Flying Scotsman 2016 exhibitions and inaugural run details released by National Railway Museum
This article originally appeared on Culture24.
The National Railway Museum in York has announced further details of the return of Flying Scotsman in 2016
Flying Scotsman departing Scarborough Station on the return journey to York August 5 2004© Courtesy NRMPromising the chance to get “up close and personal with the nation’s favourite steam star” on three separate occasions during the museum’s 2016 Flying Scotsman season, a provisional date of February 2016 has been set for Scotsman’s inaugural run between London Kings Cross and York during its ‘birthday’ month.
Two Scotsman-themed exhibitions at the National Railway Museum in York have also been revealed for spring and summer 2016.
A £4.2m restoration of the famous loco, which broke the locomotive speed record in 1934, is currently underway in Bury, East Lancashire. It’s new livery will see it emerge in British Railways Green.
Flyinbg Scotsman breaks the 100mph record, London, November 30, 1934© Courtesy National Railway MuseumNational Railway Museum Public Events Manager Kate Hunter said it would be likely to be “late February” for the inaugural run, with "around 100 tickets available to general public”.
“We expect its first outing as the oldest working locomotive on the mainline to be the ultimate experience for the dedicated Scotsman fan,” she added, “however we are sure that hundreds more will attend its welcome home party at the museum where it will be displayed for a number of days after its triumphant arrival.
“Until we can confirm our date for the inaugural run, we don’t know how long this free museum event will be, so we’re asking Scotsman aficionados to watch this space.”
Following its first public appearance back at the York museum, the Starring Scotsman exhibition, running until June 2016, will examine the ups and downs of the locomotive’s rollercoaster celebrity career.
An LNER dynamometer car behind Flying Scotsman will tell the story of its record-breaking reputation, capturing the world speed record at 100mph on the London to Leeds run on November 30 1934.
Flying Scotsman Cocktail Bar poster from LNER, circa 1930s.© National Railway MuseumJamie Taylor, who is working on the two headline exhibitions at the York site said the Service with Style exhibition will use three carriages of the kind that travelled the Flying Scotsman route to create “a sensory experience”.
“Using set dressing, film and audio it will tell a story of speed, innovation, fame and luxury right up to the present day with the modern London to Edinburgh service run by Virgin Trains East Coast,” he added.
The flagship Flying Scotsman service was known for innovations like the cinema car, cocktail bar and hairdressing salon. All of this along with continual publicity stunts helped it grab the headlines from the very first mention of the ‘Flying Scotchman’ in 1864, and long before the loco that took its name was built in 1923.
“Visitors will embark on a fascinating journey with each carriage giving a different sensory experience, using a variety of methods including archive newsreel footage to evoke the opulence of each era,” added Taylor.
Flying Scotsman at Wembley Exhibiton 1924© SSPL, National Railway MuseumThroughout the season, there will a family-friendly Scotsman science show on the theme of speed, craft activities during the school holidays, a schedule of photography events, and a programme of talks.
The events will be happening in addition to Flying Scotsman travelling around the UK as a working museum exhibit, demonstrating the engineering science behind steam traction to new generations of fans.
- For more updates, including exhibition timings, prices and the allocation of tickets for the inaugural run, see www.nrm.org.uk/flyingscotsman
