What the Flying Scotsman is, when it is coming to Devon and why …
Railway enthusiasts will be lining vantage points across South Devon on Sunday when one of the nation’s favourite locomotives steams through the county again.
The Flying Scotsman, which is 100 years old in 2023, will be pulling a train from Bristol to Cornwall and back, and that means endless photo opportunities for rail buffs. The route will take the spectacular steam train down the banks of the Exe Estuary and along the iconic coastal line from Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth before it heads inland to tackle some of the steepest climbs on the country’s railway network.
The sight of the “Scotsman” pulling its carriages up the long haul of Dainton Bank between Newton Abbot and Totnes will be an unmissable sight for devotees of steam.
Sunday’s scenic trip from Bristol to Par in Cornwall is one of a number of events being organised this year so that fans can celebrate the locomotive’s centenary in style. Starting from Bristol on Sunday morning, the train will pick up pre-booked passengers at Yatton and Taunton. It will also stop at Exeter St Davids to take on water.
All tickets for the trip have been snapped up already, and the exact timings are being kept under wraps to avoid overcrowding and safety issues at the most popular vantage points. On a previous visit in 2018 police and rail bosses warned enthusiasts to stand back from the tracks as the train passed. There were also warnings of £1,000 fines for trespassing on the railway.
The Flying Scotsman climbs Telegraph Hill on its way to Torbay in 1993
The Flying Scotsman has visited the railway lines of Devon and Cornwall on a number of occasions in the past. In 1993 the locomotive was brought to Torbay by lorry and ran on the Paignton to Kingswear line now operated by the Dartmouth Steam Railway.
Not every spotter has managed to capture the perfect picture, though. In 2018 train driver Phil Shaw waited patiently all afternoon at Dawlish to capture his dream shot of the train, but just as it pulled into view a local diesel service trundled by, completely blocking the historic train from view. A rueful Phil said later: “It was just sod’s law. Someone behind me said ‘oh no’ and there was a communal sigh. I was going to do a Facebook live video but it’s just as well that I didn’t – everyone would be howling.
“People have been saying this could only happen to me.”
Phil Shaw’s ruined Flying Scotsman picture (Image: Phil Shaw)
Sunday’s return journey from Par will leave Cornwall late in the afternoon, with stops at Exeter, Taunton and Yatton on the way back to Bristol. Passengers are paying up to £375 for their day out, with the top tickets including a full English breakfast and a four-course dinner with silver service to your seat.
The famous locomotive – number 60103 – was built in Doncaster in 1923 and was the first steam locomotive to reach 100mph. After many years in service, the train is now owned by the National Railway Museum in York.
Sunday’s route through Devon (Image: Google Maps)
Described as the world’s most famous steam loco, it hauled long-distance express passenger trains on the East Coast Main Line in its heyday, notably on The Flying Scotsman service from London to Edinburgh after which it was named. It set two world records for steam traction, becoming the first loco to reach 100mph in November 1934, and setting the longest non-stop run of 422 miles in August 1989 while in Australia.
Retired from British Railways in 1963 after covering more than two million miles, the Flying Scotsman has toured extensively in the United States and Canada as well as Australia.
Events for the centenary include an exhibition at the National Railway Museum, a collectable £2 coin from the Royal Mint, a set of Royal Mail stamps and verse by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. On International Women’s Day the loco was, for the second time in its history, operated by an all-female crew.
References
- ^ Closure of Devon village’s vital lifeline labelled a ‘disaster’ (www.devonlive.com)