Flying Scotsman

Actually, in a way I'm rather glad the Australian plaques have gone, personally. Mallard's plaques were supposed to be special, a recognition of a one-off achievement. Since Bittern, Gresley and Scotsman have all gained imitation plaques, I feel the originals have been, in a sense, "devalued". 60009 is now the only Gresley Pacific in the UK that has never carried Mallard-style plaques!

 

when the loco was sold to the NRM they went with the loco, but not imitation plaques only the name plates are. FISH7373 81C NFP

 

Surely the issue with the idios who trespassed is not the delay to the FS special, but the fact that it was dangerous, selfish, irresponsible, and caused delay and presumably inconvenience to a lot of normal passengers on service trains, and will not have endeared steam on the mainline (currently in trouble anyway) to NR or the general travelling public...

 

Generally speaking, there isn't a problem with trespass when 'ordinary' steam specials run on the mainline network. Today's train wasn't ordinary. The national media coverage that preceded it undoubtedly led to the upsurge of the masses who wanted to get a glimpse, maybe a photo and the 'I was there' factor. No excuse for trespass, sure, but I like to think that most, if not all of those filmed on the wrong side were not your usual hard core enthusiasts and certainly not people who'll be on this forum. An unfortunate consequence of the trespass is that it's the enthusiasts who get the finger pointed at them. With a bit of luck, a few of the trespassers will have been caught, get fined, and made to pay a victim surcharge that can go towards Scotsman's next overhaul. Then again.........

 

An A3 at speed...

60103 charging past Langford/Biggleswade this morning.



James

 

Taking her back to January 1963 as close as we could meant the plaques came off, the worksplates moved from the deflectors to the cabsides and some other details - but they remain part of the story, which is why one is in the exhibition.

 

My video from today, and 60103 racing through the countryside at 75mph between Langford and Biggleswade.

She looks and sounds superb, thanks to Ian Riley and his team, and everyone else involved in the restoration of 60103!

James

 

Well thanks and point taken Anthony but you can say did mallards 125 mph speed run was it in blue then or BR green is the plaques still on the side of the casing. FISH7373 81C NFP

 

eh!

 

FLYING SCOTSMAN GONE TO MUSEUM AND WILL NOT BE RETURNING TO STEAM AFTER ITS DEBUT RUN !

There that’s caught your attention ? I’ve just watched the BBC news at 7am this morning and they ran a report in which they showed a linersiders video. At the critical moment a Virgin Trains passenger set passed in front of the Scotsman and spoiled the shot, the timing could not have been worse for the poor video’er. The news presenter then said, poor chap, waited for hours, etc. ‘The Flying Scotsman was on a run to take it to a museum and it won’t be returning to steam so this photographer can never get this shot of it again’ and then went on to say Richard Branson has said sorry and given him tickets to fly to America ?’

So you heard it here first £4.2 million, one run to take it to a museum and that’s it finished….. unless of course journalists have got it wrong…. surely not

 

The following quote is taken from a well respected Railway reporting website and describes the minority perfectly and not the majority of Enthusiasts and Photographs who turned out to witness another historic event.

"Such is the popularity of the 'Scotsman' that several instances of lineside trespass were reported on the ECML. Fortunately no 'numb-skulls' managed to get themselves killed but several delays to the tour and other ECML workings ensued."

Also below is a link to a excellent collection of twelve photographs taken by various photographers, all I'm sure from a permitted position. Note, these can only be viewed by current subscribers to the website.

Link; http://www.wnxx.com/16/1602/250216/60103D.htm

 

Well, I was on the train, and despite the incident at St Neots, it was a truly brilliant trip. For me, none of the magic was taken away from the day by anything which was perceived to have gone wrong.

I met Michael Portillo, a true gentleman in every sense of the word, at King's Cross early doors. Shortly afterwards I met Sir William McAlpine, who shared a heart rendering moment with me when he said "I only wish Alan was here to enjoy the day with us". Alan being Alan Pegler of course. I was very choked up by that - the locomotive did of course pass the large brick chimney with "Peglers" still written on it on its journey north to York.

I was in coach G and shared my compartment with a delightful group of fellow enthusiasts. The trip was fascinating, as the life experiences of my fellow passengers was something to behold. An ex-King's Cross driver, no less, a Nat Pres stalwart doing timekeeping (and seeing the speeds come up on the iPad as we travelled northwards was great fun!) and a designer who worked on the McClaren P1 too, together with a very knowledgeable Electrician and fellow Scotsman enthusiast.

The weather was perfect throughout (perhaps a little overcast on arrival at York) and the locomotive performed beautifully. High 70s were definitely recorded and she just went on and on.

