Edinburgh one morning, then returning at night to find the bridge had been removed in a day. This was for electrification in the 1980s.
A few years ago, I had to make a connection at York. I had 3 minutes to go from one end of the station to another, and he other train would have been in 2 hours. I was mesmerised by the roof, and long story short, I got to spend 2 hours exploring York - beautiful place!!
One of life's pleasures is to have a cup of coffee in the old signalbox (now a Costa) accessed from the footbridge steps on platform 3.
I was just going to post a similar comment! On our first visit it was just a tea shop, no branding.
As a child, we visited my great grandparents in York. You missed the absolute terror of a fast steam loco going through the station. Bellowing smoke and steam as it passed under the footbridge... Many a smokey walk to Acomb ensued
When my late mother and I visited Britain in 1984, York was our first stop out of London, as I knew the railway museum was there. York Station dazzled me; I still call it a "Cathedral for Trains." -- It's a pity there is a 30 MPH curve through the whole thing, but I presume that is one reason nearly every train stops there .
Is it my imagination, or are your videos getting better and better? That was a belter!
My school railway society booked a trip behind Flying Scotsman from Finsbury Park to York just before it left for its tour of the USA. As well as the (old) railway museum, we sneaked into the closed York North loco depot where Blue Peter and Bittern were stored. At the time the old station was still in use as a wagon store so we had a look round there as well :)
York is one of my favourite places to visit in the UK, lots of fantastic buildings and history to see and its such a nice thing to see the station is also one of those things too (Even if it is a lot more recent). When I first visited by train back before I was really into rail travel and knowing nothing, I got a wonderful treat upon arrival.
I moved to York from London (Cockfosters) about 22 years ago! York has a fantastic station, historic city centre and home to the (National) Railway Museum! Thank you @Jago Hazzard for this video.
I adore this place. It’s such a beautiful station and the staff are always so lovely. I’ll never forget when a group of us went there and the assistance staff got us all to do the conga in the subway!
Just watched and this is now one of my favorite videos from you. I've mentioned in previous comments on a few of your prior videos that I visited York four years ago. I really liked it there and am glad I spent a few days there. Just about every shot of yours in this video I saw first hand myself. Which is a very nice, if unintentional, touch by you.
If you have footage from walking around the city itself, you should do a video or two on just the city! No need to mention the railroads. I don't think any of us will complain. It offers so much for people to see.
For those who are considering visiting the UK (or UK residents thinking about visiting York): do it! Spend a few days there and walk around. There's a volunteer group that offers free walking tours of the city, that was fantastic, and the guy leading it was quite knowledgeable.
And I liked the station itself. Though I admittedly didn't spend too much time there. I'm glad they did a good job of repairing the bomb damage rather than demolishing the entire thing and putting up something boring and drab. And being next door to the National Railway Museum was cool. With so many railroads serving York, it does strike me as an appropriate site for the museum.
Loved this film, it made me so proud to have worked at British Rail Eastern Region HQ from 1973 to 1987, in various finance-related jobs. We always thought Eastern was the "Premier Region"! By the way, Market Weighton is pronounced "Weeton"
I worked in Hudson House (original station) in 1989 - Finance Manager Plant Eastern Region.
@@RossMaynardProcessExcellence We missed each other then, I was Finance Officer (M&EE) for several years prior to my moving on to pastures new.
The plans involve knocking down the bridge over the tracks leading to the 'old' station now the CYC offices and moving the taxi rank outside a la Newcastle Central station.
The land behind the station will be offices and houses - used to be sidings.
The NRM is also being re developed and enlarged at the same time.
Thanks for showing somewhere outside London.
Also worth mentioning that as part of the same initiative, they are expanding the NRM and prior to building commencing, as is always the case in York, the archaeologists have recently moved in to the area between the NRM and station. As well as turning up ancient artifacts and remnants of the Roman cemetery that lies beneath the station, they have also been unearthing 19th century station ephemera as they dig around the foundation of a coal furnace that served the original railworks.
Came to visit 21 years ago. Stayed ever since.
