National Railway Museum
Class 91 - 91150 - National Railway Museum 50 Years
Something special for the big 50
In 2025, alongside a host of other railway anniversaries, the venerable National Railway Museum in York turns 50 years old. After my success with creating a stunning livery for the museum's 40th, I was invited, 10 years later, by LNER to return to the design and create something equally as bold but for an unquestionably bigger celebration. And boy, did I deliver.
Celebrating a true British institution
Whereas 'NRM40' (below) was outfitted on a Class 43 'HST', the 50th livery was assigned to another British railway icon, the incredible, electric Class 91 - a stalward of the East Coast Main Line - itself celebrating over 35 years on the rails. The brief was just as tricky as Virgin's though; keep the branding of the iconic LNER livery, but bring the colour and vibrancy of the NRM.
Bold thinking and daring design leads to colourful results
This was a distinctly open brief from LNER - the prerequisites were small but specific - and presented as much of a challenge as an opportunity. How do you maintain a livery style so bold, so iconic, but bring in some of the colourful, vibrant and diverse nature of what the National Railway Museum represents?
How do you make sure that a locomotive, which looks so at home pulling a fleet of clean and crisp Mk4 coaches at 125mph, also looks as emotive and sensational, when sat alongside some of the railway's most historic stock, in the Great Hall, at the National Railway Museum itself? Well, you call on Sam Jessup Design, of course!
LNER's 'Intercity-inspired' livery created a perfect backdrop for an explosion of colour, a ribbon of passion and purpose, wrapping itself around the angular shapes of the Class 91 - giving motion and movement, creating flow and fashion, bringing boldness and brilliance.
The National Railway Museum is owned by the Science Museum Group, and the ribbon of colour is inspired directly by their brand identity - the spectrum of light, representing the huge mix, and seemingly endless variety, of national treasures kept, minds expanded and children inspired, by every institution under their control.
Given this was a tribute to 50 years of, what is often considered, the finest Railway Museum in the world, I felt it fitting to include iconic sights of the NRM's collection on the locomotive side. From steam origins with Rocket and Locomotion No.1, to speed giants such as the Mallard and Duchess of Hamilton, and modern marvels like the Eurostar Class 373 - this was a celebration of railway greatness.
Plus, by bringing the faces and personality of some of the museum's younger fans to the design, there's a definate nod to the fact that the museum is far more than just some moth-balled locomotives. It's a place of inspiration and innovation, curiosity and celebration - 50 years of making memories, for the railway and beyond.
Unveiled, on Tuesday 8 July 2025, on the main turntable, at the National Railway Museum in York - 91150 has truly become one of my finest pieces of railway livery design - and a fitting tribute to a musem which inspired me, as a child, to follow the career I adore.
Class 43 - 43238 - National Railway Museum 40 Years
Celebrating 40 years
The National Railway Museum in York reached the grand old age of 40 in 2015, and I was commissioned by Virgin to create a locomotive design, on a Class 43 HST, to celebrate this historic milestone. What you see here is the stunning end result!
Inspirations from rail icons
The 'NRM' has a diverse and famous collection covering all ages of rail travel, so it was the perfect opportunity to feature some of these icons of rail travel on the design - I chose six notables, covering different eras to show evolution in style and design.
In-depth research, stunning results
Given a blank canvas and an open brief, I took it upon myself to create something special for the 'NRM'. I wanted to keep the base style of the Virgin Trains East Coast livery (so it remained coherent with the rest of the branding of the train) but knew it needed to be unique and something both enthusiast and regular passengers would love. Research took place over several visit to the museum in York, and copies of technical drawings of the locomotive featured were obtained. This meant the outlines I created were true to life in every way. I then used the names of all locomotives featured in the museum's collection to create 'speed lines' leading from the nose around the side of the Class 43 HST. This gave the locomotive silhouettes a sense of motion, and celebrated the diversity of the collection.
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