When will someone get injured, or worse, watching Scotsman?
Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but once again I find myself commenting on the fact that an appearance by the National Railway Museum’s 60103 Flying Scotsman on the main line has brought with it an unacceptably high level of wholly unnecessary and dangerous trespassing. The problem with this locomotive is every time it goes out, it brings out ‘Joe Public’ to see it. Its visits around the country get reported in local papers and every man and his dog goes out to see it. I understand why – it’s been hyped as some sort of ‘national icon’ so people go and see it.
But the problem is most of these people haven’t a clue how to behave on or near an operational railway. And as everyone has a camera phone now, the mass of people who congregate on a platform forces usually one or two to get that little bit too close to the platform edge to get a – usually poor – video of it chuffing through. But as they line up their shot, they find there is someone in the way, so they shuffle across just that little more, and the next thing you know their feet are actually on the edge of the platform.
Highly dangerous at the best of times, more so when 150 tonnes plus of steam locomotive is approaching at speeds up to 75mph. Then they are in real danger. If one of the assembled masses actually moves, they could easily be knocked off and onto the running line, and then, well…. you don’t need me to tell you what will happen.
I’ve only made one effort to go and see a train hauled by 60103, and that was because it was passing my home, on a Saturday when I had nothing else on and, more importantly, because it had 47760 on the rear; the shot I really wanted.
When I got to the first spot, I was appalled. It was at a public footpath crossing, so access to the running lines was easy. But that crossing was by a pub. There were 10-15 people there, at least half with pints in hand, and some were, I kid you not, resting their feet on the adjacent running line. They had kids, they had backs to the running line and no clue about any other traffic running.
This was at least half an hour before it was due, so God knows how many more turned up nearer the time 60103 was expected to pass. I tried to tweet the British Transport Police to advise them but had no reception, so it would not send. But I doubt BTP had the resources to attend the scene, given there were countless other places suffering the same issue.
So I moved location, and this time close to a level crossing where some cretin had parked so badly that while they were not actually fouling the running line, they were still in the arc where the level crossing barrier would lower into. People were again all over the track, and while they might have felt safe because the barriers were up, they were still trespassing. I left again, took a short walk into a field and got a shot of both the steam locomotive and the 47 without another body in sight!
The other week 60103 was again on ‘my patch’, working a train from King’s Cross to Boston, then being hauled on the rear of the train to Skegness to allow it to work back to London via Grantham. I didn’t go and see it, but social media was awash with shots from the train and from the lineside of trespassers. People actually stood on the track with their backs to the running line or others stood on stations way too close to the edge to be safe from the passage of trains.
So I ask the question, what will it take to stop this mindless trespassing? Will it take a fatality? And should we simply wait for that to happen? Should we take that risk? It must be so stressful for the crews driving or firing 60103 knowing that at any time someone on the lineside might lose their footing or fall off a platform and end up in front of the train.
That’s a worst case scenario, but the other thing with this locomotive out on the main line, how much does it cost in delays to other TOCS and FOCS when the job is stopped because of trespassers? And who picks up that bill?
I hate to say it, and I know I will get a torrent of abuse for this, but I actually believe that the time has come for 60103 to be retired off the main line. It’s just too much of a liability.
It’s too much of a risk. We’ve got away with it for several years now, but the inevitable will happen. Someone is going to get seriously injured – or worse, killed – in their pursuit to get a picture or a video. It’s just not worth it. You can’t keep its passage quiet, that is impossible. And yes, the locomotive dubbed the ‘people’s engine’ has been overhauled for a ludicrously high amount of public money and perhaps the public does have the right to be able to see it when it does indeed pass their local station.
But the sad fact is, there is no way of policing 60103’s passage wherever it goes as it continues to attract the stupid, unsafe and insensitive people who don’t have a clue, or indeed a care, about their own actions and the implications they may have on others. I genuinely believe this locomotive is more trouble than it’s worth and it should be confined to the NRM’S Great Hall where more people can enjoy seeing it and do so safely at the same time. I hate to think I might one day be writing an ‘I told you so’ story when some idiot does get too close to the locomotive and doesn’t live to regret it. Because that could have far wider implications for the whole running of steam locomotives on the main line.
North East Class 50s
Two pre-christmas trips heading to the North East, and both featuring Class 50s, have been advertised. The first is Pathfinder’s ‘Christmas White Rose Express’ on December 4 which starts at Cardiff behind a GBRF Class 66 before giving way to 50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance at Gloucester for the trip to Newcastle, via Birmingham New Street, Derby and set downs at York and Durham. Two weeks later, on December 18, the same locomotives will be provided for UK Railtours’ ‘Beverley Christmas Carol’. This trip starts at King’s Cross with a DB Cargo Class 90 working to Doncaster where the two Class 50s will take over working top-and-tail to Beverley and back. Pathfinder is still to agree the traction for its December 11 trip to Chester which is a GBRF operation.
A 37 date for the diary
Class 37 followers might want to block June 24-26 off in their diaries as 565 Railtours is working on delivering three day-charters using the Type 3s from Rail Operations Group and Colas hauling SRPS Mk 1 stock. Currently the plan is that on the Friday, June 24, it will be a one-way move from Edinburgh to Crewe via the ECML and then the Pennines, although the exact route is still to be finalised.
The Saturday will see a return trip from Crewe via Shrewsbury to West Wales and the aspiration is to run via the Central Wales line and then on to both Fishguard and Milford Haven, with a return via Cardiff and the Welsh Marches route via Hereford.
The Sunday plan is still very much ‘To Be Confirmed’ but could see the stock used for a Crewe to Cambrian day trip. However, as Transport for Wales is increasing its Cambrian services from May 2022, planning that is difficult at the moment. There is no return to Scotland on the Monday as the coaches are needed for other work in the Midlands. It is hoped “at least three or more Class 37s will feature throughout the weekend” and if the Cambrian trip happens, then a pair of
Class 97/3s are expected to take part.
All profits will be donated to charities and the primary beneficiary will be the Hope House Children’s Hospice from Oswestry. As we closed for press, this is most defiantly a provisional plan, so booking accommodation is not recommended until the trains and itineraries have been confirmed one way or the other! But as I’ve said before, maybe best to avoid booking holidays, weddings or bar mitzvahs for that weekend if Class 37s are your thing!