The National Railway Museum has released details of Flying Scotsman’s plan for 2022, which includes a small number of tours and a major overhaul
The A3 locomotive will be back on the tracks for 2022 to haul a limited number of re-dated steam tours before its overhaul. Four trips are expected to be hauled by Flying Scotsman in 2022 – The Cotswold Venturer on the 5th March from London Paddington to Worcester, organised by the Railway Touring Company and trips with the Steam Dreams Co on the 13th, 17th, and 24th March.
Flying Scotsman’s overhaul is expected to start in April and is expected to last between three and four months. The overhaul has been timed to allow enough time for the locomotive to be recertified and back in action in time for the locomotive to take part in national celebrations to mark its 100th birthday in 2023.
York’s National Railway Museum says that it is planning a number of activities to mark the centenary next year.
Flying Scotsman’s owners have said its first project is a new exhibition, Flying Scotsman: 100 Years, 100 Voices. This new exhibition and film aims to capture stories behind the Flying Scotsman and the NRM is asking people to get in touch to help shape the exhibition with their memories – whether it be letters, photographs or film clips.
More details about the centenary year will be confirmed soon, but it will see the locomotive visit several locations across the country, including both the National Railway Museum at York and Locomotion in Shildon.
Riley & Son (E) Ltd has been confirmed as the overhaulers of Flying Scotsman. They completed the locomotive in 2016 and much of the mechanical work has already been completed due to prolonged downtime due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Flying Scotsman’s overhaul will mainly focus on the boiler, which will need a re-tube and recertification.
Despite recent rumours circulating amongst the public and on social media, the National Railway Museum has confirmed that no changes to Flying Scotsman’s number, livery, or chimney configuration will take place during the overhaul.
Once the overhaul is complete, Flying Scotsman will require running in time before the locomotive attends a small number of heritage railway visits, which have also been re-dated due to the pandemic.
Charlotte Kingston, Head of Interpretation and Design at the National Railway Museum, said: “After Covid affected the touring schedule in 2020 and 2021, I am pleased to confirm that Flying Scotsman will be back in 2022 to haul a series of four rearranged trips. The engine will then undergo a boiler overhaul, ahead of the centenary in 2023, which will involve an exciting, yearlong programme of events, exhibitions and activities where we will be celebrating this very special birthday with the public.
“Often described as ‘the people’s engine’, we want to hear what Flying Scotsman means to you, whether it’s through working on the railways, seeing Scotsman as a child or another cherished memory. We hope that Flying Scotsman: 100 Years, 100 Voices will help create a lasting and important chapter in the Flying Scotsman story.”
Stuart Gray, Operations Manager for Riley & Son (E) Ltd said: “Riley & Son (E) Ltd are pleased to be able to support our customers by re-scheduling the upcoming trips previously cancelled by the pandemic. On completion of these tours, the remaining mechanical work and boiler retube will be completed, enabling us to also fulfil postponed Heritage Railway visits later in 2022.
“Rileys look forward to working with the National Railway Museum to put together an exciting and ambitious program of events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the most famous locomotive in the world.”
Well Charlotte, Head of Interpretation, whatever that is, it is a great shame the NRM couldn’t get our, OUR, Scotsman back into LNER 4472 apple green. Sir Nigel would kick you all up your Rses. Will there be an end to the BRification of our locos. I hate it.
“Head of interpretation and design”…what does this entail…besides a large salary???
The excuse that the NRM needs to keep Scotsman in BR green because they don’t have the original bits to retrofit her to single chimney therefore has to be in BR green with late crests (a guide she wore for less that 2 years in BR ownership!) Is nonsense! The single chimney arrangement was still very much in one piece, but if damaged could be repaired. But the biggest drawback to ANY kind of authenticity as a A3 locomotive is the tender! Flying Scotsman lost her corridor tender in the 1930s when displaced from non stop runs on the ECML by the A4s. She was NEVER seen in a BR livery with a corridor tender (a tender that’s was streamlined by Roland Pennington that was previously non streamlined and included cut outs for a A4 to participate in the loco exchanges of 1947 that was still there when Bill saved her in 1973). With this corridor tender she is as unauthentic as in LNER green as 4472.
Would have loved if they went for BR Blue, but considering 99% of the time she’ll be running with BR Livery coaching stock.
I’d be more partial to LNER Livery if there were more Teaks about.
This loco will bankrupt the NRM same as it has done for every other owner.
Forget the national collection.., let d200 9002 etc etc rot as long as this vanity project keeps trundling on.
I don’t think McAlpine is bankrupt, maybe it’s first owner was who then sold it to McAlpine who resued it from san fransico.
Poor bill is dead. But he sold a 49% stake to bill Waterman In 1994 cos he couldn’t afford to fund the expect overhaul costs. When disagreements occured and the loco was much worse shape than realised, Bill sold her to Tony Marchington who it broke financially. Poor Tony died of Cancer before Scotsman returned to steam and is much missed. The late Alan pegler went bankrupt not because of the loco, but due to his desire to run her in the USA without financial backing.
It won’t bankrupt the NRM as long as the taxpayer and the donating public pump in financial aid. But in return the NRM management need to listen to the wishes of the people who pay to keep them in their office!
We have seen some dreadful incompetence from NRM management over the last 15 years, from the failed in-house, flying Scotsman rebuild, including the description never to restore or overhaul another loco in-house, to the pandering to the BLM movement but trashing the real story of the railways because of tenorous connections of some people to the slave trade. The NRM has lost its way BIG TIME!
Totally agree
I Quite agree that she should be in her original Doncaster green with black and white lining ,minus the deflectors of course.
The overhaul of this iconic engine is very welcome. However, I do not understand why it is not being returned to LNER 4772. It has spent most of its preserved life in that livery and was seen around the World in that Guise. It is not as if it was loved by BR, they failed to preserve it and would have scrapped it. I would like to see the deflectors go as well, as well as the chimney. This nostalgia for the Nationalised days is a fairy tale, it was inefficient, lets not forget how damaging the Beeching Axe was. Come NRM put Flying Scotsman in its birthday suite!
WHY?! I would have loved to see 60103 in her original LNER livery.. If a Deltic can be painted purple then why can’t the world’s most famous steam locomotive be painted into her original livery and given her original number of 4472..
Technically her 1923 number was 1472 with no name. She was renumbered 4472 and named Flying Scotsman for the wembly exhibition in 1924, but agree she should be returned to apple green. It could then run as 4472, then with post war lettering as 103, and with British Railways on tender as E103 and 60103.
The NRM have never really worried before about authentic livery’s, with many locos in the NRM collection painted in original livery but as later rebuilt guises.
With a corridor tender, Scotsman is not authentic as a A3 in any livery. She lost her corridor tender in the 1930s when still a A1 when displaced from nonstop ECML workings by the A4s. Therefore the argument given by many that BR green is the only authentic colour is nonsense. Unless a non corridor undtreamlined tender is acquired, and fitted, technically it would be impossible to authenticly represent the loco in anything prior to Alan Peglers ownership.
To many there is only one livery she should be normally seen in, that is apple green numbered 4472, as the NRM promised she would wear, but so far have failed to do!