We've dug out some great photographs of York railway station (both the old one and the new one) for you this week from Explore York's new-look digital archive, Explore York Images.

Our favourite has to be the aerial view from the 1910s of the old railway station (today the city council's headquarters) and, behind that, the LNER HQ (now the Grand Hotel).

But there's also a wonderful 1920s view of trams outside the front of the 'new' station (what a loss those trams were), a couple of intriguing glimpses through the cut in the city wall that gave access to the 'old' station - and two photographs taken at or near the station in April 1950, when the then Lord Mayor of York JB Morrell was leaving for a civic visit to America and Canada.

We're not sure the city could muster quite such a display of pomp and circumstance thse days, even was transatlantic flight still possible.

Our photos show:

1. The old York railway station in the 1910s. This was built in 1841 by G.T. Andrews. The buildings forming the right-hand side of the station were the booking office and waiting room. The building on the left later became the Small Exhibits Section of the Railway Museum. The building forming the top cross section was the hotel where Queen Victoria is said to have stopped for lunch. The street on the right of the frame is Tanner Row. The large building dominating the centre frame is the NER Office built between 1901 and 1906 by William Bell. To the left is Station Road, Lendal Bridge, and Museum Street

2. Trams in front of the railway station in the 1920s. The picture was taken from the city walls

3. The Lord Mayor of York J.B. Morrell inspecting a Guard of Honour before he and the Sheriff (Arthur Sykes Rymer) left for America on a goodwill tour in April 1950. In the background is a large picture of the city arms with the white rose on either side. Inside, the station platform was decorated with flowers and bunting, the Union Jack, Stars and Stripes and Canadian flag

4. The civic procession from the Station Hotel to the railway station in April 1950 which marked the beginning of a civic trip to America and Canada by the Lord Mayor of York J.B. Morrell and the Sheriff Arthur Sykes Rymer. The Duke of Wellington band played a fanfare as the party made its way to the station

5. The cut through the city walls to the old railway station, pictured in the 1920s. The station occupied a site within the city walls and remained important for many years after the new station was built, being used for storage of trains and carriages

6. Another view through the walls by Queen Street bridge, this time in the 1930s. The photograph shows the platform of the old station. The building in the foreground was the Railway Locking Fitters

7. The old train shed at the railway station, photographed in the 1950s. The shed was subsequently demolished to make way for a car park.

Stephen Lewis

All the photos on these pages, and thousands more, are held on Explore York’s redesigned digital archive of historic images. You can browse it at images.exploreyork.org.uk/