Flying Scotsman in 2017 in its British Railways guise, numbered 60103 in BR Brunswick Green livery with German-style smoke deflectors and double chimney.
Retired from British Railways in 1963 after covering 2.08 million miles, Flying Scotsman has been described as the world's most famous steam locomotive. It had earned considerable fame in preservation under the ownership of, successively, Alan Pegler, William McAlpine, Tony Marchington, and, since 2004, the National Railway Museum. 4472 became a flagship locomotive for the LNER, representing the company twice at the British Empire Exhibition and in 1928, hauled the inaugural non-stop Flying Scotsman service. It set two world records for steam traction, becoming the first locomotive to reach the officially authenticated speed of 100 miles per hour (161km/h) on 30 November 1934,[1] and setting the longest non-stop run of a steam locomotive of 422 miles (679km) on 8 August 1989 while on tour in Australia.
History
LNER
In July 1922, the Great Northern Railway (GNR) filed Engine Order No. 297 which gave the green-light for ten Class A14-6-2 "Pacific" locomotives to be built at Doncaster Works.[2] Designed by Nigel Gresley, the A1s were built to haul mainline and later express passenger trains and following the GNR's absorption into the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) after the amalgamation of 1923, became a standard design. Flying Scotsman cost £7,944 to build, and was the first engine delivered to the newly-formed LNER. It entered service on 24 February 1923, carrying the GNR number of 1472 as the LNER had not yet decided on a system-wide numbering scheme.[3] In February 1924 the locomotive received its name after the LNER's Flying Scotsman express service between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, and was assigned a new number, 4472.[4]
Flying Scotsman being prepared for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition
Flying Scotsman became a flagship locomotive for the LNER, representing the company at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park in 1924 and 1925, and was frequently used in promotional materials.[5] In 1928, the LNER decided to make The Flying Scotsman a non-stop service for the first time and 4472 was one of five A1s selected for the service. It hauled the inaugural train on 1 May, completing the journey of 392 miles (631km) in 8 hours and 3 minutes.[6] The non-stop runs were achieved with an upgraded tender which held an extra long ton of coal and fitted with a corridor connection, so a change of driver and fireman could take place while the train was moving. Water was replenished from the water trough system several times en route. Flying Scotsman ran with its corridor tender until October 1936, after which it reverted to the original type. From 1938 until its withdrawal in 1963, it was paired with a streamlined non-corridor tender.[7]
On 30 November 1934, Flying Scotsman became the first steam locomotive to reach the officially authenticated speed of 100mph (161km/h),[8][9] while hauling a light test train between Leeds and London, and the publicity-conscious LNER made much of the fact.[10] Although the Great Western Railway's 3440 City of Truro was reported to have reached the same speed in 1904, the record was unofficial.
