VISITORS to the National Railway Museum got a sneak preview of what’s in store for October half term when actors from street theatre troupe Platform did a dress rehearsal in the atmospheric Station Hall.

As part of the York attraction’s Trainspotting season, the museum has commissioned a series of school holiday theatrical sketches that will bring to life the thrill of visiting distant sheds, "cabbing" engines and capturing those elusive, all-important loco numbers.

As well as enjoying live theatre performances, families can also experience first-hand the mischief, drama and anticipation of travelling the tracks and sneaking around stations with a variety of fun activities, including making brass rubbings and making a trainspotting-inspired clock to make sure no train sightings are missed.

Every visitor, young or old, who completes the trainspotting trails in the Great Hall and Station Hall will earn a Super Spotter badge In the evenings of the second week of holiday activities, the museum’s popular Locos In A Different Light event, part of the city-wide Illuminating York festival, will also use artistic interpretation to explore the mischief, and drama of travelling the tracks and sneaking around stations and engine sheds to cross off the final number on the list. Visitors can see a selection of the best "spotter stories" brought to life in the Great Hall with amazing colour and lighting. This year’s event, the museum’s sixth annual lighting competition, runs from October 29 to November 1.

Kirsten Berry, learning manager at the NRM said: “With trainspotting firmly lodged in the nation’s psyche as an activity for men clutching notebooks on station platforms, we wanted to challenge people’s perceptions of the pastime. Fun encounters with our characters will inform, entertain and help dismiss the negative stereotypes that evolved once this national hobby fell out of fashion as young train fans discover stories about the great adventure of trainspotting.”

Amy Banks, exhibitions manager, said: “In the Sixties school-age spotters went on epic quests with their friends, travelling to new places all over Britain to cross elusive locomotives off the list and we wanted visitors this half term to experience that strong feeling of exploration and excitement.”

For more information, visit nrm.org.uk