4472 - Flying Scotsman

[cold thursday]

I've found myself watching this:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p011vfqw/4472...

And enjoying it a lot.

"First transmitted in 1968, this programme follows the attempt made to drive the 'Flying Scotsman' directly from London's King's Cross to Edinburgh's Waverley station without stopping, just as it was done 40 years ago. There is some spectacular aerial photography of the train en route and we meet the engine's owner, Alan Pegler, and some travellers and well wishers along the way. One of the passengers, a rather famous vicar and train enthusiast, explains how he first came to write stories about engines for his sick little boy, who insisted they were all given names."

[W124Bob]

This makes interesting reading(April 2013) http://www.rail.co.uk/rail-news/2013/damning-flyin... seems previous owners may pushed the loco and bodged repairs, this press release from NRM in October 2013 http://www.nrm.org.uk/AboutUs/PressOffice/PressRel...

[Rich1973]

http://www.nrm.org.uk/AboutUs/PressOffice/PressRel...

2nd one didn't work Bob.

[rs1952]

W124Bob said:

This makes interesting reading(April 2013) http://www.rail.co.uk/rail-news/2013/damning-flyin... seems previous owners may pushed the loco and bodged repairs, this press release from NRM in October 2013 http://www.nrm.org.uk/AboutUs/PressOffice/PressRel...

The steam railway press has been full of this sort of thing for over a year now.

In a nutshell, NRM bought a knackered engine that has had bodge jobs masquerading as repairs carried out for some time now. The repair bill for it just keeps going up and up, with the more things that they find needing putting right.

You also have to bear in mind that the engine is only about 10 years short of its centenary. Will W124s be still aound when they are a hundred years old?


Although, taking into account the number of 123 series that are still going in various countries, then the answer is probably yes

[williamp]

Interesting thing: The vicar interviewed on the train is the author of Thomas the tank engine. Perhaps more then anyone he played a part in the ongoing interest in steam trains.