Following the success of Gresley's streamlined Class A4s introduced in 1935, Flying Scotsman was relegated to lesser duties but still worked on the main line and hauling passenger services.[11] In 1943, as with all railway stock during World War II, the locomotive was painted black.[12] In 1946, it was renumbered twice by Gresley's successor Edward Thompson, who devised a comprehensive renumbering scheme for the LNER. 4472 was initially assigned number 502, but an amendment to the system several months later led to its renumbering of 103.[13]
In 1928, Gresley began to modify the A1s into an improved version, the Class A3, on a gradual basis. In 1945, the remaining unmodified A1s, which included Flying Scotsman, were reclassified as A10. 103 emerged as an A3 on 4 January 1947 with its original Apple Green livery.[14] Its old 180 psi boiler was replaced with a 225 psi version with the long "banjo" dome of the type it carries today, and it was fitted with more efficient valves and cylinders.[15]
60103 returned to the East Coast Main Line in 1953, initially based in Grantham, before returning to London King's Cross in the following year. In December 1958, the locomotive was fitted with a doubleKylchap chimney to improve performance and economy, but it caused soft exhaust and smoke drift that tended to obscure the driver's forward vision. The remedy was found in the German-type smoke deflectors fitted at the end of 1961.[19][20][21]
Amid rumours that British Railways would sell the Flying Scotsman for scrap, the Gresley A3 Preservation Society failed to raise the £3,000 to buy it. Businessman and railway enthusiast Alan Pegler stepped in, having seen the locomotive as a boy at the British Empire Exhibition and received £70,000 in 1961 for his shareholding in the Northern Rubber Company when it was sold to Pegler's Valves, a company started by his grandfather.[22][23] Pegler bought the locomotive for £3,500 (equal to £92,573 today) with the political support of Prime Minister Harold Wilson.[24][25][26] On 14 January 1963 Jack Peckston of Copley Hill drove the Flying Scotsman for its final service with British Railways, hauling the 13:15 from London King's Cross to Leeds with the locomotive coming off at Doncaster.[27] The event attracted considerable media interest.[28][29] The Flying Scotsman had covered over 2.08 million miles in three weeks short of 40 years in operation.[8][30][31]
Preservation
Alan Pegler (1963–1972)
Flying Scotsman ready for its US tour in 1969
Pegler immediately restored Flying Scotsman at Doncaster Works as closely as possible to its LNER condition: it was renumbered 4472 and repainted in LNER Apple Green; the smoke deflectors were removed; the double chimney replaced by a single; and its standard tender was replaced with a corridor type. Pegler's contract with British Railways allowed him to run Flying Scotsman on the network until 31 December 1971;[32] for a time, it was the only steam locomotive running on the British mainline.[25] Its first public run was on 10 April 1963 with a round trip from London Paddington to Ruabon, Wales, where over 8,000 people came out to see the locomotive at Birmingham.[33] In the following year, Pegler had the engine stand on the Forth Bridge for several days while it was sketched for a portrait by Terence Cuneo.[34] On 13 November 1965, Flying Scotsman claimed the fastest steam hauled run between Paddington and Cardiff at 2 hours and 17 minutes, and set the fastest run for the return leg.[35] By the end of 1965, Flying Scotsman had recouped the £3,000 it cost Pegler to buy it.[36]
As watering facilities for steam locomotives were disappearing, in September 1966 Pegler spent £1,000 on a second corridor tender which, for an additional £6,000, was adapted as an auxiliary water tank and coupled behind the first tender.[37][38] With a total water capacity of around 11,000 gallons, this gave Flying Scotsman an operational range of over 200 miles.[32] The boiler and cylinder parts from Flying Scotsman's scrapped sister engine, 60041 Salmon Trout were also purchased.[39][40] On 1 May 1968, the locomotive completed a non-stop London to Edinburgh run, marking the 40th anniversary of the inaugural non-stop Flying Scotsman service and the year steam traction officially ended on British Railways.[41] A non-stop return journey was made three days later.[42]
Following an overhaul on the locomotive in the winter of 1968–69, Wilson's government agreed to support Pegler running Flying Scotsman in the United States and Canada, hauling a 9-coach exhibition train to promote British exports. To comply with local railway regulations, it was fitted with a cowcatcher, bell, buckeye couplers, American-style whistle, air brakes, and high-intensity headlamp.[43] The first leg began in October 1969 with a run from Boston, Massachusetts to Atlanta, Georgia via New York City and Washington, D.C., and on to Slaton, Texas, where it paused for the winter.[44][23] Despite a successful start, the tour ran into problems as strict anti-steam laws in some states deemed the engine a fire hazard, and either denied permission to run or required the train to be towed by a diesel or electric locomotive. Restrictions on foreign trains meant Pegler was not allowed to carry paying passengers, and had to pay local railways to run on their lines.[45] The tour resumed in 1970 with a run from Texas to Green Bay, Wisconsin and across the Canadian border into Montreal; this was followed by a run from Toronto to San Francisco via the Rocky Mountains and Oregon in 1971, a total of 15,400 miles (24,800km).[22]
