Railroad Headquarters

Visited 19 March 2006

One of most impressive buildings close to the walls is the old railroad headquarters opposite the train station.  York has always been the gateway to the North, primarily because of its two rivers.  Halfway between Edinburgh and London, it was a natural spot for the railroad transportation hub.  The trains first started running from here in 1839, brought by the entrepreneur/mayor and Yorkshire native George Hudson.  Called the "railway king" because he had over a thousand miles of track under his control, Hudson eventually ran out of steam and his fortune and rail empire collapsed.

And their names both contain seven letters:  (OK, it's not as bad as the Lincoln-Kennedy connection, but we need a diversion here).  Henry Hudson was key to a place eventually called New York, an obscure place on northeast coast of the US (or the center of the universe, depending upon your misshapen point of view.) George Hudson, mayor, entrepreneur, and a bit of a con man, was key to the resurgence of old York, reviving the town not only as a transportation hub, but as a manufacturing center as well.  Chocolate became a specialty for the town -- A Quaker family found its way to wealth through England's best selling candy bar -- Kit Kats -- and left foundations that still benefit York.  (The Swiss Nestlé eventually bought the company).

Today Hudson's company has morphed into the GNER -- Great North Eastern Railway and is owned by a shipping container company. 

Lost? If so, click here for a good map of the York Walls (in PDF format)

For more narrative on York, see our description web page by clicking here.