A century ago, on 24 February 1923, a new steam locomotive was unveiled that changed British railway history. The Flying Scotsman, so called after the daily 10am London to Edinburgh rail service which began in 1862, was designed by railway engineer Sir Nigel Gresley, and built in Doncaster in Yorkshire. By 1928, the train was travelling non-stop, completing the 534-kilometre route in just eight hours. The following year, it was the star of British cinema’s first talkie, a dramatic love story in which a fireman saves the train from a malicious attempt at wrecking it.
speed and style
In 1934, the Flying Scotsman became the first locomotive in the UK to reach 100mph (160.93 kmph). During the pre-war years, the locomotive matched speed with style, with innovations such as a cinema car, cocktail bar and even a hairdressing salon. During the war, it was painted black, in common with all wartime railway stock. But it returned to its signature dark green in the post-war period.
AROUND THE WORLD
In 1963, the age of steam was coming to an end, and the Flying Scotsman was retired from service. In 1969, it ended up stranded in the US; its new owner, the British railway enthusiast Alan Pegler, had attempted to tour the train but had run out of money. The Flying Scotsman was rescued and restored in 1973 by businessman William Alpine. Sir William kept it running for twenty-three years, during which time it became the first steam locomotive to travel all around the globe.
NATIONAL TREASURE
When the Flying Scotsman once again changed hands, a campaign led by the National Railway Museum to save the train amassed significant public support. With the help of a grant and a £365,000 donation from entrepreneur Richard Branson, the well-loved locomotive was restored at a cost of £4.2million.
The Flying Scotsman was presented to enthusiastic crowds in 2016, having been fitted with a whole new range of components and parts, along with enhancements to allow it to operate in the 21st century. It now spends part of its time in the National Railway Museum in York as a working museum exhibit, and the rest of the time as the oldest mainline working locomotive on Britain’s tracks.