In 1972, Flying Scotsman earned money running passenger trips on the San Francisco Belt Railroad and was put on show at Fisherman's Wharf.[46] Despite a hopeful start, complaints from businesses along the route ended the trips, and the train had to relocate to a less accessible yard, causing a 90% reduction of income.[47] Pegler, now £132,000 in debt with considerable unpaid bills, declared himself bankrupt and in August, arranged for the engine to be kept in storage at the US Army's Sharpe Depot in Lathrop, California to keep it from unpaid creditors, who by now were demanding payments and threatening legal action.[22][47] Pegler worked his passage home on a P&O cruise ship, which led to a seven-year career as a cruise entertainer giving lectures about trains and travel and enabled him to discharge himself from bankruptcy.[48]
William McAlpine (1973–1995)
Flying Scotsman at Carnforth MPD in 1982 with original single chimney and without the smoke deflectors
Amid fears of the engine's future, horticulturist and steam enthusiast Alan Bloom asked businessman William McAlpine to help save it. McAlpine agreed and within a few days dealt with the attorneys, paid the outstanding debts owed to the local American and Canadian railways, and bought the locomotive for $72,000 (around £25,000).[49]Flying Scotsman was shipped back to England via the Panama Canal, which cost McAlpine another $35,000.[50] Upon arrival at Liverpool in February 1973, the engine travelled to Derby under its own steam with the route lined with crowds. McAlpine paid for its restoration at Derby Works and two subsequent overhauls in the 23 years that he owned and ran it.
Flying Scotsman at Seymour railway station, Australia in 1989 equipped with electric lighting and air brakes for operation on Australian railways
In October 1988, Flying Scotsman arrived in Australia for the country's bicentenary celebrations as part of the Aus Steam '88 festival.[54]Flying Scotsman covered over 45,000 kilometres (28,000mi) during its time in Australia.[55] Flying Scotsman would arrive at Sydney and travel to Melbourne for Aus Steam '88. After the celebrations, Flying Scotsman would travel continue tours in New South Wales, with a tour to Brisbane following it. The longest part of the tour was the journey from Sydney to Perth via Alice Springs as the first locomotive to travel on the newly built standard gauge line to Alice Springs.[56] The locomotive achieved a second world record during its tour: it completed the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive, covering 422 miles (679 kilometers).[57][58]
Flying Scotsman in 1994, wearing its British Railways livery and numbering, equipped with double chimney and smoke deflectors
Other highlights included Flying Scotsmandouble-heading with New South Wales Government Railways Pacific locomotive 3801, a triple-parallel run alongside broad gaugeVictorian Railways R class locomotives, and parallel runs alongside South Australian Railways locomotives 520 and 621. Its visit to Perth saw a reunion with GWR 4079 Pendennis Castle, which had been exhibited alongside Flying Scotsman at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition.[59] On 8 August 1989, Flying Scotsman set another record en route to Alice Springs from Melbourne, travelling 679 kilometres (422mi) from Parkes to Broken Hill non-stop, the longest such run by a steam locomotive ever recorded.[60] The same journey also saw Flying Scotsman set its own haulage record when it took a 735-ton train over the 790-kilometre (490mi) leg between Tarcoola and Alice Springs.[61]
Upon returning to Britain, Flying Scotsman returned to its former British Railways condition with its number changed to 60103, refitting of the smoke deflectors and double chimney, and repainted in BR Brunswick Green.[62] It retired from the mainline in 1992 following the expiration of its running certificate.[63] In 1993, McAlpine sold it to help pay off a mortgage on the locomotive. Music producer and railway enthusiast Pete Waterman became involved and the two formed Flying Scotsman Railways, with Waterman running the business side of the partnership.[64]
In April 1995, Flying Scotsman derailed during an empty stock movement on the Llangollen Railway, with all wheels coming off the track. When put back into steam, smoke emerged from a crack separating the boiler and the front cab. It was deemed a total failure and immediately withdrawn from service.[65] It returned to Southall awaiting its next major overhaul.
