Flying Scotsman

The decision he made to go it alone and run the second trip did for him & Scotsman - the first put money in the bank - on the 2nd it was an exhibition train, so could not make money, never mind the fact other events conspired against him & ultimately stuck the proverbial knife in!

 

Watching an interview Mr Pegler made, I remember a quote something along the lines of " driving Scotsman across America was a once in a lifetime experience"..."but maybe I should have spent more time on the business aspect of it instead". I certainly didn't pick up any aspect of regret watching that interview, indeed it didn't seem like he regretted any of it... I think he loved it, and at the time of that interview was still indulging the memory of it decades later.

 

Ultimately financial disastrous it may have been, it may also have been prejudicial to its future mechanical condition, but by golly you have to admit it all adds to the myth mystique, story and drama of the thing. Is there anywhere in the world a loco with such a history? I doubt it.

 

Just look at it this way. If anybody on this forum were offered the opportunity to drive 4472 across North America, how many of us would say no?

 

Irrespective of what job you may lose in the process !

 

That would be a tough one, I think it might take about 0.005 of a second to decide...

 

As long as that?

 

Can this be confirmed please anybody as I need to know which trains to travel on and which to photograph

 

There is a suggestion that, although facing south, there is a thought to send FS to Castleton on a temporary "pass" to turn on the triangle thereby facing north out of Bury. There has been neither confirmation of this or of a date / time when such a move would be made.

 

Thanks Fred

It would be good to get confirmation of that as I had planned my day on the assumption that it would face north and it doesn't work so well if its facing the other way. I have a ticket for the 1130 train and wanted to get a shot of the 1400 train as well as bashing 34092 before getting the tram back to Piccadilly and Virgin/SWT home.

Don

 

Cooking nicely today.....not my photo.

 

Looks the mutts....

 

Wise move

 

It'll only be black for a short while...

 

Neither did I, in fact I think there was a wry twinkle in his eye, and he and his daughter had a whale of a time doing it!

As they say, you only live once, so why not............ lucky bugga!

I wonder though if the Beeb have any plans to update that time shift documentary after Scotsman returns to the mainline?.........

 

I hope that the NRM make one small concession to the BR Green livery. Have one of the nameplates red backed, like Pegler did when she was in apple green. Lots of the A3s and A4s gained this during the late 50s and near the end of steam, and it would be a nice tribute to the man who originally saved her.

Other than that, she looks absolutely beautiful and I think we're all in agreement that Ian Riley's team has done a top notch job. Looking forward to seeing her move again.

 

She really does look good in black.

I suspect however, that many will be glad to see the back of this livery, given the dark history now attached to it...

 

Don, your 11:30 departure time, what station is that timed from? i.e. where do you board.