He was a remarkable man, who must have persuaded his hosts to grant him a footplate pass to ride to Grantham at a later date, for the group included Mr I. Alongside the fictional story, we’re treated to information about Flying Scotsman’s records and reputation.

However Mr Merton announces that he doesn’t ‘t hink little girls would be allowed up in the driver’s cab, even though the driver is [her ] Dad’. We extend our thanks and gratitude to the National Railway Museum and everyone concerned in allowing this locomotive to visit our railway. Read our Privacy Policy to give you more detailed information about your rights and how we use your data.In the photograph here, Sparshatt is, about to do the outside oiling, which is fair enough but if you look closely, you will see that he has no overall trousers on and to a loco man, this means only one thing—that he won’t be going underneath to fill the middle big-end and his fireman has to do the job. Eight tons on the tender and if ‘cracked and stacked’ nearer nine: but they were driven like a Great Northern Atlantic, with a long cut-off and plenty of regulator and they thrived on such treatment and were quite economical. By booking a journey you agree to these terms, the terms set out by each individual operator and our cancellation policy.

But each time Flying Scotsman pulls away, Iris wishes more than anything that she could be in the driver’s cab, just like her dad. What if Dad was asked to attempt to break a speed record with Flying Scotsman’s journey to Edinburgh? Late in his career he changed specialisms to become Head of Investigations for the MoD’s Estates Organisation. One was completely rebuilt in 1924, one lasted until 1937, very powerful but one might say rather difficult and the third was the fore-runner of a class of ‘World Beaters’. It was the third of a class of steam locomotives that would eventually number 79 engines, and did not originally even carry a name.

This fascinating pocket-book tells the story of this distinguished locomotive through authentic period literature including LNER and BR service manuals, giving an insight into her construction and operation from the height of her fame in the 1930s through to the end of her BR service in 1963.

Cut-off’ means more or less what it says, high pressure steam is cut-off from entering the cylinder when the piston has gone 15% of its stroke and its work is then done by expansion of high pressure steam. It was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster Works to a design by Nigel Gresley. It was such a pleasure to meet you both, and I really appreciated how smoothly and professionally you ran everything. The only time I went on the non-stop was in 1958, when I volunteered to go forward to help the Haymarket fireman.

And that smart youngish fireman shovelled nine tons of coal to cover 41 sq ft of grate for that day’s work. We are able to send untracked parcels to bona fide PO Box addresses, friends and family members and to work addresses. This book was a must have to round off the event and I purchased one during the event and then purchased another from the Science Museum for my brother. It was briefly the only main line steam engine running in the whole of Britain, and it has travelled across the Atlantic and across America.