Tony Marchington (1996–2004)
By 1996, McAlpine and Waterman had run into financial issues and to help pay off an overdraft, put Flying Scotsman on sale. On 23 February, entrepreneur Tony Marchington, already well known in the steam preservation movement, bought the locomotive, a set of Pullman coaches, and the Southall depot for £1.5million.[66] He spent a further £1million on the locomotive's subsequent overhaul to mainline running condition, which lasted three years and at that point, the most extensive in its history.[67] It received an upgraded 250 psi boiler originally made for a Class A4; its vacuum brakes replaced with an air type; its livery repainted in LNER Apple Green; the smoke deflectors removed; the double chimney restored; and renumbered 4472.[68] Marchington's time with the Flying Scotsman was the subject of the 2000 Channel 4 documentary A Steamy Affair: The Story of Flying Scotsman.[69]
Flying Scotsman's first run following the works was on 4 July 1999, hauling The Inaugural Scotsman from London King's Cross to York, where an estimated one million people turned out to see it.[68][70] It was the locomotive's first visit to King's Cross in 30 years.[71] In addition to working mainline specials 4472 also hauled several Venice-Simplon Orient Express Pullman trains between 2001 and 2004, but financial issues quickly became apparent and Flying Scotsman Services failed to effectively market or price the runs, in addition to the locomotive failing several times.[72][73]
In 2002, Marchington proposed a business plan which included the construction of a Flying Scotsman Village in Edinburgh, to create revenue from associated branding. After floating on OFEX as Flying Scotsman plc in the same year,[69] in 2003 Edinburgh City Council turned down the village plans, and in September 2003 Marchington was declared bankrupt.[74] Flying Scotsman plc CEO Peter Butler announced losses of £474,619, and with a £1.5million overdraft at Barclays Bank, stated that the company only had enough cash to trade until April 2004. Later the company's shares were suspended after it had failed to declare interim results.[74]
National Railway Museum (2004–present)
At Railfest 2004At Leamington Spa in October 2005, shortly before its 10-year restoration
In February 2004, a debt agency acting on behalf of Flying Scotsman plc announced it would hold a sealed bid auction for the locomotive, to be held on 2 April.[75] Amid fears it could be sold into foreign hands, the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York announced it would bid, and appealed for funds with a Save Our Scotsman campaign. It secured a winning bid of £2.3million, 15% higher than the second highest bidder, and entered public ownership and a part of the NRM's national collection.[75][76] The bulk of the money came from a £1.8million grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, with the remainder coming from £350,000 raised from public donations which was matched by businessman Richard Branson, and £70,000 raised by The Yorkshire Post newspaper.[77] Included in the sale was a spare boiler from 1944 that Flying Scotsman carried from 1965 to 1978, spare cylinders, and a Mark 1 support coach.[75] The locomotive arrived in York in time to be exhibited as part of the museum's Railfest in June 2004 to celebrate 200 years of rail travel.[77]
In 2004 and 2005, Flying Scotsman intermittently hauled special trains across Great Britain, although problems with its condition soon became apparent. It failed on the delivery trip to Railfest and several times more in the following months, but the museum's engineering staff failed to spot critical faults. From September 2004 until May 2005, it sat at the NRM's workshop for a heavy intermediate repair, the intention being to improve reliability and allow operation until its general overhaul and restoration. However, by the end of 2005 the intermediate repairs failed to improve the situation and the NRM decided to proceed with the general overhaul.[75]
2006–2016 restoration
The frames and wheelset in the NRM workshops in 2009
The locomotive entered the NRM's workshops in January 2006, with the original intention to return it to Gresley's original specification and renew its boiler certificate. It was estimated that this would take one year to complete, and cost around £750,000.[75][78] The works were on view for visitors at the NRM, but the engine was rapidly dismantled to such an extent that the running plate was the only component recognisable to the casual observer.
