Flying Scotsman

Isn't at least part of the issue the fact that the loco is in a major national rail station behind ticket barriers, so you would need a ticket to access the platform to see it anyway? If you don't make the tickets available then the only people who get to see it are people who happen to be catching a train to/from the Cross. Of course you could buy a ticket or tap in on your contactless specifically to give you platform access to see her, but this doesn't allow you to control numbers around a loco which unfortunately has a chequered recent history in regards to behaviour of large numbers of people wanting to see it, so therefore a ticket which controls how many people can be close to her for how long seems fair. You could make it free, but then, as has been pointed out, this doesn't cover the cost of actually having Scotsman there. Your picture of you in the cab of 564 - I presume you had already paid for a ticket to ride on the railway and this was just a free icing on the cake experience. Nobody has paid a ticket to ride on Scotsman into/out of Kings Cross. The loco being 'for the nation' shouldn't mean it becomes free to see anywhere. That is bad economics on the part of the parent organisation. I think the NRM got it about right.

 

A world famous Loco, in a world famous location, that is in a notoriously expensive global city, how much you say, £7? That's got to be one of the most reasonable tourist offerings in London in years.

The charging is as much about crowd control as it is revenue, I imagine.

If it was free, it would be pandemonium. £7 is enough of a barrier to sort out those who are really commited from those who just want a quick pic for Snapchat or "the gram".

Yes we as taxpayers effectively own the machine, but we own lots of things we have to pay for, the monarcy is a good example, since when was Bucks palace free?!

 

There’s a world of difference between being invited onto the footplate at a heritage railway and allowing access to a world famous loco in a busy main line station. You can’t access the platforms at KGX unless you have some form of ticket anyway and I doubt NR would have wanted the barriers left open to allow a free for all. Even in these hardened times £7 is not a lot of money. As others have said, it was as much about crowd control as anything else and the steady stream of happy punters showed that many people were happy to pay the price.

 

Just because an object is considered a "national treasure" doesn't mean that there should be free / unlimited access to it; this discussion repeats the situation of the 75th Anniversary of Mallard's epic record when the NRM - at great expense - managed to bring all 6 surviving A4s together for a short period. At that time there was many opportunities to view the locomotives - both at York and Shildon - with extra paid opportunities for photographers to have limited access for such as night photography. At that time many complained at charges being levied but those who were prepared to pay both helped to fund the cost of the event and provide extra income to a body normally dependent on (varying levels of) Government support which is subject to the financial policies of the Treasury.
At that time the point was clearly made that being a "national treasure" means the object is reserved and located in a safe environment but in the case of FS it also means being a working example of a main line steam locomotive with public access being defined as the opportunity to see it from the lineside, working at speed with passenger trains. In this situation the (rare) opportunity for a close-up view or "selfies" with the locomotive are limited opportunities which are notably restricted by charges being made and the NRM are quite right to use the opportunity to raise funds from a public wishing to see the locomotive close-up in order to support its body of work.
The problem IMHO is that critics of this are enthusiasts who generally view preserved locomotives as being available for their pleasure without charge whilst the NRM appreciates that the viewing public for FS is not from the enthusiast sector but from a general public keen to see / sample FS and are prepared to pay for the privilege. Perhaps it is time for many enthusiasts to accept that preservation costs - and heavily - hence any funding that can be gained from whatever source should both be welcomed and acknowledged. In my own case I am happy to photograph FS from the lineside when the opportunity arises and let those who are willing to pay for closer access have their opportunity without complaint about restrictive access from those looking to freeload - or seek to gain pleasure at the expense of NRM funding.

 

Bit of a strange post Fred. Criticising those who expect locos to be available for their pleasure without charge but at the same time admitting you’re quite happy to go and lineside 60103 - presumably for free.

 

I agree that it was necessary to control numbers and that the price was reasonable. The fact of the tickets selling out indicates that the price could even have been set higher.
I was there on Friday afternoon to catch a train and had forgotten all about FS until I heard its whistle. When I went to Platform 6 for my train I could see only the front of FS on Platform 4, the rest being hidden behind a service train on Platform 5. But I wasn't bothered, because I've seen FS from time to time and even ridden behind it at least three times.

 

Not quite ! I was criticising those who protest about paying for access whilst I am happy to have my access by the lineside and taking pleasure from seeing it in action. I accept paying for closer access hence my criticism but as a free choice I am happy not to pay hence restrict my own access. If - however - there is a chargeable photography event (e.g. evening night shoot) that interests me then I will happily pay for that privilege if my diary fits. In the case of the 6 x A4s I spent nearly £200:00 on photographic charters during the event so it is not that I argue from the point of being unwilling to pay but from the point that, as one being willing to pay for privileged / restricted access, I cannot understand others being unwilling to pay for their privileged / restricted access.

 

It arrived safely around midday Tuesday and is facing Corfe Castle direction this time [i.e. opposite way round from 2019's visit]:
https://www.dorset.live/news/dorset-news/flying-scotsman-spotted-way-swanage-7716654
[not my video]
FS train tickets available at: https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/view/flying-scotsman
Footplate visits during Swanage static displays are available on most days [Thursday (tomorrow) is sold out]: https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/view/visit-the-footplate-of-the-flying-scotsman Two types of tickets available - A) for just footplate visits or B) to include travel on 'feeder services' which call at all stations [Herston Halt by request].
I am informed that ticket checks will be in force at stations.
Swanage Railway has never issued platform tickets, that I can recall, so no use asking for one.

 

Having reversed at Salisbury https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U14194/2022-10-18/detailed

 

For fans of the loco RTC have just released a weekend trip to Scotland. Hope it does well for them but you will need a lot of money it seems, even including the four nights hotel accommodation.

 

Have a look at this 15 second clip of FS passing a Bournemouth Junior School on its way to Swanage. Lovely stuff! https://twitter.com/stourfield/status/1582306952163430401

 

Perhaps there might be a few future young volunteers at the Swanage Railway thanks to this??

 

Any chance of us seeing any of your photo's as mentioned

 

I have none to hand at the moment but the link to the tribute book I created has scenes from the charters namely Shildon in October 2012 of consecutively numbered locos (cost £90:00); NRM York in July (early access) and November (late access) 2013 (cost £100:00 for both) and the final Farewell in 2014 (cost £90:00).

Link at https://www.bonusprint.co.uk/view-online-photo-book?widgetId=1b083688-abc2-4507-b4e0-ee9622a97faa

 

Here's my footage of Flying Scotsman's first day of running along the Swanage Railway yesterday. I hope you enjoy the video.

 

As you may be aware Flying Scotsman has been using support coach 35486 (owned by John Cameron and used with N0 9 for many years) ever since lockdown. The plan was for 35486 to be put on display with N0 9 and the K4 at Mr Cameron’s newly approved museum in Fife but now in an interview in the latest edition of Trackside magazine the support coach is being sold to Riley’s. This makes the future of support coach 99953 (NRM support coach) unclear. In other news Trackside also reports that Scotsman will go on display at Edinburgh Waverley in February, 100 years to the month that it was outshopped by the LNER at Doncaster Works.

 

99953 will probably be used by 70013 when she returns to the mainline.

 

Last time I saw (professionally) 99953 it needed both bogies overhauled. The pre-Rileys FS regime having somewhat run it into the ground!

 

Only other engine it could be is 30777 given that is also NRM owned.

 

It was used by 4771, 30777, 70013, 61994 & 60009 at various points during the overhaul of FS.