The Return of Flying Scotsman

[kevsmiththai]

January in the U.K will hopefully see the return to main line action of arguably the most famous steam train in the world ‘Flying Scotsman’ The Gresley designed A3 4-6-2 of the former LNER railway has never been far from the headlines, both good and bad, for the last 5 decades and it is hoped that the recent extensive renovation has cured many of the deep lying problems and will see the loco pounding the rails of Britain for some time to come

 

The history of the loco since its withdrawal by British Railways and its purchase for preservation is littered with high and low points including bankruptcy, being hidden from debt collectors straight after a barn storming tour of the USA, a complicated logistical tour of Australia and a rebuild program co-ordinated by the national railway Museum in York that at times bordered on the ridiculous as one thing after another went wrong. Finally given to the Riley & sons workshop in Bury on the East Lancashire railway it should be undertaking test runs on the preserved line in January 2016

 

Current status can be seen here

 

http://www.nrm.org.uk/flyingscotsman/see/photos

 

The sorry account  on the recent history of the loco can be found at

 

http://www.rail.co.uk/rail-news/2013/damning-flying-scotsman-report-issued-by-nrm/

 

Now both myself and my father before me have followed this loco from pre-preservation days with my dad first photographing it in the late1950s in the South Yorkshire area so as the weather here is awful I sat down with a glass of vintage port and started to work out just how much stuff we had of it.

 

Freshly outshopped from Doncaster Works (The Plant) in January 1959 the loco had received the double chimney but had not yet got the German style smoke deflectors. See here drifting south light engine prior to working a test train.

 

 

Eleven months later in December it heads a Leeds to King Cross express through Rossington in South Yorkshire

 

 

More soon

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

Spruced up in April 1906 the loco worked a Trains Illustrated magazine organised railtour from London Marylebone to Doncaster and back. Seen here on the Northbound leg at Conisborough

 

 

 

And latter southbound at Woodhouse station near Sheffield

 

 

In  October 1966 the Gainsborough Model railway Society organised the ‘Farnborough Flyer’ railtour and it is seen at Millhouses in Sheffield heading South.

 

 

At this time the loco was owned by Alan Pegler, a Yorkshire businessman who had bought it from British railways to save it scrapping. After BR got cold feet about running steam on the main line he decided to tour the U.S.A the events of which are well recorded elsewhere (Just Google it for the full tale )After its eventual return from the USA it had to earn some Money and in 1973 was let loose on its old stomping ground of the East Coast Main Line still wearing the chime whistle and bell fitted for America.

 

  Seen here drifting into York station as it headed North

 

 

 

 

And later ’Line Speed’ at Tollerton on the racing stretch between York and Thirsk. And yes, that kid with the blue top and his foot on the ballast is me! You would never ever get away with spotters running about the line like this today! Note the additional tender to increase water capacity. 

 

[kevsmiththai]

Now one of the strangest encounters I had with ‘Scotsman’ was in April 1990 after its return from Australia. We had got wind of a positioning move to get it back to Steamtown at Carnforth and sure enough caught it at Tapton bridge at Chesterfield still carrying the rather over the top headboard. I was still working as a sports photographer then and had all my gear in the car including some serious long lens which were shortly to come into their own..

 

It is seen here crossing over onto the Midland ‘Old Road’ with its support coach and Sir William McAlpine’s LNER Saloon. Note that it only has the one tender now.

 

 

Now then, I said to Pete Drewry, I reckon if we crack on a bit we can get to Grindleford the other side of Totley tunnel before the train does so I gunned my Ford Granada Scorpio (Car of choice for ram-raiders back in the day!) through the winding roads of the Hope Valley into the Peak District. What unfolded next was pure theatre.

 

Coming out of Grindleford station where the track had recently been regraded to allow faster running of the Sprinter DMUs the cant had been increased quite dramatically but Scotsman was running really slowly with the footplate crew hanging out of the side. The setting sun was lighting the front up quite dramatically at this stage in a shot taken with a Canon 300 F2.8 lens the size of a dustbin.

