Flying Scotsman restoration steams ahead

Just over a year ago, the National Railway Museum (NRM) launched the ‘Steam Our Scotsman’ appeal with the aim of raising £250,000 to get national icon Flying Scotsman back in steam. With just over £140,000 raised, and numerous challenges and successes faced by its expert engineering team, the NRM takes a look at the restoration so far and the exciting developments the Museum and the public have to look forward to.

In 2004, children handed over their pocket money and pensioners took out their cheque books in a bid to ensure that Flying Scotsman was not sold abroad, and instead was saved for the Nation and kept in Britain. The appeal to keep No.4472 in Britain was supported by the entire Country, and a £2million bid by the National Railway Museum, generously supported by the National Heritage Memorial Fund and members of the public, secured its fate. Flying Scotsman was saved for the Nation and brought home to the world’s largest railway museum, located adjacent to its old stamping ground, the East Coast main line.

The National Railway Museum bought Flying Scotsman under the promise that it would be given the best possible care in order for it to be enjoyed on the main line for many years to come – and the NRM intends to stick to that promise. Although Flying Scotsman has been out of action since it was withdrawn from mainline operations in 2006, the NRM’s promise of the best possible care for maximum public exposure is still at the heart of all of its intentions.

Helen Ashby, NRM Head of Knowledge & Collections, explains:

“Flying Scotsman has been in more or less continuous operation since it was built in 1923, having been overhauled and operated in preservation since its withdrawal from BR service in 1962.  This means that many of the components are now extremely worn and much more has had to be refurbished or replaced than is usually the case with a ten year overhaul. We could have done this restoration more quickly and more cheaply and had Flying Scotsman back on the mainline a couple of years ago, but it would probably be back in our workshop right now with another list of defects that would have to be put right as a result of short term fixes. When we took Flying Scotsman off the mainline for restoration, we made the decision to do it properly. This may have proven to be a long and challenging process, but the end result will be that Flying Scotsman will be able to operate on the mainline for the public to enjoy for the next two or three decades. So although she hasn’t been seen on the mainline for the past few years, the more quality work that is put into her restoration now, the more years she will spend out on the mainline in future.”

The NRM’s meticulous approach to the restoration, combined with the engineering challenges that Flying Scotsman is famous for, has unfortunately led to a delay in No. 4472’s return to mainline operations. According to the restoration programme which has been expertly devised by the NRM’s new Engineering and Rail Operations Manager, Chris Beet, Flying Scotsman will be back operating on the mainline in the summer of 2011. Before this, the iconic locomotive will be able to be viewed by the public from the NRM workshop balcony in spring 2011 as it is prepared for its steam tests.

Chris Beet, Engineering & Rail Operations Manager, describes his thoughts on working with the celebrity locomotive:

“Whenever I speak to Museum visitors I am always overwhelmed by the genuine affection they have for Flying Scotsman - it isn’t just a locomotive loved by rail enthusiasts. One of the things that I think visitors always find most interesting about the project is the meticulous approach that must be taken to every detail of the restoration. 

“In order to fully restore Flying Scotsman, we had to disassemble the entire locomotive and begin examining every little piece. We then decided whether these pieces need to be repaired or replaced – both options being incredibly time consuming. For example, when replacing a bogie spring last month, we went up to Search Engine, the NRM’s research and archive facility, and consulted some engineering drawings of an A3 locomotive from the 1940s. Once we found the drawing of the correct spring, we took a digital photograph of the drawing, then sent it to our supplier who then made the spring by hand using the photograph we had given them. This process is the same for nearly every component on the locomotive, and it’s this level of detail that makes the process so long winded. But it is also this level of detail that ensures we are giving Flying Scotsman the quality restoration she deserves.”

The restoration of Flying Scotsman has been generously supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund amongst other organisations, and the level of quality going into the restoration means that Flying Scotsman will be able to operate for decades, allowing it to meet the NRM’s aim of maximum public exposure for the locomotive. The NRM’s aim for Flying Scotsman to be seen and enjoyed by as many people as possible was taken one step closer when in 2009, Steam Railway magazine supported the NRM and started an appeal to raise the additional money required to fit vacuum brakes to No.4472. By having vacuum brakes as well as air brakes, Flying Scotsman will be able to visit preserved lines right across the country allowing even more people to enjoy Flying Scotsman as it travels around Britain.

So what’s next for the restoration of the most famous locomotive in the world? To those working on the locomotive day to day, the work to be done is broken down into hundreds of little jobs. However, the big milestones coming up are as follows:

• The vacuum brakes will be fitted in spring 2010.
  
• The chassis will be complete in autumn 2010.
  
• The completed chassis will be transported to Riley & Son Ltd in autumn 2010 where it will be reunited with the boiler.
  
• In spring 2011, the boiler and chassis will be returned to the NRM workshop to be reunited with the boiler and prepared for steam tests.
  
• Steam tests will take place throughout spring and early summer 2011.
  
• Flying Scotsman will return to the mainline in summer 2011.
  

Discussions are already underway with operating partners to establish the schedule for Flying Scotsman’s first season on the mainline – and an announcement will be made to the public as soon as they are finalised.

For more information about Flying Scotsman, or to donate to the Steam Our Scotsman appeal, please visit www.flyingscotsman.org.uk

For more information contact:
Gemma Sneyd, Senior Press Officer, NRM
01904 686271
gemma.sneyd@nrm.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• Corus has kindly supported the Flying Scotsman project by providing steel for the restoration.
  
• The National Railway Museum (NRM) in York covers over 300 years of railway history and its collections include over 100 locomotives , some 250 items of rolling stock and thousands of other objects - from posters and tickets to uniforms and silverware. Visitors can enjoy a fun family day out with the kids including an action-packed annual programme of special events and exhibitions. Admission to the museum is free. For more information visit www.nrm.org.uk.
  
• The National Railway Museum forms part of the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI), along with the Science Museum in London, the National Media Museum in Bradford and Locomotion – the National Railway Museum in Shildon.