In July 2007, the museum pushed back the expected completion date by 18 months, due in part to issues with the boiler restoration.[75] By 2009, with further problems encountered including misaligned frames and a cracked cylinder, plus rising metal prices, the museum launched the SOS ("Save Our Scotsman") appeal, seeking to raise a further £250,000 with the aim of completing the work by the end of the year.[79] In May 2011, Flying Scotsman was unveiled on the museum's turntable, finished in wartime black LNER livery; after final tests, it was to be painted LNER Apple Green and have it running excursions by the summer.[80] However, cracks were discovered in the horn blocks and further testing revealed more cracks throughout the frame assembly, leading to the replacement of the main stretcher bar, horn ties and middle cylinder motion bracket, all of which were deemed beyond repair.[75]
At the NRM's workshops in 2012
In 2012, the NRM published a report examining the reasons for the delay and additional cost. It found that the museum had greatly underestimated the work required due to the locomotive's poor condition, much of which was missed by a rushed inspection which produced an overly optimistic assessment. It also found that management lacked the experience, continuity or resources to undertake such a complex task. Problems were also caused by the conflicting objectives of producing a certified mainline locomotive while retaining as many original components and assemblies as possible, and between the need to overhaul the locomotive and use it as a marketing tool for the museum.[75]
Following the report, First Class Partnerships (FCP) were commissioned to independently review the remaining necessary work. By March 2013, FCP had determined Flying Scotsman would not return to the mainline until 2015, and suggested the outstanding work be put out to external tender.[81] Riley & Son was announced as the winning contractor, and on the same day the locomotive was moved to their workshop in Bury.[82] In July 2015, it was estimated to have Flying Scotsman in service by early 2016 with electronic equipment required to operate on the mainline.[83] The final cost of the restoration amounted to £4.2 million, having risen by a £300,000 estimate in the summer of 2015 in order to finish the necessary additional work before the deadline.[84]
Return to service
Flying Scotsman on display at the NRM in 2016, after its overhaul
On 7 January 2016, Flying Scotsman moved under its own steam for the first time since 2005 on the East Lancashire Railway, where it completed several low speed tests.[85] Its inaugural mainline run was on 6 February with The Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express from Carnforth to Carlisle, still wearing its 2011 wartime black livery with 60103 on the smokebox and its LNER wartime numbers, 103 and 502, on the cab sides.[86][87] After it was restored to match its appearance in 1963, Flying Scotsman returned to London King's Cross on 25 February, with a run to York.[88] Thousands of people lined the route, and the train was forced to stop due to members of the public trespassing on the line near St Neots.[89]
In October 2018, six years after Pegler's death, it hauled the Farewell Alan Pegler special from King's Cross to York, organised at the request of his daughter. In his will, Pegler requested for half of his ashes to be placed in the firebox of the locomotive as it ascended Stoke Bank. The climb was accompanied by a long blast of the whistle as passengers onboard gave a moment of silence.[90] In January 2019, Flying Scotsman hauled the non-stop Scotsman's Salute from King's Cross to York, this time as a tribute to McAlpine following his death in March 2018.[91]
In April 2022, the engine was withdrawn for an overhaul in preparation for its centenary year in 2023.[92] Following the work it will be certified to run on the mainline until 2029, after which it will run solely on heritage railways until 2032.[93] It appeared at London King's Cross as a static display for two days to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the station's opening on 14 and 15 October 2022.[94][95]
In January 2024, the museum prepared to solicit bids for a custodian to operate and maintain Flying Scotsman, expecting to pick one in late spring. With a new contract in place, the engine would resume touring in autumn 2024.[96][97]
Centenary events
The all-female crew in 2023
