Welcome
As many readers will be aware, 2023 marks the 100th birthday of Sir Nigel Gresley’s famous 4-6-0 Flying Scotsman. One of the most well-known locomotives in the world, the huge crowds that flood the lineside whenever ‘Scotsman’ is due to run on the main line are testimony to its drawing power.
It’s a locomotive that has carried its fair share of controversy in its wake since it entered preservation in the 1960s. Multiple international tours led to financial problems for its various owners, while endless rebuilds to keep the ‘A3’ earning money has led many purists to dismiss it as something of a circus act.