I was interviewed by Dominic King for BBC Radio Kent, and you can listen to it here from 1:35 hours in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03j0jcz

Overall, just one of the best experiences of my life. Thanks - big thanks - to everyone involved in bringing the legend back to steam. Thanks to the A1 Trust for the loan of Tornado's support coach at the last minute. Thanks to Heritage Painting for the superb finish which looked the business. And of course - the man of the decade - Ian Riley and his team for bringing her back to life.

You made this young man very happy, remembering times spent with his late grandfather and his father watching this locomotive go by in days past, and remembering that very first childhood memory of steam, a dark green steam engine, with 60103 on the cab sides, pulling a train through the valleys of Wales.

 

S.A.C. Martin: Very well said Sir!

Hopefully now the glare of publicity for the first run has passed, future outings on Network Rail will be less fraught due to lineside trespass, and 60103 will settle down as a reliable performer, which she has every chance of doing, given the excellent work by Ian Riley's team.

Whilst we are in reflective mood, I recall seeing the loco in its current pre-preservation guise tearing through Retford in the early 1960's on an Ian Allen special to Doncaster.

Equally impressive a few years later in single chimney/no deflectors guise at Sheffield Victoria departing with a special, probably down the GC mainline, hauling a complete rake of ex-LNER Gresley coaches.

Either way, a great locomotive, and thanks to Alan Pegler for saving her initially.

46118

 

Rubbish. It was a great day. It was always going to happen, the crowds and the helicopters out to witness a truly wonderful event.
It's easy to sit at a keyboard and criticise........how would you have organised it differently?

 

I can vouch for the Langford shot as Alastair was stood right next to me and we were both the correct side of the fence. Thanks for the link.

 

I saw the flying scotsman at King's Cross *this* morning. It was stuck behind one of those Virgin things, just like on the telly. Think my mobile phone camera has distorted the "BR improved engine green" livery... or I need my eyes testing again.

 

Triumphant Scotsman flies back to York 25 February 2016


It was a red letter day in railway steam preservation when the most famous locomotive in the world made its proud return to its home as the people’s engine, the National Railway Museum at York.

Of course, it had only left the day before, after over ten years’ absence, a comprehensive overhaul at Riley and Son in Bury, then repainting and last minute snagging back at the museum. But a run north from London Kings Cross over the line that made it famous, the ex-LNER East Coast Main Line to York, was the proper way to mark the beginning of the next stage in its illustrious history.

And a fine sight she looked in her sparkling BR green livery as No 60103, as she was hauled into Kings Cross shortly after 7 am. We warmed the engine up by climbing slowly and steadily through the suburbs, reaching 49 at Potters Bar and 55 at Brookmans Park before some further checks before Welwyn. By Knebworth we were doing a mile a minute and reached 64 before Stevenage where we again slowed for signals.

Then, after passing Hitchin at 31, we were up to 73 at Three Counties, less than four miles on. Our speed continued in the 70s for over a dozen miles with a maximum of 77 at Biggleswade before the brakes were slammed on just short of St Neots because of mass trespass on the line. The sight of a man and a child standing in the fourfoot of the up slow, with their backs to any unit which might approach at 100 mph, beggared belief. After 10 minutes or so we resumed and reached 68 by Offord, passed Huntingdon at 59, Abbots Ripton at 62 and touched 69 before stopping for water at Holme.

We left 23 late from there and 30 late from the crew change at Peterborough. Our climb to Stoke was measured, in the 40s and 50s, but by this means we avoided being looped at Stoke Junction and flew down through Great Ponton at 67 to pass Grantham only 19 late. We shot out of Peascliff Tunnel at 65 and reached 76 after Barkston before being briefly looped at Claypole. After this we were through Newark at 63 and reached 71 at Carlton and 76 at Sutton. The run down to Retford was sedate, in the 50s, where we stopped for water at Babworth. We were soon up again to 66 at Scrooby and beyond Bawtry we were flying again, reaching 75 before Rossington and continuing thus to the outskirts of Doncaster, passed at 54 mph some 28 minutes late.

Speed rose to 67 at Shaftholme Junction and 72 at Moss before we had another stop of 18 minutes at Balne because of trespasser concern. We were back up to 69 by the junctions at Hambleton but were then mostly in the 60s, with 66 at Colton Junction before slowing for York, reached 53 minutes late.

It had been a fine run in fine conditions, with an engine in fine form, with all linesides and stations packed with onlookers. There followed a belated but celebratory return to the yard at the NRM, where after the customary speeches and Scottish piper, those present could get up close and personal with their engine, now to take pride of place in its permanent home.

24 photographs are at http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com/p39096802

Peter on a sunny Manchester lunchtime
http://pjhtransportpix.zenfolio.com

 

So fast it made you sick?

 

Sorry, the extra w has gone now!
Peter