In celebration of turning 100 in February 2023, Flying Scotsman took part in various events between March and December including static displays, runs on the mainline, and visits to heritage railways. A special 100 Years, 100 Voices exhibition was held at the National Railway Museum.[98][needs update] A collectable £2 coin was produced by the Royal Mint, some of which were in colour inspired by the locomotive's Apple Green livery, which marked the first colour coin produced in over 20 years.[99]Royal Mail produced a set of stamps designed by David Gentleman, which were the last to feature a silhouette of the late Queen Elizabeth II.[100] Poet Laureate Simon Armitage released a new poem entitled "The Making of Flying Scotsman".[101][102] On International Women's Day, Flying Scotsman was operated by an all-female crew for the second time in its history.[103]
On 29 September, Flying Scotsman was involved in a low speed collision as it was reversing to couple onto the Belmond Royal Scotsman at Aviemore ahead of its run on the Strathspey Heritage Railway. Several people were treated for injuries, with two being taken to hospital.[104][105]
In popular culture
Film and television
Because of the LNER's emphasis on using the locomotive for publicity purposes, and then its eventful preservation history, including two international forays, it is one of the UK's most recognised locomotives. One of its first film appearances was in the 1929 film The Flying Scotsman, which featured an entire sequence set aboard the locomotive.[106]Flying Scotsman is seen in Agatha (1979), disguised as two other members of the class–4474 Victor Wild on one side and 4480 Enterprise on the other.[107]Flying Scotsman makes a short appearance in 102 Dalmatians (2000). It was filmed leaving London St Pancras, which was the final steam-hauled departure from the station prior to its reconstruction as the new Eurostar terminal.[108]
In 1985, Flying Scotsman appeared alongside an InterCity 125 in a British Rail television advert.[109] The locomotive was the first choice for the Top Gear Race to the North in 2009, but was unable to attend due to its overhaul; LNER Class A1 60163 Tornado was used instead.[110] In 2011, a Tri-ang Hornby model of Flying Scotsman appeared in two episodes of James May's Toy Stories. It was James May's personal childhood model and was chosen by him to complete a world record for the longest model railway.[111] The train was meant to travel seven miles, from Barnstaple to Bideford in North Devon, but it failed early in the trip. It completed the run on a subsequent attempt.[112] The model reappeared in James May: The Reassembler, in which it was completely disassembled and then put back together by May as a demonstration.
In 2016, Flying Scotsman was the subject of two television documentaries. Flying Scotsman from the Footplate aired on BBC 4,[113] and Flying Scotsman with Robson Green was broadcast on ITV. The latter features Green who spent a year with the team of engineers commissioned to restore the locomotive.[114]
The Railway Series and Thomas & Friends
Flying Scotsman was featured in The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry.[85] It visited the fictional Island of Sodor in the 23rd book Enterprising Engines to visit its only remaining brother, Gordon. Its two tenders were a key feature of the plot of "Tenders for Henry". When the story was filmed for the television series Thomas & Friends, renamed as "Tender Engines", only Flying Scotsman's two tenders were seen outside a shed.[115] It was intended to have a larger role in this episode, but due to budgetary constraints, the entire model could not be constructed.[116]
Flying Scotsman is featured on Flying Scotsman and Other Steam Locomotives in Action, an LP of field recordings of various steam locomotives in action released by President Records in 1972.[118]
Flying Scotsman is a playable locomotive in the 2001 PC simulation game Microsoft Train Simulator.[119] and in the 2023 PC/Console simulation game Train Sim World 4.[120] The locomotive is also featured in the 2018 racing game Forza Horizon 4, in a Showcase event in which the player must race against the engine.[121]
Hornby Railways used Flying Scotsman as its Centenary Year edition logo. Hornby marketed two versions of Flying Scotsman in N scale British locomotives made by Minitrix for several years from 1977 as 'Hornby Minitrix'. When the agreement ended Minitrix continued for a while to make and sell British locos and 2 versions of Flying Scotsman were the last listed in catalogues.[122] It was sold first as 60103 in BR green and crest, then later as 4472 in LNER green and lettering.
