Press Office
Visitors urged to get into the sixties swing of things at the National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum (NRM) in York is going Sixties crazy and encouraging visitors to become psychedelically creative as part of the Museum’s Psychedelic Fortnight from 14th to 29th October.
The NRM’s ‘All Change’ event will reflect some of the huge changes that took place in the Sixties, a decade that saw the greatest changes in society in the 20th century, not least on British railways.
Not only were there great changes in society, but also technology, morality, culture, fashion and lifestyle.
The 1960s brought fundamental changes to the rail travel experience. In 1959, over half of all rail traffic was hauled by steam; by 1969 no steam trains ran anywhere on the national network.
And in 1965, ‘British Railways’ rewrote the textbook on corporate identity when it became ‘British Rail’ and developed a look, which has continued to this day
Displays at the Museum will include ‘Psychedelic Diesels’, from the NRM’s collection, which will be given a Sixties treatment with ‘groovy’ oil-slide projections and pop music of the period.
As well as the psychedelic diesels visitors will have a one-off opportunity to experience driving a real diesel locomotive and also see the Museum’s staff getting into the swing of things by dressing up in Sixties attire!
However Psychedelic Fortnight is not only about railways, but also how the Sixties changed society in the 20th century.
Also as part of the nationwide ‘Big Draw’ scheme, the NRM is hosting the ‘Far Out Tracks’ event, that aims to get everybody drawing!
Visitors will be encouraged to use funky colours and wild style to create new designs and masterpieces of the Museum’s ‘Giants of Steam’.
Andrew Scott, Head of Museum, said:
“Psychedelic Fortnight offers us a great opportunity to tell visitors all about the changes that took place in the Sixties and the ways that the railways were affected. The event is a fantastic chance for families to come along and see our many displays and demonstrations, as well as taking part in some of our great interactive, hands-on activities.”
In addition to these events, an auction of Sixties railway memorabilia and models will be taking place on Saturday 28th October to help raise funds for the overhaul of Flying Scotsman.
9 October 2006