Who Likes Flying Scotsman

daniel533 · Post by **daniel533** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:59 pm

in my view i think that flying scotsman was the first british engine to hit 100MPH. the reason i think this because the city of turo looks soft compared to the flying scotsman, it also loks more powerful.

davidaward · Post by **davidaward** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:22 pm

Never actually had any operational firts hand experience of it- though i've heard from some who have- one driver i know said it was the biggest anticlimax of his career a driving turn on 4472, back in the early 90s- when your oiling round and the rods rattle to touch its worrying!

I'm not a massive fan- if Gresley pacifics rightly deserve a place in the national collection- best stick with his masterpiece the A4 only, plus how much different does it look to Green Arrow to the public? 4472 is a bottomless money pit which I'd rather see keeping another 2 locos running for the same ammount, eg 4771- a far superior piece of kit and 6229.

BR7MT · Post by **BR7MT** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:43 pm

davidaward wrote:Never actually had any operational firts hand experience of it- though i've heard from some who have- one driver i know said it was the biggest anticlimax of his career a driving turn on 4472, back in the early 90s- when your oiling round and the rods rattle to touch its worrying!

I wouldn't mind betting that it was knackered after its tour of Australia at that time. The early 90's intermediate overhaul, which saw the engine turned out in Brunswick green as 60103, was mostly work on the cylinders and the boiler (including the smokebox modifications to include the Kylchap exhaust). I have read several rumours about the amount of work actually carried out on the engine during the last 20-odd years, and I do fear for the future of 6100 Royal Scot and 35027 Port Line

Hopefully, judging by the estimated cost of this overhaul, 4472 will come back to the main line in 2008 in the best condition it has been in since leaving Doncaster works to enter private ownership with Alan Peglar!

Regards,

Dan

allypally · Post by **allypally** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 2:03 pm

4771 - masterpiece, loved having it on the GCR, a different sight.

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 4:59 pm

daniel533 wrote:in my view i think that flying scotsman was the first british engine to hit 100MPH. the reason i think this because the city of turo looks soft compared to the flying scotsman, it also loks more powerful.

It looks "soft"? Care to elaborate?

FS was the first to have done a confirmed 100mph, but (and as a Southern man it pains me to say it), Truro probably did it. If it didn't, it was so close as makes no difference, and this was considerably before FS was even concieved.

But the top speed achieved isn't really that remarkable. Mallard did 126mph, but nearly destroyed itself in the process. These days 91s go *up* Stoke Bank at 125mph...

Trainclass156 · Post by **Trainclass156** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:03 pm

The Flying Scotsman-she's nice but its a suprise that she became the most famous engine in the world; you'd think that something like Mallard would be that title, as she's broken the world speed record for a steam locomotive aned she looks fancy.

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:49 pm

davidaward wrote:4472 is a bottomless money pit which I'd rather see keeping another 2 locos running for the same ammount, eg 4771- a far superior piece of kit and 6229.

The problem is that Joe Public has probably never heard of 4771 or 6229. Scotsman's worldwide fame gives it acess to funding that isn't availible to other engines, money that would not otherwise have been used to benefit the railway preservation movement.

arabiandisco wrote:Mallard did 126mph, but nearly destroyed itself in the process.

Another claim that is rather unfair - it was only an overheating big end that led to Mallard's removal from the train at Peterborough.

Trainclass156 wrote:The Flying Scotsman-she's nice but its a suprise that she became the most famous engine in the world

Flying Scotsman was destined to be famous from the day she recieved her name. She was picked out as the LNER's "special engine" for the Wembley exhibtions of 1924/5, and that in turn lead to her being selected for the first London-Edinburgh non-stop of 1928 and the 100mph run of 1934. She was then selected for preservation because she was famous, and during preservation she went on to become even more famous...

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:58 pm

FS (as 1473 or whatever it's A1 number was) was only chosen for the exhibition because it was broken at the time. And it didn't have a name at that point either.

It may have become famous as a result of that exhibition and subsequent goings on, but I would say that the train (the 1100 or whatever it was from KX) is the real cause of it's fame.

daandmda · Post by **daandmda** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:16 pm

arabiandisco wrote:FS (as 1473 or whatever it's A1 number was) was only chosen for the exhibition because it was broken at the time. And it didn't have a name at that point either.