York is a wonderful station in a wonderful town. Thanks Jago! My only gripe is that the big, scruffy gap between the tracks on platforms 3 and 5, and the disused platform areas. I know there used to be a third track which has been removed, and it's left with pieces of old rail piled in the space. Whoever is responsible (?Network Rail) please put the track back, remove that pile of rails, and tidy up the station in general. It would make all the difference!
What a pleasant surprise to have a Jago video about the city where I live! It's quite strange really seeing a lot of clips used in this video of places I walk or drive past very frequently! Just yesterday in fact I was walking over Lendal Bridge (pictured at 6:55) thinking how hard it is to believe that where there's now a grass bank there used to be a railway station between the road and the city wall
When I see those old photos of the railway sidings abutting hard against the city wall, I'm astonished they managed to fit them in there, or that they even thought it was a good idea. But then the Victorians never gave a second thought to demolishing or fundamentally modifying anything that good in the way of trade and industry, no matter how old it was. Much of the city walls disappeared for similar reasons.
@simonfrost7094, all of York's city walls are still there. The only thing we've lost are a couple of the Barbicans.
@@John-Smith-999 But only thanks to the Archbishop of the day.
@@philroberts7238 very true. Maybe the confusion comes from the fact there is a gap in the city wall near Fosse Islands. During the middle ages the river Fosse was damed which caused the river to backup. The resulting swamp would have been impossible to pass, so there was never any need to build the walls there. A dam was also quicker and easier to construct then the walls
@@simonfrost7094 Further north, the Victorian engineers decided it would be a great idea to build Berwick station right in the middle of where the Great Hall of Berwick Castle once stood...
I used to live in York and would take trains regularly. I miss the station, there's something very homely about it
Thank you for highlighting this out of London station. I've only ever got off during engineering works to change trains, but goodness it's a gorgeous and busy place with lots of interest on and off the tracks.❤
The beautiful city of York and its station and curve which was an excellent location to view the steam locomotives rolling in particularly the Gresley A4s and later the departure of the English Electric ''Deltics'' with the sound of their complicated two stroke diesel engines.I've spent many hours in the rail museum there over the years.The North Eastern Railway has an interesting history especially with its busy and heavy freight haulage.
My favourite station too although I think it lost some of its drama when the two through lines were removed from under the main roofed section.
York was a frequent destination for days out with me and my Father to go ro the Railway Museum
Great video. I learnt a few things, even as a Yorkshire person and railway enthusiast.
Market Weighton (pronounced wee-ton) is a small place but was an important junction. The line, however, continued to Beverley and Hull and is much missed.
Ahh, my beautiful hometown. I miss living there. And so much railway history! With the finest station in England, IMO.
I agree York is a beautiful city, its only about an hour from where I live.
ENJOYED THAT THE FIRST PORT OF CALL FOR ME WHEN I GET TO YORK IS ALWAYS THE RAILWAY MUSEUM
As ever a good piece of work.
To me York station doesn't look right without the centre roads occupied by a Gresley, Thompson or Peppercorn pacific waiting to take over an East Coast express.
Btw it's not Market 'Wayton' but Market 'Weeton' and maybe one day trains will once again run between there and York.
The major works about to begin at the front of the station involve removing the bridge which carried the road over the former tracks leading to the old station inside the walls. That will improve the view of the walls themselves, and allow more room for buses and pedestrians. These are welcome and long awaited improvements. On the other side of the station work is proceeding to upgrade the Railway Museum and build new housing and offices.
I can't wait for them to remove that bridge! When I commuted from York station, walking (or running, if I was late) over that bridge was the bane of my existence. The fact it is utterly pointless and has been for decades just rubbed salt in the wound!
Something I think often goes unmentioned when talking about York station is the positioning on the road so when you come out you walk directly towards the minster. It really signifies you are in York.
Laundry... ....Thank you District Engineer and folks😌👍🏾
Terrific to know that you have ventured north, Jago. Next time you might like to cross the Pennines and view the scandalous neglect of railways in the north west--no, not Manchester or Liverpool, they are the north Midlands, but North Lancashire and Cumbria. The track which once carried London-Barrow-Workington expresses is dilapidated north of Barrow: there aren't even electric signals, let alone electric trains. The line to Windermere, formerly of the Lakes Express, is single track, with electification cancelled by the Westminster government--and of course the Keswick line long ago fell to the Beeching axe. Parliament seems to believe that north of Mancpool lies the English equivalent of the Saraha, uninhabited other than for a few nomadic herders 😡.
