Flying Scotsman

You're correct re Tornado. A4s and Scotsman can't run in Kent whereas Tornado has paid several visits already. Bath & Bristol should not pose any problems - after all, 6024 bowed out with several runs in the Bristol area recently, and if a King won't bash platforms, tunnels or bridges, then Scotsman should be OK. The only restriction would be southbound from the Gloucester direction - the platform at Cam & Dursley is rather tight, so I am told.

 

Talking to someone involved in main line running and was told that A4s are now barred from the Salisbury - Bristol route. Have no way of corroborating this though.

 

From my observations many threads on this forum become childish once they descend into partisan arguments about one locomotive type, one railway or one preserved railway being better in some way to another. Myself, I admire locomotives from all the major pre-nationalisation companies, some BR designs and some industrial types. However with regard to the general public at large, rather than ardent enthusiasts, the iconic status of 'Scotsman' is probably over estimated.If one applied the'Pointless ' test [apologies to those who have not seen the BBC quiz] and showed 100 members of the public photos of 4472, 'Tornado', 'City of Truro', 'Mallard' and any industrial side tank painted blue, all with their names obscured, 90 would identify the tank engine as 'Thomas', 50 would name 4472 as 'Gordon the Green Engine' and 35 would know Tornado because they had seen it on Top Gear.

On the question of wisdom and youth I learned a lesson last week. I decided to fill in some time between railway activities by taking the first few tentative steps into birdwatching and visited a local reserve. I was very intimidated by the apparent knowledge of the,mainly older, fellow visitors and decided to keep my mouth shut so as not to show my ignorance. On Friday I went to the SVR gala and on more than one occasion overheard older guys talking absolute sh**e, factually speaking, about various matters relating to railway and locomotive history. So I think my summary would be that wisdom does not necessarily increase proportionally with age and one should not be over-awed by those who think they know it all!

 

So true! The similarity between gricers and football supporters can be uncomfortably close. It should be an awful warning to us all!

I remember being at a railway gala once, listening to evident members of the line discussing confidently what was going on at the running sheds that day. Well I was crewing a visiting loco. and had just come from the said sheds. They were talking complete rot.

 

And that is the point. Don't blame a poster's age for a comment you don't agree with. It's just a difference of opinion. How you treat them when you disagree however is your own lookout.

Couldn't agree with this more Mickpop, I'm often surprised at the fetid dingo's kidneys spouted by self-appointed 'experts' of advancing age. I had one once trying to tell me how I was signalling wrong - from the bottom of the stairs whilst I was duty signalman!

 

It would be nice to see flying Scotsman with a rake of teaks! Does anybody know if this will happen on the mainline? I doubt it but it would look splendid regards Tom

 

If either the NYMR or SVR registered their teaks for mainline running it would, but I very much doubt we will see any LNER coaches on the big network - maybe to Whitby.

 

Rather late in the day, and totally uncontroversial, I have three shots of 4472 at Edge Hill shed on return from the USA in February 1973 at Zenfolio | Mick Pope - Railway Related | The Early Preservation Years | 4472 'Flying Scotsman' at Edge Hill depot Liverpool after its repatriation from the USA.

I lived just down the road at the time. Sorry about the poor quality -it was typical Liverpool weather. She looked in good external nick.The guy in the bottom left of one photo is the spitting image of a young Bob Dylan -is he a secret gricer?

 

Hmmm, imagine if SVR and NYMR got together and both teak rakes were used together on the mainline, wont ever happen, but would make quite a sight going out of Kings Cross with scotsman or bittern!

 

Near enough?

Richard

 

Not really no. I wonder if a full 12 coach teak rake were used on a railtour, how much they could charge for a ticket before we enthusiasts told them to off out of it.....

 

Not good enough at all - "teaks" are Gresley and Thompson timber body designs unique to the GNR and LNER and not "grained" steel body panelled post nationalisation Mk1s of whatever regional origin.

 

Whilst I agree that grained metal bodies don't really cut it, there were a lot of pre-grouping carriages - I'm thinking of Metropolitan's and NER in particular - that are definitely 'teaks', I don't think you could call it unique to the GNR and LNER. Of course, I'm being pedantic

 

Not strictly true. The LNER did have an imitation grained teak finish. Samples used to be at York works and these may now be in the NRM and they were evidently very convincing in appearance - lots of feather graining in vandyke brown, burnt umber, sienna on a ground coat followed by a varnish coat and then overgraining. Shading was also included then another coat of varnish. Lining and transfers followed as on teak panelled coaches. A flat down and two coats of finishing varnish brought the job to a conclusion. This was the original system as I understand it, it was simplified post 1935.

 

It's amazing what one photo can do, isn't it. I love this forum!

Richard

 

Yeah - it was obvious you'd spent many days and nights on getting it so close to the original LNER teaks that no one could possibly doubt the authenticity without devoting a similar amount of time disassembling it with a fine tooth comb :rofl:

 

Somewhere back in the depths of time, this thread was talking about "Flying Scotsman" ... sorry for the diversion. Normal service will be resumed shortly.

:focus:

 

Just a suggestion. I know I am just as guilty as others with going off topic, but would it be a good idea to move the Southern EMU talk to a separate thread.