Cotsman’?
that the competition was open, 13,500 people entered the competition, the NRM said. The winners, who were drawn, the museum said, using online electronic random number selection technology, are Diane Johnson, Clive Bayard, Matt Barrett, Ken Dunn, and Michelle Wolfenden. The museum appeared to be at pains to play down the importance of Flying Scotsman’s actual, but ‘unofficial’ main line comeback run northwards over Shap and return via the Settle & Carlisle line, on a ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ turn for promoters The Railway Touring Co. on Saturday February 6. Although the ‘A3’ was still in wartime black livery for that run, and displaying three different identities - the LNER numbers 502, 103 and the BR smokebox numberplate 60103, the museum declined to allow the locomotive to run with its nameplates fitted, and repeatedly described the train as a ‘test run’ - perhaps the first and only instance of a main line passengercarrying steam express to be so described. Light engine and loaded test runs were conducted by West Coast Railway Co. crews from Carnforth and around the HellifieldBlackburn-Preston-Carnforth loop two days earlier, on Thursday February 4. An overheated axle bearing, discovered by staff from Riley & Son (E) Ltd during disposal of Flying Scotsman at York after the February 6 run, necessitated the dropping of the affected wheelset on the NRM wheeldrop and making of a new whitemetal bearing - but company chief Ian Riley was unconcerned. “There’s no flap” he said. “It’s just a routine repair. ‘Scotsman’ will be back in one piece in good time for the inaugural train.” Flying Scotsman’s
Richard Greenwood, co-owner, City of Wells, and former Chairman, Main Line Steam Operators Association: “The cost of repairs to Flying Scotsman has been astronomical and it has to be funded somehow. If there are enough people willing to pay that much, so be it. We’ll be able to see whether the market can stand it by the number of unsold seats.”
Bob Branch, lifetime steam enthusiast and charter train organiser: “To the man who works in the City of London and Flying Scotsman Scotsman Tornado Flying Flying Scotsman,
S.A.C. Martin, writing on the National Preservation forum site: “At £450, I am seriously debating whether I can afford over two thirds of my monthly wage to go on this. The locomotive was built to transport the public in the first place and was used on all manner of express trains, which included a number of different classes. Why could there not have been standard and premier seating at different price ranges, as there are on other main line steam trains?” Flying Scotsman will be making its first appearance on the SVR for more than two years, having previously visited for the railway’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1990, and again in 1994. During the summer, Africa, Green Arrow,