Flying Scotsman

The question is could 249 Squadron fit through the Strood tunel. If it could then it can reach Chatham and regain the Medway Towns route to Ramsgate. There was a service to Ramsgate via Chatham from Cannon St in the rush hour.

 

I'll grant you a pardon in that case.

 

And having to fit around a documentary film crew, having the job split on two sites plus the "Law of Sod"! I am pleasantly surprised at how well things have gone so far.

 

There wouldn't have been a dry eye in the place.

It's almost like we arranged it! lol

 

It certainly didn't look unfinished in the videos I've seen - what's a coat of paint between friends...!!!

The wartime black was only ever for running in, which this most certainly was a part of.

She's booked in to get painted properly once all of the kinks are worked out. This is not a new idea and many steam engine owners do this with their charges.

The whistle is its genuine LNER whistle and yes probably needs some work on it. But it is authentic. I personally find the clamour over needing a whacking great big chime whistle to be missing the point of having the original whistle: you hear what every LNER top link driver heard in those days. Albeit I agree, it needs fixing.

But surely that doesn't completely wipe away the joy seen on many people's faces last weekend? So many people found perfection in the imperfections. Flying Scotsman herself is a flawed steam locomotive, as all steam locomotives are. And isn't it just typical of her life that she gets the last word on how things go? To me, the whole ELR experience, observed from the sidelines, felt very human and very natural. Lots of happy people regardless of the imperfections. That's when you know you got it right.

 

And as of now, all the tests, and examinations are complete, the locomotive is ready for mainline testing once the VAB can issue their certification to test, we are so sorry that the Nat Pres experts have been so heavily relied upon whilst we do our work.................I am sure reading the above, that they would have done so much better than we could ever have done?

 

I hope I haven't offended you Mr Riley - assuredly on your side.

 

They are still going to do all that when the loco is finished and painted, and the press and public will lap it up all over again. As soon as a fire was lit in FS it would have been impossible to keep the test runs under wraps and many of us would have headed to Bury whether or not there was an official event. So why not make a song and dance over it?

 

Thanks for letting us know Mr R! The greater majority of NP members appreciate the efforts of you and your team and the way things were handled @ Bury over the last couple of weeks.

 

AHHH stop crawlin

 

I don't think it's crawling to offer an apology where offence has potentially been caused.

Particularly when one feels strongly about the locomotive in question. I have no doubts about Ian Riley's work and if I wasn't clear before, let me be clear now.

 

I don't think any of this reflects badly on Ian R, he could only play the hand he was dealt by the NRM. However, as someone who was asked to obtain tickets for a family visit, I'm glad caution got the better of me. Our party of 'normals' would have been seriously hacked off to find their train running 2 hours late, having to hang about in foul weather and it then finally turning up 'backwards'. I'd have had to carry the can no doubt, even though it wasn't my idea. Having shown them some of the video, no one is regretting having missed it. An occasion for hard-core gricers and line side onlookers, but not good for 'norms' with allocated train times.

 

The best option for the general public will be the York Steaming days, because by them she will have been painted and regained her name plates, plus there will be all the other interesting things in the NRM to look at, as interest can soon wane if your just looking at one engine , plus if it wet or cold you can dive back inside .

 

Absolutely. People are often amazed when things fail - as an engineer it often amazes me when things work...

Bottom line - if it's made by man, it can break. An inconvenient truth for some, but nevertheless, it's a fact of life.

 

Agreed. Can't blame NRM et al for having two bites at the cherry.

 

More truthful words have rarely been spoken.

Will the Negative Brigade ever learn?

A decade of hard graft, the guts of five milli when its all said and done, and a very quick turnaround since Riley and co have been appointed and you lot are whinging?! Its little short of a miracle she is here at all!!

Appreciate it.

 

On dear. I hope this thread isn't heading south west Mods.

 

Quite rightly drawing a line at personally abusive messages, it does occur that if reading other people's opinions on topics you have an interest in causes you distress because you don't like what they think, then perhaps one ought to avoid reading it?
Equally if you are seeking appreciation but know that it might not be forthcoming, stay away from the forum. There have been a great many idiotic, to my mind, posts in this thread but as was mentioned above one respects the right of people to make idiots of themselves by freely expressing their absurd views. There is only one proper way to avoid feeling insulted - choose not to be, paraphrasing Eleanor Roosevelt. Avoid reading it or laugh it off in dignified, contemptuous silence.