Posts Tagged ‘Flying Scotsman’

York 2018: National Railway Museum

Posted: November 2, 2018 in History, Trains, UK, York
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No trip to York is complete, at least for me, without a visit to the National Railway Museum.

My first stop this time was the South Yard where 60103 Flying Scotsman was parked up in between trips on the mainline. Unfortunately, it was parked around a corner of a building so it wasn’t accessible for good photographs.

Next stop was the Station Hall which as its name suggests is set out like a large station with trains in bay platforms, enabling you to walk alongside them.

At the moment it is hosting a display of Royal Train carriages from different periods of history.

In the Grand Hall, there is a display on Express trains featuring the Eurostar (which runs between London, Paris and Amsterdam) and the Japanese Bullet train, the Shinkansen.

It is now over 50 years since steam was phased out on UK railways and so aside from the steam locomotives more diesel and electric locomotives are being added to the national collection for preservation.

But finally, no visit would be complete without a stop at my favourite class of locomotive, the Gresley A4 Pacifics, here represented by 4468 Mallard. Last time I was here was to see all 5 of the worlds remaining A4s together to celebrate Mallard’s record-breaking run.

Flying Scotsman in Steam

Posted: June 8, 2017 in Trains, UK
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A great video of 60103 A3 Pacific ‘Flying Scotsman’ in steam

Video by Marsh Steam Videos and made available through Youtube

Flying Scotsman Flying South

Posted: April 19, 2017 in History, Sussex, Trains, UK
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60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ is probably one of the most famous and iconic heritage steam engines in the UK and this past Bank Holiday weekend it has come south from its home at York to run on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex.

 

60103 at East Grinstead

Built as LNER4472, an A1 Pacific class locomotive at Doncaster, it entered into service in February 1923. It didn’t receive a name until the following year when it was part of the British Empire exhibition when it was decided to name it after the daily express train from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh ‘The Flying Scotsman’. It 1924 it became the first locomotive to officially be recorded as reaching 100mph and it headed the first non-stop run between London and Edinburgh in May 1928.

Model of 4472 as originally built

In the 1940s the A1 class was rebuilt and remodelled into the new design A3 Pacifics and 4472 underwent this process in 1947 and was renumbered the following year as 60103 following the nationalisation of the railways.

60103 preparing to leave East Grinstead with southbound service.

60103 approaches Horsted Keynes at head of northbound service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It hauled its last passenger train on 14th January 1963 between Kings Cross and Leeds. It was bought by Alan Pegler, who put it to work running charter trains. In 1967 it visited the USA as part of a tour to promote British goods and services and was very successful. However, an attempt to repeat this in 1969, saw the company go into bankruptcy and 60103 was seized by American creditors.

60103 at Sheffield Park

A rescue operation was put together and new owners purchased the engine and it arrived back in the UK in February 1972. It split its time between mainline charters and work on the now growing number of heritage railways. In 1988 it visited Australia and set the record for the longest ever non-stop run for a steam locomotive (Alice Springs to Perth). Returning the opposite way to which it went out it became the first, and possibly the only, Steam locomotive to have circumnavigated the world.

60103 at Sheffield Park

In 1993 it became necessary to restrict its running to heritage lines and two years later it was withdrawn from service. it returned to running in 1999 and continued to run until 2004 when it was bought by the National Railway Museum, who embarked on a 10-year refurbishment programme. 60103 returned to steam in February 2014.

Flying Scotsman Returns!

Posted: February 29, 2016 in Trains
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Loco Yard

Today, the world’s most famous steam locomotive, Flying Scotsman, has returned to Steam, at the tune of a £4.2m overhaul, taking 10 years in the process. While I was not able to attend today’s celebrations, as a railway enthusiast and historian, it is a remarkable achievement that the locomotive is finally operational.

The locomotive was built in 1923, as an A1 locomotive, numbered 1472, under the Great Northern Railway (GNR), due to the LNER not yet decided on a system wide numbering scheme.  It soon became the flagship for the LNER, representing it at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembly, in 1924 and 1925. In February, before the event, it was given the number 4472, and named Flying Scotsman.

The modified value gear allowed the locomotive to the haul the famous Flying Scotsman train service, from London to Edinburgh, with it hauling the inaugural train on 1st May 1928. Here…

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An Ol’ Scotsman

Posted: February 29, 2016 in Trains
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Stephen G Hipperson

Scotsman_MG_1321

Probably the last time I’ll see this old ‘un on a real track under full steam.

—Stephen—

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The Return of The Flying Scotsman

Posted: February 29, 2016 in Trains
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Stephen Liddell

The Flying Scotsman is one of the most famous names in locomotion and with a history as grand as its reputation.  The Flying Scotsman is an express passenger train service that has run the 392 miles between London and Edinburgh since 1862 and which continues to this day.   Of course, a number of trains have had the honour of running this great route but there is one train in particular which has long since captured the  LNER Class A3 Pacific steam locomotive No. 4472 Flying Scotsman.

Constructed by Great Northern Railway (GNR), Flying Scotsman was completed in 1923 and exhibited at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924 and 1925.  In 1928, Flying Scotsman made the inaugural run of the non-stop service from London to Edinburgh.

The revolutionary design of the Flying Scotsman meant that for the first time it was possible to travel this great distance without stopping.  For one thing, it…

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In celebration of Flying Scotsman

Posted: February 29, 2016 in Trains
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Passing through Doncaster By Linn Rafferty (Linn Rafferty Feb 2016 with permission) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Passing through Doncaster By Linn Rafferty (Linn Rafferty Feb 2016 with permission) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Last week saw the return to active service of the Flying Scotsman. I didn’t have the opportunity to see this wonderful sight but in celebration will be reblogging today some accounts of those who did.

Flying Scotsman arriving at York

Flying Scotsman arriving at York. Photo by Dave Page (https://www.flickr.com/photos/railwaydave/)

 

Worlds Most Famous Train

Posted: December 4, 2015 in Trains
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Flying Scotsman voted world’s most famous train!

Loco Yard

Good evening,

Tonight we are looking at a rather interesting story that was in the newspapers recently about the worlds most famous train.The National Railway Museum asked people across four continents to name five trains or engines they had heard of and the Scotsman topped the poll. It came out just ahead of the Rajadhani Express – the pride of India’s network – the Orient Express and the Ghan, Australia’s 1,800-mile pan-continental service. The full top 25 can be found below and what surprised me the most was the ranking of the Hogwarts Express at number 25 I’d have placed money on her being in the top 10 following the huge success of the Harry Potter series.

1. Flying Scotsman
2. Rajadhani Express
3. Orient Express
4. The Ghan
5. Shatabdi Express
6. Amtrak
7. Indian Pacific
8. Mallard
9. Duronto Express
10. Bullet Train
11. Thomas the Tank Engine

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Scotsman 2016

Posted: September 24, 2015 in Trains
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Excellent news, It will be great to see this iconic locomotive in steam again!

Loco Yard

The National Railway Museum have published details of plans for the world’s most famous steam locomotive’s first year of operation after completion of its major overhaul.  According to the latest official Flying Scotsman overhaul blog entry* to-date (as this article is published,) Riley and Sons still plan to complete the Flying Scotsman’s overhaul later this year, but 2016 is set to be “Scotsman Season.”

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