Flying Scotsman gets back on track

The National Railway Museum in York has launched a new campaign to put the iconic Flying Scotsman steam train back on the main line. The Steam Our Scotsman appeal aims to raise £250,000 to complete the restoration of the locomotive and bring it back to full working order.

The Flying Scotsman has a special place in the hearts of steam train enthusiasts. It was commissioned by the London North Eastern Railway (LNER), designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built at Doncaster works in 1923 at a cost of £7,944.The train was named after the Flying Scotsman mainline route between London Kings. Cross and Edinburgh Waverley and holds a host of records, including being the first locomotive to complete a non-stop London to Edinburgh service and the first steam engine to reach 100mph in 1934. It also starred in Flying Scotsman, the first ever full-length British feature film with sound.

After the privatisation of the rail network in 1948, Flying Scotsman continued to be in service until 1963 when it was bought by enthusiast Alan Pegler, who restored it as closely as possible to its original condition. When Alan’s financial backers pulled out in 1973, Sir William McAlpine, founder of the Railway Heritage Trust, purchased the locomotive and continued to run it for many years until the National Railway Museum, York stepped in to save it for the nation in 2004. To help the Flying Scotsman get back on the tracks, the museum is offering donors the opportunity to sponsor one of the engine’s vital components. Prices start from £25 for a bolt up to a £100,000 for the outer firebox. For more details of the campaign, visit www.nrm.org.uk/flyingscotsman
 or call 01904 685 707.