IN THE golden era of the railways, passengers would travel the length and breadth of the country to catch a glimpse of a lovingly-tended station garden.

From a few milk churns full of geraniums to a sophisticated French knot garden, the fruits of dedicated railway gardeners' labours were an admirable sight to behold.

Such was their popularity that, in the 1930s, London North Eastern Railway ran summer excursions on the Driffield to Malton line, in Yorkshire, stopping at stations such as Wharram, North Grimston and Settrington, to allow travellers to see the gardens.

During the Second World War, the patches were turned over for the production of vegetables, but the tradition lived on in later years, with many gardens redesigned for the Queen's coronation.

Now, the latest project at the National Railway Museum (NRM), in York, is to recapture some of that sense of history with a golden jubilee tribute to the great British station garden.

The NRM garden, created by horticulture students from nearby Askham Bryan College, was unveiled yesterday, with the help of BBC celebrity gardener Geoffrey Smith, and flowerpot men Bill and Ben.

It adjoins an original Victorian railway building close to the museum entrance and incorporates several items from the national collection, including a pair of cast-iron South Eastern Railway lamps and an 1875 drinking fountain, from Skipton, North Yorkshire.

The garden was designed by student Anne Williams, whose concept was one of eight submitted by members of the college's diploma in garden design course.

Andrew Scott, head of the museum, said: "The jubilee garden is a truly stunning addition to the NRM displays.

"Not only is it an exciting and lasting celebration of the Queen's golden jubilee, but it is also a wonderful tribute to generations of British railway gardeners and, hopefully, an inspiration to those who still tend railway gardens today."

Professor Gareth Rees, principal of Askham Bryan College, said: "Our staff and students have really enjoyed being able to use their talents to mark golden jubilee year and the work of gardeners in days gone by.