Press Office

NRM in talks with prosective partners

The National Railway Museum is setting up talks with steam tour promoters in preparation for next year’s return to main line operation of LNER No 4472 Flying Scotsman and BR No 70013 Oliver Cromwell.

The Museum has issued a prospectus outlining opportunities for tours hauled by the two rail icons over the five year period from 2008 to 2013.

The NRM is currently overhauling Flying Scotsman at its workshops in York and plans to have the engine ready for work on the network by the beginning of 2008.

Flying Scotsman

Oliver Cromwell is being restored to steam at the Great Central Railway by a syndicate partnership between the NRM, the 5305 Locomotive Association, Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group, and Steam Railway Magazine.

“After the completion of our Giants of Steam programme last year, we said that we would like to work with partners to forge a longer term rail tour strategy for our national collection locomotives,” said Andrew Scott, Head of the National Railway Museum.
“We are in the unique position of having two of the world’s most famous steam locomotives due out of overhaul within weeks of each other and that will provide some equally unique opportunities for the Museum and its partners.”

The NRM is inviting expressions of interest from tour promoters by 15 March 2007 with a view to setting up more detailed discussions during April.

For more information please contact the NRM Press Office on 01904 686271.

Editors Notes

  1. The overhaul of LNER 4-6-2 No 4472 Flying Scotsman is due for completion by autumn next year and, after a period of running in, the locomotive is scheduled to return to the main line in early 2008.
  2. The overhaul of BR 4-6-2 No 70013 Oliver Cromwell is currently underway at the Great Central Railway in Loughborough. It is due for completion by the end of 2007, ahead of the 40th anniversary of BR’s last public steam service hauled by the Britannia Class locomotive in August 1968.
  3. The National Railway Museum already has five steam locomotives from the National Collection in action across the UK. They are: SR 4-6-0 King Arthur Class No 777 Sir Lamiel; GWR 4-4-0 No 3440 City of Truro; SR 4-6-0 No 850 Lord Nelson; LSWR 2-4-0WT No 30587 (Beattie Well Tank); LNWR 0-8-0 G2 Class No 49395 (Super D).

14 March 2007