 

 

Even as it creeped toward the road bridge the crew were still looking anxiously forward

 

 

All was revealed as the change of track formation had reduced the clearance drastically

 

 

Let the tyres down to give you some more room I helpfully shouted!

 

 

 

 

Safely back at Carnforth.

 

[kevsmiththai]

The last time I got chance to photograph it in steam it had regained its double chimney and smoke deflectors and was back in BR Brunswick green. The colour scheme I would have seen it in first as a seven or eight year old

 

 

This is the form it is due to come out in shortly, So, Fingers crossed  for the future. I’ll be out to photograph it in January along with half the railfan population of the U.K I imagine.

 

Kev

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

I am on other side of the world, but 40 years ago I had Hornby OO gauge, and several British steam locos.  I did not have Flying Scotsman, but the loco is so famous that I know about it.  I am excited that it is coming back to life again.  Perhaps I will take a ride some day.

[Martijn Meerts]

It looks really weird with the smoke deflectors removed :)

[railsquid]

Other way round for me...

[velotrain]

_{I'm guessing the second date is wrong ?}

 

_{> Freshly outshopped from Doncaster Works (The Plant) in January 1959}

 

_{> Spruced up in April 1906}

[kvp]

Imho that was meant to be 1966...

[Ochanomizu]

Spruced up in April 1906 the loco worked a Trains Illustrated magazine organised railtour from London Marylebone to Doncaster and back. Seen here on the Northbound leg at Conisborough

 

 

Hello,

 

So sorry, but I thought Flying Scotsman was originally built in 1923.  Can someone please confirm this?

 

Also, is it true the number began as number 1472, a Sir Nigel Gresley A1 Pacific.  I believe it also had number 4472, then 502 after conversion to A3, then 103 and then 60103.  Can someone please confirm this also?

 

Finally, is it the first steam engine to record the speed of 100mph, but A4 Mallard holds world steam speed record, correct?

 

Thank you so much in advance.

[railsquid]

Hello,

 

So sorry, but I thought Flying Scotsman was originally built in 1923.  Can someone please confirm this?

 

Also, is it true the number began as number 1472, a Sir Nigel Gresley A1 Pacific.  I believe it also had number 4472, then 502 after conversion to A3, then 103 and then 60103.  Can someone please confirm this also?

 

Finally, is it the first steam engine to record the speed of 100mph, but A4 Mallard holds world steam speed record, correct?

 

Thank you so much in advance.

 

1906 is a typo, must be 1966. Numbering history etc. in the Wikipedia article.

 

Meanwhile, the chocolate version:

 

Edited January 6, 2016 by railsquid

[Densha]

I didn't know about the US tour (or the South African) of the Flying Scotsman.

 

It looks really strange seeing it run alongside a PRR GG1: http://www.ronzielsteam.com/photo_gallery/USA%20MAINLINE%20PASSENGER%20AND%20OCCASIONAL%20FREIGHT.html (5th photo from the top left)

 

[marknewton]

It didn't tour South Africa, it came out to Australia during 1988/89 to help celebrate our Bicentenary. During it's stay here it was based at Eveleigh with 3801. Here's some photos showing it's first trial trip after arriving in Sydney. The engine ran to Port Kembla hauling the AK track recording car and two vans. It was a big event, so a cast of thousands came along for the ride. Including me - the skinny bloke in the blue flanno shirt. These photos were taken when we stopped to take water, feel the bearings and oil around at Waterfall, which is my home depot these days.

 

 

 

 

I'll never forget our initial reaction when the engine was unloaded from the ship and placed on the rails at Pyrmont - we were suprised by how small it was compared to the diesel that was rostered to haul it to Eveleigh - our 44 class loco number 4472! :)

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Edited January 10, 2016 by marknewton

[cteno4]

Wow you do get around mr newton! Nice to be close to history.

 

Jeff

[miyakoji]

As I'm not familiar with Australian locomotives I went directly to Wikipedia to look up the 44 Class.  The main photo on the page is #4471.  Close but... :)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales_44_class_locomotive