I've been lucky enough to visit York a couple of times and it's definitely one of my favourite stations, visiting from Birmingham it's a fantastic contrast with New Street!
York is one of my most favourite stations too , since my 1st visit back in Christmas 1983 have visited the station and used it and also the NRM too , and have seen it change over the years with the different traction and track layout,one of my best memories of the station is the pneumatic point motor sounds from the 1980s and the dark winter night with a class 45 / 47 loco arriving and departing on a trans pennine service to Liverpool or Newcastle , wonderfully memories , thanks for this video 😊
York for me is one of the most important and historical railway sites, especially since it contains the National Railway Museum, which at one point contained most of the entire National collection. The station is also very unique and the local history is also worth checking out.
Unique is unique (Latin - one only), no modification needed. Newcastle Central has constructional similarities.
Thanks!
And thank you!
One of the grand things about York Station is the massive cycle parking facility, one of the biggest I've seen.
The station even has a Cycle Repair Shop. Comes from York being a Cyclist's City. If you drive round it you'll understand why.
"...there's nothing quite like the sight of an East Coast fast train coming into York..." -- but how much better it would look as a non-stop on the missing through lines in the big gap in the middle
Like you, York is one of my favourite large stations if only because we had our honeymoon in York and travelled there by train. It is full of charm and interest and grandeur which is echoed in the hotel next door. The saddest aspect was when Costa decided to 'revamp' the cafe on the end of the bridge. It lost all its character for a boring corporate look. Such is progress.
No way, I can’t believe you came to York, I could have walked past you! I’m from London originally but moved to York for uni, and it’s so exciting to see your videos in both places - the railway museum here in York is a great bonus too :)
York is one of my favourite cities, so it was really interesting to hear about the history of its station. I think it's actually a good thing that the current station doesn't look much from the outside; the alternative is frequently one of those places where the architecture sticks out like a sore thumb.
Enjoyed the video. I believe the modifications outside include removing the "Hump bridge" which used to go over the tracks into the old station.
Love York station and the city itself. Been many times and always have had a wonderful time. The circular stained glass window/skylight in the roof of the York Tap is also stunning if you care to look up. Also once saw Tim Dunn by the city walls. And Gareth Dennis. All the train peeps!
This is York was on of the best of the British Transport Information films back in 1953.
That is probably the coolest station I've seen so far. I'm a welder by trade and just love how they made the structure flow. Yes, there is a lot of industrial workings, but it all flows in my opinion. Bravo Zulu sir.
Great video. A place I’ve proudly called home for the last 15 years and a station I drive trains from across the Pennines. My only sadness is seeing how much of the railway has disappeared over the years.
I love York, both the station and the city. I love history so walking the walls and seeing the Minster and so on is great fun.
The very noticeable chill when you get off at York from London. And the impression of past grandeur overcome by sleepiness and a strong whiff of toilet splashed on the tracks.
Oh really?..... 'Sleepiness'? Last year over 8 million people used York Station. 'Strong whiff of toilet splashed on the tracks'? Train toilet waste goes into tanks and has done for decades.
A station I have once been through, but never stopped at. I must remedy this. Thanks for taking us around!
I was born just over a mile away from York station. Grandad built 'em, Uncle drove 'em, Brother fixed 'em.
I love the metalwork in stations like that.
York is one of my favourite stations. :)
Since I was a child and throughout my adult life. Every time I've visited York, I've stood at the spot you start the video on for a family photo. It was odd seeing that scene without someone I know in it. :) My uncle was a BR painter who spent his last years on the job painting York Station. Great video.
I remember being taken, in the late 1950s to the old station where the railway museum was still in its original position. I went again decades later for The Great Gathering of A4s reflecting that in 1964 I had visited it as a steam shed.
What an interesting story this was. You learn something new everyday.
