THE record breaking Flying Scotsman paid a visit to Cornwall this weekend, with strong crowds turning out to welcome her as she steamed by local stations.
The tour was part of centenary celebrations, marking 100 years since it was first built.
This gave locals ample opportunity to glimpse the famous train as she went by, and perhaps snap a photograph or two.
For those unable to get out and spot the Flying Scotsman on her journey however, the team at Railcam UK provided an online alternative.
Working with the community rail group Saltash Station Project and Saltash Town Council a HD webcam was installed at the local station. The camera began broadcasting its view of the iconic Royal Albert Bridge on Sunday, for free via YouTube, in time for the Flying Scotsman’s visit.
A spokesperson said: “The project was originally suggested to Railcam by TV railway historian Tim Dunn, after he visited to film series two of his hugely popular UKTV series ‘The Architecture The Railways Built’ for the Yesterday channel in 2021. Both Railcam and Saltash Station Project saw the global marketing benefits of bringing this iconic view to a worldwide audience, so once the full restoration of the Saltash Station Project was complete, the Railcam team and Saltash Council moved quickly to get the project up-and-running.”
History
Designed by Nigel Gresley, the Flying Scotsman’s build date is listed as February 24, 1923. It set two world records for steam traction during its time of service, becoming the first locomotive to reach the officially authenticated speed of 100 miles per hour on November 30, 1934, and then while in Australia, setting the longest non-stop run of 422 miles on August 8, 1989.
Upon retirement from British Railway in 1963 it was saved from the threat of scrap due to its historical significance, passing into the private ownership of Alan Pegler, William McAlpine, Tony Marchington and finally, since 2004, the custodianship of the National Railway Museum.
The Scotsman wasn’t always in the most pristine condition though. Shortly after being purchased by National Railway Museum, it became clear that the historic train was in a poor state of repair and in need of major restoration work.
After spending 2005 intermittently hauling special trains across Great Britain, reliability issues led to the discovery of critical faults. A heavy intermediate repair attempt failed, leading to the National Railway Museum overseeing an overhaul which would end up taking a decade to complete.
During the restoration, significant issues were found which meant that, alongside a time delay, the restoration cost well in excess of the £750,000 originally anticipated — totalling £4.2-million.
In January 2016, the locomotive moved under its own steam for the first time since 2005 and in October 2018, upon the death of its previous owner, Alan Pegler six years prior, half of his ashes were placed in the firebox of the locomotive as it ascended Stoke Bank, as per his final wishes.
Following another overhaul in April 2022, the Flying Scotsman became one of a very select number of steam trains authorised to operate on the mainlines of the United Kingdom — as it did on Sunday — certified to do so until 2029, after which it will run solely on heritage railways until 2032.