Let’s get real about Flying Scotsman
I would like to respond to the comments in SR530’s Down Main regarding
Flying Scotsman.
Firstly, livery: Arguments for either LNER or BR livery on the grounds of authenticity are irrelevant. Neither can be correct because of the large number of modifications made to the locomotive in its long lifetime. BR green livery was only applied to the locomotive for about 15% of its lifetime. It was applied to the ‘A3s’ because, in a period of austerity, it was considered useful in not showing dirt. The LNER livery has been applied to the locomotive for about 85% of its life and during the periods when it earned its fame. It was the choice of its builder and designer, and also the three private individuals who have owned it in preservation, particularly Alan Pegler and Sir William McAlpine who saved it for the nation.
It would surely be disrespectful for the NRM to ignore these facts on the basis of spurious authenticity claims, particularly as their spokesman Andrew McLean is wrong in stating air braking was fitted for safety reasons; it was fitted because the large vacuum cylinders were beyond economic repair. Had they been repairable, it could have remained vacuum-braked but with a facility to work an air-braked train, as has been done with Sir Nigel Gresley.
Secondly, poor coal and limited supply: No one should be in any doubt that this is a very serious problem particularly for those wishing to run their locomotives on the main line. Owners are responsible for providing their locomotives in a fit condition, including fuel, to work the Network Rail schedule. As I understand it, the owner or locomotive operator has to compensate Network Rail for all delays caused to other trains up to a limit of £5,000. Above this, the cost is borne by Network Rail. As the article in Down Main illustrates, these costs can be significant, and it would be unrealistic to assume Network Rail’s tolerance is infinite because these costs are eventually picked up by the taxpayer who is unlikely to be sympathetic at a time when personal finances are under tremendous strain.
Steaming problems can only be solved by trial and error, which can be lengthy and costly. I wish Ian Riley well in his endeavours, because if he cannot find suitable coal it will be the end of steam on the main line. If a rocking grate is the answer, then this should not be vetoed by the NRM on authenticity grounds. Such a fitment would be no different in purpose to the double chimney and its Kylchap cowls.
In an endeavour to help, here are a few suggestions:
1) The ‘sitting down’ of the fire at lengthy water or pathing stops is a real problem with certain types of coal. These water stops also add to the length of the day and usually occur where passengers cannot alight from the train or even have a decent view. Eliminating these stops would avoid this problem. Alan Pegler solved it by providing a second tender. Roland Kennington rebuilt the Pegler conversion with a larger tank holding over 9,000 gallons, giving the locomotive with its own tender capacity a range of 250 miles. Bob Meanley obtained a similar benefit by fitting a parcels van with large plastic water tanks for use with Tyseley’s ‘Castles’. 2) Before privatisation, BR and SLOA were able to obtain good payloads with steam locomotive diagrams of 200 miles or less and with a programme of trains equal in number to today.
Is it really necessary to have steam locomotives running nearly double this distance and often much further than they would have worked in their normal BR lives? Excessive distance is bound to cause dirty fires and steaming problems, especially if the coal is poor. The most successful steam operation is from Fort William to Mallaig, a round trip of only 80 miles. There are plenty of opportunities on the main line for this type of operation instead of attempting Euston to Manchester and return. 3) Down Main mentions the inability of the paying passenger to see the locomotive at Worcester because of non-paying photographers blocking their view. This problem could be avoided by reintroducing photo run-pasts at stations where viewing can be restricted to only the train passengers standing on the opposite platform to that which is being used for the run-past. These were much appreciated pre-1994 and were perfectly safe, but they did not help maintain a good fire.
4) Hyping up Flying Scotsman to the media exacerbates the crowd problems. It was one of 79 similar locomotives, some of which had a greater claim to fame than Flying Scotsman, e.g. No. 2750 Papyrus held the UK speed record of 108mph for a period and this was only authentically beaten by the ‘A4s’ and, on one occasion, by a LMS ‘Princess Coronation’. It should, therefore, for historical accuracy be promoted as a member of the ‘A3’ class and not as a celebrity because of its name.
David Ward, by email
LNER LIVERY… WAS THE CHOICE OF ITS BUILDER AND DESIGNER
Time for some pragmatism
The interesting article about Sir Nigel Gresley includes some quite critical comments about the National Railway Museum and its closure of the engineering facility. I fully agree with these comments as, in my view, it was the best educational part of the NRM.
Later in the magazine, the NRM says it couldn’t agree to changing the fire grate design of Flying Scotsman because it would be “improving its performance”. Such a change would actually be an attempt to maintain performance (not improve it) in a world where suitable coal is increasingly difficult to obtain. If locomotive performance declines, trains run late and cause widespread problems, then the future of steam becomes uncertain. Does the NRM really think this is a good idea?
Finally, on the question of Flying Scotsman’s livery.
I’ve been pleased that BR green has been adopted for a period to give a correct impression of how Flying Scotsman looked in 1962/3. Equally, I have no problem if it were outshopped in LNER Apple green retaining the double chimney and trough deflectors. In a way, this is the approach taken by the A1 Trust because Tornado’s visual appearance is mid/ late 1950s onwards. If there had been a No. 60163 built in December 1948, it would not have been in LNER green but BR blue, as well as unnamed. The only fully correct livery for Tornado is BR green, and Apple green is, in effect, a ‘what-if’ livery.
David Smith, Sheffield
‘Clans’ for the memories
I much enjoyed J. Crosse’s article in the latest Steam Railway about the ‘Clans’.
I lived at Stranraer in the 1950s, where my father worked