But even though the Flying Scotsman was in rude health, its days were numbered. By the end of the thirties, she was shunted from the East Coast Main line and ran local routes around Manchester and London. With the money all gone, the Flying Scotsman was stranded, and a trip to the scrapyard loomed once again. But in 1973 construction magnate Sir William McAlpine stepped in, bringing the locomotive home once more.

It has now been a century since arguably the most famous steam locomotive in history, No 1472 Flying Scotsman, left the Doncaster Works where it was made. It was the third of a class of steam locomotives that would eventually number 79 engines, and did not originally even carry a name. The A1 4-6-2 though, was the biggest express steam engine ever to have been seen in Britain at the time. It was chosen to be displayed at a major exhibition at Wembley in 1924, and for this it was given the name Flying Scotsman. It hauled the London & North Eastern Railway’s first King’s Cross-to-Edinburgh nonstop express in 1928. It was the first steam engine in the world to officially break the 100mph barrier. Flying Scotsman has now become the one steam engine in the world of which everyone knows the name, and which most people would even recognise. It was briefly the only main line steam engine running in the whole of Britain, and it has travelled across the Atlantic and across America. It has circumnavigated the globe, steamed across Australia, broken the record for a nonstop run with steam (again), and been sold for easily the highest price ever paid for a steam engine. As well as hauling enthusiast specials in the United Kingdom, the locomotive toured extensively in the United States and Canada from 1969 until 1973 and Australia in 1988 and 1989. Flying Scotsman has been described as the world’s most famous steam locomotive.This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users. Most steam train trips include coach travel, a hotel stay and a journey behind the Scotsman on a heritage railway. History of the Steam Train There are toilets at each of our stations and on some of these services (dependant on carriages on the day) The cabins onboard the Royal Scotsman are spacious yet cosy making them the ideal retreat after a day exploring. Available to use at any time you wish, passengers can lounge in the solitude of their cabin if they prefer, or of course can explore the train and converse with fellow passengers in the bar car or take in the magnificent views from the observation car.

Departure is at 6:15pm, so there will be time to get up close to see the engine at Sheffield Park Station and get that all important photograph before you depart on the non-stop, return trip to East Grinstead. Starting in daylight, your 1 hour 40-minute trip ends in sunset – giving a perfect opportunity to experience steam by summer day and atmospheric nightfall. We recommend arriving early to make the most of your visit. Customers with vouchers should book directly with customer services. We regret that we cannot process vouchers when booking online at this time You can choose your seats when you book online. This service will be popular, and every seat will be taken, so please don’t expect not to share a table unless you have booked and paid for all four seats. What a perfect time to make new friends over a glass of Presecco! Accessible toilets are available at each station, but we regret we have no “Changing Places” toilets, or accessible toilets on our trains Make sure you don't miss the chance to see the one of fastest steam trains in action with a wonderful short break.LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman is a 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design of Nigel Gresley. It was employed on long-distance express East Coast Main Line trains by the LNER and its successors, British Railways Eastern and North-Eastern Regions, notably on the London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman train service after which it was named. Flying Scotsman was built in Doncaster works, the first locomotive of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and entered service on 24 February 1923. It was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley as part of the A1 class—the most powerful locomotives used by the LNER at the time. To mark 100 years of Flying Scotsman, Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman have created the stunning children’s book Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever. It tells the story of Iris, who dreams of being a train driver when she grows up, just like her dad, who drives Flying Scotsman.

Michael Foreman is an internationally renowned, multi award-winning children’s book illustrator and author. He has twice won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for British children’s book illustration. Apple green, 70ft long, weighing 97 tonnes, with six couple driving wheels each 6ft 8ins in diameter, she caught the eye of King George V, who made headlines by climbing on to the footplate and settling into the padded driver’s seat. This allowed the first ever non-stop journey between the two capitals, and four years later in 1932 the Flying Scotsman would break 100mph during a test, smashing the UK speed record for a vehicle running on rails. Other records were broken as the Flying Scotsman entered its golden year. In 1931, the new technology of wireless transmission enabled the results of the Derby to reach to passengers as soon as the race was won. Sir William McAlpine, pictured here in 2016, saved Flying Scotsman in 1973 by putting together a rescue plan and paying off creditors.Among the very finest and most luxurious trains in the world, the Royal Scotsman offers once-in-a-lifetime journeys across the Scottish Highlands, occasionally venturing south down into England. With ten mahogany clad carriages decorated in an Edwardian style, the Royal Scotsman is the perfect compliment to the incredible scenery that will pass by the windows. With fine fabrics, rich woods and ornate décor everywhere you look, a journey onboard is a truly special occasion. Explore the latest Royal Scotsman prices for 2023 journeys. One of the UK's most luxurious trains, the Royal Scotsman takes passengers on a grand tour of the Highlands in the most luxurious way possible. Offering a wide range of excursions from three nights to seven, passengers have a generous choice of journeys for a wide range of budgets. Used to throttle request rate. If Google Analytics is deployed via Google Tag Manager, this cookie will be named _dc_gtm_.

If you or a member of your party have mobility issues and would like to travel on this service, please call our Customer Service Team on 01825 720800 who will be happy to discuss your requirements with you The domain of this cookie is owned by Tripadvisor. The cookie stores Unique ID for the tripadvisor user. The cookie helps in viewing embedded content from Tripadvisor. We are offering a variety of different ways to experience this giant mechanical marvel whilst it’s living and breathing. But where the are trains there are train enthusiasts, and one was waiting in the wings. Multi-millionaire Alan Pegler had been in love with 4472 since seeing her as a child at the British Empire Exhibition, and hatched an ambitious plan to revive her fortunes.Over the years, the Flying Scotsman passed through others' hands, and was once the center of a bid to establish a visitor attraction in Edinburgh.