Flying Scotsman

Would it actually fit anywhere in that condition?

 

No - which is why for me that would be far too much of a change.

The single chimney fitting though opens up her to looking like she did when preserved, mostly like she did in service (with accepted things like RHD/LHD and corridor versus non corridor tender). It's also her best known form and let's be brutally honest, we don't need a survey for that. If you ever bought a model of flying Scotsman from Hornby, it was 4472. If you bought a book on her, the front cover is LNER livery. If you ever watched a VHS, DVD or whatever, the most footage and best known and most famous moments are as her in apple green, 4472.

To not have her in apple green livery for her hundredth birthday feels like a missed opportunity to me, that's all. Maybe I'm a broken record, maybe I do want to see the apple green, maybe I feel like I want to be part of it and see what I can do too.

But we can't talk it out...without talking about it. The clock is ticking.

 

I too feel inclined to hope for a return to single chimney and blast pipe, apple green and as 4472 as I've yet to see her in this condition, but if she returns as 60103 with deflectors once again then I'll still be fine with it.

As long as Scotsman is in steam for 2023 that's the main thing and I look forward to seeing what the NRM has planned to celebrate the 100th Anniversary.

 

It isn't entirely unknown for benefactors to sponsor NRM artefacts and I daresay given the prestige of "4472" there would be no shortage of donors willing to be associated with the rebirth of the "real Flying Scotsman". Tangental benefit of additional engineering work for "the cottage industry" to benefit from, new skills learnt etc. Much was made of this when 60103 was launched and it is an obvious positive byproduct of further investment in the A3.
No doubt all avenues will be explored once NRM draws up its centenary plans.

 

See if it'll run at 100mph again - "100 at 100"?

(ducks, runs for cover, dons asbestos-substitute suit)

 

Agreed but save to say that anything which "really matters" is unlikely to make the pages of NP as the focal point
Meanwhile, accepting the discussion for what it is seems a pleasant enough way to while a few idle moments by.

 

A celebration would have to include some scottish i assume. A single chimney with "bagpipe-ejector"?

Knut

 

Be better than its current whistle

 

Yes indeed the biggest problem with 'Scotsman's current incarnation is the decidedly limp wishy-washy shrill whistle. Especially when compared to other LNER type shrill whistles....

 

Yes I have wondered about this really shrill whistle, sounds very hoarse to me.
My absolutely favourite whistle is the three-tone whistle fitted to "Tornado" and the A4s

 

I think Mr Riley might have a suitable whistle in a corner of the stores somewhere.............the 'American' steam whistle that was fitted to The Pocket Rocket at one time.

 

And while we're at it, the cowcatcher from the US trip survives as well so it'd be going a good way of recreating its look from that time, especially if Mr Hosking is willing to let the old second tender out of its new home in Margate .

I think the American whistle owned by Ian Riley was fitted a few years back to 44871 (I remember hearing it when 44871 and 45407 hauled a tour down my way a few years back). Not sure if it has been removed yet.

 

I think they have a choice of whistle for Tornado - standard LNER or chime. As I understand it, chime whistles were only fitted to the A4 and P2 (BICBW).

 

The last time I was over on the Welsh highland I found one of the Garratts chiming away with 60016's whistle

 

Poor old Silver King At least a bit survives! My introduction to the glory that is the A4 came as a small boy and inheriting my brother's Hornby Dublo train set - and the model was 60016

 

I assume you realise it was never 4472 as an A3 converted from A1 in 1947 as no 103

 

But it was as an A3 that it ran on three continents as 4472 from 1963 to the early 1990s - whether you count that as 'proper service' or not doesn't change the facts that a) it was an A3 and b) it was running as 4472.

Steven

 

I think I remember reading one of the Ffestiniog "Ladys" carried one for a while, until someone nicked it!

 

I believe an A4 whistle was gifted to Bill Hoole - one of the regular drivers of 60007 - when he retired from Kings Cross and moved to Wales to continue working on the Ffestiniog Railway driving one of the original Hunslets (LINDA IIRC). Bill is now at rest in Minfford Churchyard adjacent to the line where he spent his final years.

 

I assume you didn't actually read my post, but to underline especially for you John:

We are never going to achieve a 100% accurate overhaul of Flying Scotsman given the changes already mentioned. The biggest change is the chimney, this changes the look a lot, that is what we are discussing.