Flying Scotsman
Moderators: 52D, Tom F, Rlangham, Atlantic 3279, Blink Bonny, Saint Johnstoun, richard
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Peter Sutton
- NER Y7 0-4-0T
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:13 am
Flying Scotsman
Hi I'm new to this site, I was told that my grandfather drove the Flying Scotsman. Is there anyway of confirming this, his name is Richard Scales. I found in the 1911 cencus that his occupation was listed as a fireman.
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2512silverfox
Re: Flying Scotsman
Probably more likely to get a reply in the 'People' section of the Forum.
I have had a look at the Railway employee records of Ancestry.com but there is nobody on the LNER or its constituents by that nme.
I have had a look at the Railway employee records of Ancestry.com but there is nobody on the LNER or its constituents by that nme.
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richard
- LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
- Posts: 3390
- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:11 pm
- Location: Wichita Falls, Texas
- Contact:
Re: Flying Scotsman
"My relative drove the Flying Scotsman" is a common claim, and we should have an FAQ 
To confuse things, there are two Flying Scotsmans: the locomotive and the train.
The locomotive is the most famous these days. It is a Gresley A3 Pacific, originally built as an A1 in 1923. As the only surviving A1/A3, it is currently at York being restored to running condition. There were approaching 100 A1/A3 Pacifics - and to the untrained eye would have pretty much all looked the same (in the 1960s some wore smoke deflectors making them look a bit different).
Then there's the train which is the name for a service which left in the morning from Kings Cross, to Edinburgh. It has been operated on and off for well over a century - sometimes non-stop, but usually as a prestigious express service. The locomotive was named after the train. Yes from the 1920s to 1950s, Gresley Pacifics often hauled the Flying Scotsman train. Sometimes even the locomotive hauled it!
Did your grandfather drive either? Quite possibly, as a lot of people did. However I've seen enough claimants that stretch credibility to add a note of caution. We'd probably want to know more before saying "quite likely" or "very unlikely". Eg. if he was based at Kings Cross (Top Shed) and was cleared to operate A3s and A4s, then the chances are quite high...
To confuse things, there are two Flying Scotsmans: the locomotive and the train.
The locomotive is the most famous these days. It is a Gresley A3 Pacific, originally built as an A1 in 1923. As the only surviving A1/A3, it is currently at York being restored to running condition. There were approaching 100 A1/A3 Pacifics - and to the untrained eye would have pretty much all looked the same (in the 1960s some wore smoke deflectors making them look a bit different).
Then there's the train which is the name for a service which left in the morning from Kings Cross, to Edinburgh. It has been operated on and off for well over a century - sometimes non-stop, but usually as a prestigious express service. The locomotive was named after the train. Yes from the 1920s to 1950s, Gresley Pacifics often hauled the Flying Scotsman train. Sometimes even the locomotive hauled it!
Did your grandfather drive either? Quite possibly, as a lot of people did. However I've seen enough claimants that stretch credibility to add a note of caution. We'd probably want to know more before saying "quite likely" or "very unlikely". Eg. if he was based at Kings Cross (Top Shed) and was cleared to operate A3s and A4s, then the chances are quite high...
Richard Marsden
LNER Encyclopedia
LNER Encyclopedia