Christmas preparations are going full steam ahead and the National Rail Museum is determined not to miss out.

Enterprising staff have dressed up the museum's road train, thrown in a Father Christmas and an elf, and by the magic of modern marketing turned it into a 'Santa park and sleigh ride'.

The more cynical among us will see it as a calculated ploy to jump on the festive bandwagon and boost visitor numbers at the NRM.

But its big brother, the Northern Gateway park and ride is not up and running yet and the city needs all the help it can get in coping with traffic congestion this Christmas.

The museum is easily accessible from all routes in and out of the city and its 150 parking spaces will take pressure off some of the city centre car parks.

And if it provides the children with a fun way of being dragged screaming to the shops, why not!

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.