Very similar to Newcastle. Brilliant show!
I like York a lot. Would recommend it to anyone. Especially the station and Yorkminster.
York is a beautiful station and by far my favourite outside of London too
Speaking of George Stevenson, Colin Baker’s Dr. Who met him and before he left in the TARDIS he said to George
“Your invention will take off like a rocket, Stevenson!” 😂😂
Love the view of the 37 on the siding one sees from the Railcam camera!
York is another one of my "home" stations. I remember old platform 1 of the 1877 station being converted for Motorail use, not the old station. But might have moved, so they could build Hudson House. Itself now demolished. Update: After research I find Motorail was launched in 1966 a re-branding of what was previously known as Car-Sleeper. I suspect Car-Sleeper operated from the old York station, and the new Motorail terminal in the 1877 station, opened to coincide with the re-launch/re-branding.
Lovely station. The shed is a thing of beauty. Really enjoyed this and would love to see more country-wide vids.
Come along to the city walls experience, just along from the station
Take a couple of hours extra and walk round on them as well.
It is a lovely station, for sure and fairly bustles at times. Carlisle (citadel) is not dissimilar in layout, but was originally opened rather earlier in 1847, and was last extended in 1876 for the Midland Railway, upon the closure of other stations in the city. It was at one time being used by seven different railway companies. I'd hazard a guess it's a bit larger than York, too.
Carlisle Citadel is much smaller than York. Its claim to fame was that, as you say, it was served by seven railway companies - more than any other in Britain before the Grouping in 1923, when it was reduced to two. Arguably more distinctive than York from the outside, but inside there is no match for York's fine roof.
York is a great place to visit. I have been there quite a few times.
I like that you have to go some distance north of York before you see the ‘halfway to Edinburgh’ sign.
Not that far . . .
Recently went to York (unfortunately not by train, but that's another story) and called in at the station as my son needed the loo. Have a great video of him looking at the huge roof in wonder. Also think we may have been sitting where the old station was in the walls. I always assumed York Station was always York Station
Good old George Hudson, a Charles Tyson Yerkes before Charlie Tyson Yerkes!
As a child I recall the old railway museum, located in, what I assumed to be goods sheds, behind the Railway Institute building and probably part of the old station complex. Rather cramped and dingy by today's standards. Needless to say, my father was a big wig on the railway so I managed to get shown round a lot of the buildings, not all of which were accessible to the general public. I also got to see the locomotive sheds in operation before they became the new Railway Museum.
I find the simility of Newcastle to York rather striking, whilst not unusual for a railway company to build stations in a 'house' style, however, the rest of the stations on the ECML are very different in style to these two.
Sounds like a fascinating childhood. I'm quite envious.
I have a tiny piece of old York here - the clock which once hung on the canteen wall in the Railway Institute still keeps good time today, and under the LNER face, one can still make out the original NER lettering.
@@phaasch I have a driver's manual for the Class 55 and was lucky enough to 'drive' one as a child. By which I mean the driver let me sit in the big seat whilst he operated the important controls. Something that would be frowned upon in this day and age! And for reference, 'we' were travelling light engine, so no danger to the travelling public!! 😊
Internally Newcastle Central is very like York, but the frontages couldn't be more dissimilar. Newcastle is also older (opened in 1850) than the present York station.
George Hudson was MP for Sunderland, and had a grand house in Borough Road, which became the offices where I worked for 14 years or so. Happy days.
@@baxtermarrison5361 Not so long ago a colleague of mine had the 'pleasure' of being taken off driving for a number of weeks and sitting through numerous 'investigatory' meetings with neither tea nor biscuits before being exonerated and allowed to return to driving duties.
The crime? Allowing an interested child (with parent) into the cab and to sit in the driving seat - while the train was at a station with the brakes set to emergency and no key in the driving desk (so all controls were inactive).
If anyone ever wonders why industrial relations are so bad on the UK railway today, this sort of thing is why.
Many thanks, Mr H. Beautiful station and city.
Thank you for this! I love York (both the station and the city). I had a really pleasant time with a cup of tea & far too early for my train in that station once.