Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
about 1 month ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
about 1 month ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
about 1 month ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
about 1 month ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Shildon Winston Churchill's Funeral Train

Winston Churchill's Funeral Train

The train that took the prime minister on his final journey now rests in a British museum.

Shildon, England

Added By
Alan Newman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The funeral train when it was displayed in York.   The Carlisle Kid/cc by-sa 2.0
The funeral train when it was displayed in York.   The Carlisle Kid/cc by-sa 2.0
The luggage car that carried Churchill to his final resting place.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Winston Churchill’s Funeral Train..   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Sir Winston Churchill’s Funeral Train passing Clapham Junction.   Ben Brooksbank/cc by-sa 2.0
Winston Churchill’s Funeral Train.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Winston Churchill’s Funeral Train.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Winston Churchill’s Funeral Train.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

When Winston Churchill died in 1965, his funeral was the first state funeral in the United Kingdom for someone outside the royal family in 30 years. It was an elaborate occasion, to say the least, and the official events lasted four days. The mournful saga ended with the dead leader’s remains being transported to Oxfordshire for burial on a funeral train.

Churchill’s coffin remained stationary in London for three days. It was then carried via a military parade through the city for a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on January 30. Then, the coffin was transported to its final resting place, first by a boat on the River Thames and then via a funeral train.

Funeral trains were typically reserved for political leaders. The dead traveled their countries on one last journey, allowing their people to mourn as the trains passed through.

Parts of the train that carried Churchill’s coffin have been restored to their original colors. They’re displayed in the museum known as "Locomotion" in Shildon, County Durham. The locomotive is a "Battle of Britain Class" locomotive, originally built for the Southern Railway in 1946 and named after the wartime leader a year later. Churchill’s coffin was carried in a luggage van that’s displayed behind the locomotive.

Update as of December 2021: the luggage van has been moved to the One Collection Museum at the former Hornby warehouse in Margate, Kent.

Related Tags

Trains Funeral Cars Funeral Transportation Rites And Rituals

Know Before You Go

This museum houses much more than the Winston Churchill, including an exact replica of "Locomotion," the locomotive that gave the museum its name and the first steam locomotive in the world to haul passenger coaches.

Community Contributors

Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe

  • Kerry Wolfe

Published

February 18, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/objects-of-intrigue-all-aboard-the-funeral-trains
  • https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/george-hw-bush-funeral-train
Winston Churchill's Funeral Train
Unnamed Road
Shildon, England, DL4 2RE
United Kingdom
54.624369, -1.631107
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The ‘Rocket' Locomotive

Shildon, England

miles away

The Mining Art Gallery

Bishop Auckland, England

miles away

Auckland Castle Deer House

Bishop Auckland, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Shildon

Shildon

England

Places 2

Nearby Places

The ‘Rocket' Locomotive

Shildon, England

miles away

The Mining Art Gallery

Bishop Auckland, England

miles away

Auckland Castle Deer House

Bishop Auckland, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Shildon

Shildon

England

Places 2

Related Places

  • Obihiro, Japan

    Kofuku Train Station

    On an abandoned railway line, "happiness" station is still a popular destination for lovers.

  • Looking up at the Highball Signal.

    Delmar, Delaware

    Highball Signal

    This relic is one of the last survivors of the earliest eras of the American railroad.

  • Verviers, Belgium

    Verviers Station's Comical Hare and Tortoise Bas-relief

    A humorous work of art making fun of the station's very long construction time.

  • Riga, Latvia

    Latvian Railway History Museum

    A collection of historical engines and rolling stock from throughout Riga's rich railway history.

  • Shinagawa Station in the 21st Century

    Tokyo, Japan

    Shinagawa Station

    Japan's first train station is also the site of Godzilla's first destructive visit to the nation.

  • TY 51 locomotive.

    Krakow, Poland

    Kraków-Płaszów Train Graveyard

    This cemetery of rusting Soviet-era steam locomotives and train cars offers an apocalyptic glimpse into a bygone era.

  • Richmond, Virginia

    The Triple Crossing

    Where three rails and three centuries of transportation meet.

  • This small ticket office in a public park was first built in 1832.

    New Castle, Delaware

    New Castle-Frenchtown Railroad Ticket Office

    Delaware's first railroad lasted only five years and spanned only 16 miles, but its ticket office has survived for two centuries.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.