Related Research Articles
The LNER Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognisable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, holds the record as the world's fastest steam locomotive. Thirty-five of the class were built to haul express passenger trains on the East Coast Main Line route from London Kings Cross via York to Newcastle, and later via Newcastle to Edinburgh, Scotland. They remained in service on the East Coast Main Line until the early 1960s when they were replaced by Deltic diesel locomotives; they themselves proving to be worthy successors to the A4s. Several A4s saw out their remaining days until 1966 in Scotland, particularly on the Aberdeen – Glasgow express trains, for which they were used to improve the timing from 3.5 to 3 hours.
The National Railway Museum (NRM) is a museum in York, England, forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant railway vehicles such as Mallard, Stirling Single, Duchess of Hamilton and a Japanese bullet train. In addition, the National Railway Museum holds a diverse collection of other objects, from a household recipe book used in George Stephenson's house to film showing a "never-stop railway" developed for the British Empire Exhibition. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001.
The 4073 or Castle Class are 4-6-0 steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway, built between 1923 and 1950. They were designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working the company's express passenger trains. They could reach speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h).
LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard is a 4-6-2 ("Pacific") steam locomotive built in 1938 for operation on the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design of Nigel Gresley. Its streamlined, wind tunnel tested design allowed it to haul long distance express passenger services at high speeds. On 3 July 1938, Mallard broke the world speed record for steam locomotives at 126 mph (203 km/h), which still stands today.
The British Rail Class 98 is a Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) classification that has been used to cover all steam locomotives used on the mainline in Britain, but also has a particular usage for the three Vale of Rheidol Railway-design 2-6-2T locomotives that remained in the ownership of British Rail (BR) after the end of mainline steam traction in August 1968. The locomotives on the Vale of Rheidol Railway were the only steam locomotives ever officially to carry the British Rail corporate blue and the double arrow logo.
GWR 3700 Class 3440 City of Truro is a 4-4-0 steam locomotive built in 1903 for the Great Western Railway (GWR) at Swindon Works to a design by George Jackson Churchward. It was partially rebuilt in 1911 and 1915, and renumbered 3717 in 1912. Although it is a point of contention, some believe the locomotive to be the first to attain a speed of 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h) during a run from Plymouth to London Paddington in 1904.
60009 Union of South Africa is a LNER Class A4 steam locomotive built at Doncaster Works on 16 April 1937. It is one of six surviving A4s. Its mainline certification expired in April 2020. As the locomotive is subject to a boiler inspection, it was moved to the East Lancashire Railway as the original plan was to keep it running there until the end of boiler certificate and then send it somewhere else for static display, but a cracked boiler tube forced it into retirement prematurely. It was briefly renamed Osprey during part of the 1980s and 1990s due to political opposition against apartheid in South Africa at the time.
The Flying Scotsman is an express passenger train service that operates between Edinburgh and London, the capitals respectively of Scotland and England, via the East Coast Main Line. The service began in 1862 as the Special Scotch Express until it was officially adopted in 1924. It is currently operated by the London North Eastern Railway.
The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class V2 2-6-2 steam locomotives were designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for express mixed traffic work, and built at the LNER shops at Doncaster and Darlington between 1936 and 1944. The best known is the first of the class, 4771 Green Arrow, which is the sole survivor of the class.
The LNER Class V2 2-6-2 steam locomotive, number 4771 Green Arrow was built in June 1936 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design of Nigel Gresley. The first-built and sole surviving member of its class, it was designed for hauling express freight and passenger trains and named after an express freight service.
4464Bittern is a London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class A4 steam locomotive. Built for the LNER and completed on 18 December 1937 at Doncaster Works as works number 1866, it received number 4464. After that it was renumbered 19 on 16 August 1946 under the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme, and finally 60019 by British Railways on 10 October 1948, after nationalisation. Of the 35 strong class, it is one of six to survive into preservation but it is one of only two currently scheduled to be certified for mainline use.
