60103 Flying Scotsman (LNER Class A2) (1923) by Robert Knight Via Flickr: LNER Class A3 60103 Flying Scotsman (1923) RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK ALBUM www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157624240221528 LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman is a 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design of Nigel Gresley. Measuring 70 foot in length and weighing 96.25 long tons. It was employed on long-distance express East Coast Main Line trains by the LNER and its successors, British Railways Eastern and North-Eastern Regions, notably on the London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman train service after which it was named. When completed at Doncaster Works in 1923 it was the third of 51 Class A1 locomotives built it cost £ 7,944. The A1s were designed for main line and later express passenger services, initially on the Great Northern Railway (GNR), a constituent company of the London and North Eastern Railway and initially carried the number 1472 as the GNR had not yet decided on a system-wide numbering scheme, Following amalgamation, in February 1924 the locomotive acquired its name after The Flying Scotsman express service between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, and assigned a new number, 4472. It became the LNERs flagship locomotive representing the company at the 1924 and 1925 Britich Empire Exhibition. In 1928 it was selected as one of five locomotives to haul the upgraded non-stop Flying Scotsman service from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh, Waverley. For this, the locomotives ran with an upgraded tender which held nine long tons of coal and fitted with a corridor connection, so a change of driver and fireman could take place while the train is moving. By replenishing water from the water trough system several times en route, these modifications allowed the A1s to travel the 392 miles (631 km) without stopping. Flying Scotsman ran with its corridor tender until October 1936 On 30 November 1934, Flying Scotsman became the first steam locomotive to reach the officially authenticated speed of 100 mph while hauling a light test train, earning it a place in the land speed record for railed vehicles, In 1928, Gresley began to modify the A1s into an improved version, the Class A3. Flying Scotsman emerged as an A3 on 4 January 1947. Its old 180 psi boiler was replaced with a 225 psi version with the long "banjo" dome of the type it carries today, and was fitted with more efficient valves and cylinders. In December 1958, it was fitted with a double Kylchap 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. In August 1989 the 63 year old engine set a second world record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles while in Australia In 1962, British Railways announced that it would scrap Flying Scotsman. She was saved from the scrapyard by businessman Alan Pegler to run enthusiasts specials. But during a costly exhibition tour of the USA Peglar was declared bankrupt and remained stranded in the USA housed in a US Army facility in California Pegler worked his passage home from San Francisco to England on a P&O cruise ship, and began a new career giving lectures about trains and travel in addition to being chairman of the Ffestiniog Railway. The engine was finally rescued from the States by Sir William McAlpine who also paid for its restoration at Derby Works and two subsequent overhauls in the 23 years that he owned and ran it. In October 1988, at the invitation of the Australian Government, Flying Scotsman arrived in Australia where it covered more than 45,000 kilometres (28,000 mi) over Australian rails, concluding with a return transcontinental run from Sydney to Perth via Alice Springs in which it became the first steam locomotive to travel on the recently built standard gauge line to Alice Springs. Flying Scotsman returned to Britain in December 1989, where it resumed working on heritage railways and the mainline from the following May. After a number of ownership changes in 2006 the engine entered the National Railway Museum for what was expected to be a one year restoration period with an estimated cost of £ 750,000, the engine was totally stripped revealing unexpected issues and expected the date of completion was pushed back to 18 months, further difficulties arose and the Museum launched an appeal for a further £ 250,000 to cover costs, it emerged in 2011, but more issues became immeadiatly evident in the frame and elsewhere and it was deemed beyond repair. After a damning report on the restoration project it was agreed that the Museum would be unable to continue and to contract out further work. Riley & Son was announced as the winning contractor but warned that it could not be returned to running condition until at least 2015. With new electrical equipment needed to operate on the mainline it finally returned to steam in January 2016 with the final cost of restoration ammounting to £ 4.5 million In April 2022, the engine was withdrawn for an overhaul in preparation for its centenary year in 2023 Diolch am 99,460,644 o olygiadau gwych, mae pob un ohonynt yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi'n fawr. Thanks for 99,460,644 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated. Shot 12.10.2022, at 08,46am on the upline, Rugeley Trent Valley Station. Colton, Rugeley 166-453
