How It Works-Amazing Vehicles

Inside the film star, record-breaker

and national treasure

T

he Flying Scotsman began life as No 1472, an A1 Pacifi c-

class locomotive. The Pacifi c class had a 2-6-2

arrangement of wheels, which enabled it to carr y a bigger

boiler, making it suitable for long-distance passenger services.

Under ow nership of the London and North Eastern Railway

Company (LNER) it was renumbered the 4472 and christened

the Flying Scotsman.

When it broke down and was taken out of regular service it

was the ideal candidate for putting on show at the British

Empire Exhibition in 1924 and 1925. It was an immediate hit

w ith the public, and its fame was sealed when in 1928 it

launched the regular 10am non-stop Flying Scotsman Express

Ser v ice from King’s Cross, London, to Waverley, Edinburgh.

To cope with the 631km (392-mile) route the locomotive

pulled a special eight-wheel tender that carried great

quantities of water and coal. Since the crew had to be replaced

during the eight-hour journey without stopping, a special

corridor was built in the tender to allow the relief crew to pass

bet ween the train and the cab.

The Flying Scotsman became even more famous on 30

November 1934, when it travelled at 160.9km/h (100mph)

breaking the world speed record.

In Januar y 1947, the Fly ing Scotsman was converted to the A3

class that incorporated a larger boiler with a higher boiler

pressure and, a year later, it was re-designated as the No 60103

under the ow nership of British Rail. In 1963, it was sold off and

went through several ow ners before being rescued by the

National Railway Museum, York, in May 2004.

The Flying Scotsman

locomotive

© DK Images

The original 4472 A1 locomotive was

designed by Sir Herber t Nigel Gresley

Tender

Carries 9 tonnes (9.9 tons) of coal and 22,500 litres

(5,000 gallons) of water behind the locomotive.

A n injector pipe sends water to the boiler.

Features a small corridor for crew transfer.

Firebox

This is attached to the rear of the

boiler barrel, and is cooled by

water in the barrel. The size of the

firebox is 19.9m² (215 sq ft) and the

boiler diameter is 1.95m (6ft 5in).

Fireman

Shovels coal from the

tender into the firebox.

JUNE 1862 1888

Service begins

The East Coast mainline from

London to Edinburgh is used to run

the first Special Scotch Express,

departing at 10am with a journey

time of ten and a half hours.

Faster

Rivalry between rail companies

brought the journey time to as low as

seven and a half hours. As this racing

was dangerous it is agreed to set the

time at eight hours 15 minutes.

The Flying Scotsman

Express Service

HISTORIC