60007 Sir Nigel Gresley is an LNER Class A4 4-6-2 ("Pacific") steam locomotive built at Doncaster Works in 1937 to a design of Sir Nigel Gresley for operation on the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The locomotive holds the post-war speed record for steam locomotives on British Railways. The locomotive was withdrawn from service in 1966 and purchased for preservation the same year; it is one of six A4s to be preserved.
The London and North Eastern Railway Gresley Classes A1 and A3 locomotives represented two distinct stages in the history of the British 4-6-2 "Pacific" steam locomotives designed by Nigel Gresley. They were designed for main line passenger services and later express passenger services, initially on the Great Northern Railway (GNR), a constituent company of the London and North Eastern Railway after the amalgamation of 1923, for which they became a standard design. The change in class designation to A3 reflected the fitting to the same chassis of a higher pressure boiler with a greater superheating surface and a small reduction in cylinder diameter, leading to an increase in locomotive weight. Eventually all of the A1 locomotives were rebuilt, most to A3 specifications, but no. 4470 was completely rebuilt as Class A1/1.
The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class B17, also known as "Sandringham" or "Footballer" class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by Nigel Gresley for hauling passenger services on the Great Eastern Main Line. In total 73 were built.
LNER Peppercorn Class A1 No. 60163 Tornado is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive completed in 2008 to an original design by Arthur Peppercorn. It is the first new build British mainline steam locomotive since 1960, and the only Peppercorn Class A1 in existence after the original batch were scrapped. In 2017, Tornado became the first steam locomotive to officially reach 100 mph (160 km/h) on British tracks in over 50 years.
Alan Francis Pegler OBE, FRSA was a British businessman, entrepreneur, and railway preservationist.
The Race to the North is an episode of Top Gear that featured a three-way race held in 2009 between a Jaguar XK120 car, a Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle, and railway locomotive 60163 Tornado – a brand new mainline steam engine completed in Britain in 2008. The race saw the car, bike and locomotive, race from London, England, to Edinburgh, Scotland, a journey of around 400 miles (640 km). Eighteen months in the planning, the race was filmed in secret on 25 April 2009, and shown on 21 June 2009 as the first episode of the thirteenth series of Top Gear
The Flying Scotsman is a 1929 British black and white part-talkie film set on the Flying Scotsman train from London to Edinburgh, also featuring the famous locomotive LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score and sound effects along with English intertitles. Directed by Castleton Knight, the thriller is chiefly remembered for being the first acting role of Ray Milland, as well as for its daring stunts performed aboard the moving train.
Although steam locomotives were withdrawn from normal railway service in Great Britain in 1968, due to sustained public interest including a locomotive preservation movement, steam hauled passenger trains can still be seen on the mainline railway in the present day.
LNER Class A3 2750 Papyrus was a 4-6-2 "Pacific" steam locomotive built for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design of Nigel Gresley, entering service in March 1929. Primarily used to haul express passenger trains on the East Coast Main Line by LNER and its successor, British Railways, it is notable for achieving what was at the time a world record-breaking speed for a steam locomotive of 108 mph on 5 March, 1935. A fictionalized account based on the locomotive's service history and speed record, 2750: Legend of a Locomotive by H.C. Webster, was published in 1953 and reprinted in 2016.
↑ Tony Wheeler (director); Gene Carr (cameraman); BBC (production company) (1968). 40th anniversary run documentary. YouTube. Archived from the original on 7 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
"Flying Scotsman restoration to be completed". The Railway Magazine. Vol.159, no.1345. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. May 2013. p.9. ISSN0033-8923. OCLC750645684.
Sharpe, Brian (2005). Flying Scotsman: The Legend Lives On. Horncastle: Mortons Media.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
