World famous Flying Scotsman passes through
A national treasure passed through our county this week. I saw Flying Scotsman quite by chance, and had no time to set up a photograph, so this what we used to call it a “snapshot". I only knew it was coming, running down from York to the Bluebell Railway in Sussex, to pull special trains over the Easter holiday, through social media. I happened to be in Cheddington (on the West Coast Mail Line) on other business when we noticed a crowd of people on the playing fields, and guessed what was going on.
Before I looked it up, I’d forgotten quite how famous this steam locomotive was. It hauled the inaugural non-stop Flying Scotsman express train from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh on May 1st, 1928 - and on many occasions thereafter. It had a corridor in its tender, which allowed a fresh crew to take over halfway through the eight hour journey.
Built in 1923, and designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, it was the first locomotive in the famous London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). It was part of the A1 class – the most powerful locos used by the railway.
In 1924 it was chosen to appear at the British Empire Exhibition in London, numbered 4472 and given the name ‘Flying Scotsman’ after the (then stopping) London to Edinburgh rail service which was inaugurated in 1862. This appearance made Flying Scotsman famous, and it went on to feature in many publicity events for the LNER.
Its various accolades include being the first loco to run at 100 mph in the UK, in 1934; and a starring role in the first talking film, Flying Scotsman, alongside emerging Welsh actor Ray Milland. The actor went on to stardom in Hollywood during the 1940s.
Flying Scotsman had a distinguished career hauling express trains trains right through to 1963, when British Railways (BR) retired it towards the end of the steam era. It passed into private hands, and went on a tour of the USA where it was temporary stranded, when its owner went bankrupt.
Brought back to the UK, it was owned by various people, and then bought for the nation by the National Railway Museum York in 2004, possibly the second most famous loco in the world after speed record-holder Mallard. It was recently repainted in its BR green livery with its then number of 60103.
Flying Scotsman’s future is now assured, and its fame universal.