It may have become famous as a result of that exhibition and subsequent goings on, but I would say that the train (the 1100 or whatever it was from KX) is the real cause of it's fame.

It was in fact given it's name for the exhibition (I think lol). Hmmm seems that not many people like her, although the Yes results are higher than the No results.

n863dwt · Post by **n863dwt** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:54 pm

the way i see it...
any rail enthusiast who either doesn't have any love for 4472, or doesnt secretly wanna be on the footplate of the majestic engine is either a very sad individual.. or is a total liar...

as iv stated already i aint a big steam buff....
but when i was at Railfest in 2004... the sheer sight of her.. was enough to .. bring out the kettle fan in me..
being that close to something so majestic... has an effect.. and im glad i can say iv been up close to and have touched the most famous steam engine in the UK if not the world.

daandmda · Post by **daandmda** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:08 pm

n863dwt wrote:the way i see it...
any rail enthusiast who either doesn't have any love for 4472, or doesnt secretly wanna be on the footplate of the majestic engine is either a very sad individual.. or is a total liar...

as iv stated already i aint a big steam buff....
but when i was at Railfest in 2004... the sheer sight of her.. was enough to .. bring out the kettle fan in me..
being that close to something so majestic... has an effect.. and im glad i can say iv been up close to and have touched the most famous steam engine in the UK if not the world.

Yes, Railfest 2004 was excellent. I also went to see her in Derbyshire in 1999, when I got the chance to stand in her footplate...I must scan that picture in. (P.S she may be beautiful, majestic, famous, but they still got a diesel to shunt her in as she was broken down

)

n863dwt · Post by **n863dwt** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:09 pm

daandmda wrote:
n863dwt wrote:the way i see it...
any rail enthusiast who either doesn't have any love for 4472, or doesnt secretly wanna be on the footplate of the majestic engine is either a very sad individual.. or is a total liar...

as iv stated already i aint a big steam buff....
but when i was at Railfest in 2004... the sheer sight of her.. was enough to .. bring out the kettle fan in me..
being that close to something so majestic... has an effect.. and im glad i can say iv been up close to and have touched the most famous steam engine in the UK if not the world.
Yes, Railfest 2004 was excellent. I also went to see her in Derbyshire in 1999, when I got the chance to stand in her footplate...I must scan that picture in. (P.S she may be beautiful, majestic, famous, but they still got a diesel to shunt her in as she was broken down )

shhhh...
dont say that...
it may be true but dont ruin the magic... lol

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:16 pm

daandmda wrote:
arabiandisco wrote:FS (as 1473 or whatever it's A1 number was) was only chosen for the exhibition because it was broken at the time. And it didn't have a name at that point either.

It may have become famous as a result of that exhibition and subsequent goings on, but I would say that the train (the 1100 or whatever it was from KX) is the real cause of it's fame.
It was in fact given it's name for the exhibition (I think lol). Hmmm seems that not many people like her, although the Yes results are higher than the No results.

Oh I like it, but I don't buy into the hype that surrounds it. I'd be more comfortable declaring my undying love for it if it was a different A3. As I said, Papyrus would have been a better choice as it had a less froth-inducing name.

I like 50s, but I don't like snotvac (the machine formerly known as Hercules) because of the ridiculous paint and the stupid name - it's the same kind of thing really.

ianmacmillan · Post by **ianmacmillan** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:34 pm

daniel533 wrote: Do you like Flying Scotsman

I prefer them on the ground.

It's not very pleasant look up at a Scotsman in a kilt.

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:09 pm

arabiandisco wrote:As I said, Papyrus would have been a better choice as it had a less froth-inducing name.

Actually, Alan Peglar did consider Papyrus, but decided against it specifically because of the name, as he explained in The Railway Magazine in April 2001:

What put me off was the average rail enthusiast's tendancy to pronounce the name 'Pappy-russ'. That would have driven me up the wall, so in the end it had to be 'Scotsman'...

I agree that the hype surrounding Scotsman has been over-exploited in recent years, particularly by Marchington but to a lesser extent by the NRM as well. This is a shame, because the commercialisation has actually destroyed some of the magic - and there is a magic to Scotsman, if only because of the way she caputured the imagination of the public.

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Who Likes Flying Scotsman

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