The Great Britain X - 29/04/17 to 07/05/17

Legitimate though the debate over FS pricing may be, perhaps we should carry it on in the Flying Scotsman thread?

 

For a variety of reasons the overheads of running the A3 are probably much higher than "ordinary" locos.

 

I'm fully aware of that too but still doesn't change the fact that she's been trumpeted as "the peoples' loco." If people baulked at those prices, they would come down but all the while they can fill trains at premium prices, organisers will charge what they can get.

 

There are ways to see Scotsman without paying railtour fares.

If people want to have a go at the NRM again, would they also like to say farewell to national collection locos being returned to steam? Yes, the overhaul didn't run smoothly but cutting their pensions??

 

If people are mad enough to pay that then good luck to whoevers selling it, Personally I won't pay more than the going rate for a railtour, Especially when there are superior Gresley and Peppercorn options available than 60103.

 

But it looks as though there are plenty of people in the general population for whom a run behind FS is an iconic experience for which they are prepared to pay a premium. Who is to say that is more irrational than getting up at 4 in the morning and driving 100 miles to take part in a 16 hour steam day? We all have our idiosyncratic preferences!

 

I have to agree that the "I'm more normal than them because..." argument doesn't really apply here. If people can afford it, then all power to their elbow. Whilst I'd like to be able to do a bit more behind 60103, I'm also quite content with the fact that its not all about the enthusiast these days, despite what the debates that emerge on here from time to time might suggest. As such, I'm thankful that 60103 has a cachet which reaches far beyond our community, which means that if we all disappered tomorrow, there would still be a market for it.

 

Apologies for thread drift but thinking about it some more, what locos still in existence are more 'iconic' to the general public than FS? Never mind the rights and wrongs. I can remember platform 8 at KX in 1960 hoping the A3 backing down would be some rare 52B number only for it to be 60103--again.

I'd say Mallard for sure. Maybe City of Truro but I think that's about it. And neither of those is running on the main line.

 

How's about 46100 and 60532?

 

Careful, you're showing your age.

 

Yes, I have to admit...it is!

 

46100 seems to have sold a lot of seats on the NYMR recently and that particular railway seems to be looking to pin it's hopes on members of the public willing to pay a premium for an iconic locomotive, for future early spring events to a similar format, according to this month's Heritage Railway.

 

Of course it is, no other loco in the world has the history, the story behind it. Its set records, it been modified, bodged and rebuilt more times than a fishmongers hand cart, its been round the world, its bankrupted and ruined people, its been impounded, ransomed, and in 7 years time it would have been doing that for a 100 years.

Just be grateful its still doing it, and thank your stars that no-one has thought to paint 09 blue, put some cardboard valances on it, stencil 4468 on the side and call it a duck.

 

Ah, grand memories.

 

And who originated that, probably just some journo. Correct me if it was a slogan carefully considered and originated by the NRM.