Flying Scotsman in steam


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I only live round the corner from St Albans Rd, and every time I walk or drive down there, I lapse back to the late 50's and early 60's.

The atmosphere in that area was unbelievable. Please someone invent a time machine.

A couple of us used to cycle after school from FFGS to the bridge south of Bulwell Common Stn, and wait for the 'Fast Fish ' from Grimsby to Banbury. It'd pass around 6.30 then home to plough through homework.

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Bulwell Common A3 4472 Flying Scotsman - Doncaster to Marylebone c1963 - St Albans Road in the background running parallel with the train

Thanks Fynger,trust the BBC to get the facts wrong, claiming it was just about to make it's first run when it actually happened a few days ago!!

What is it about steam trains? I Just love the sound, noise and smell, when I was young I used to go with a friend and stand on the bridge at Victory Station so when the train went under the bridge y

A couple of us used to cycle after school from FFGS to the bridge south of Bulwell Common Stn, and wait for the 'Fast Fish ' from Grimsby to Banbury. It'd pass around 6.30 then home to plough through homework.

A chance of seeing a 'Brit' - at least it was in my time. It was Perry Road bridge for me, or on one occasion the bridge over Haydn Road.

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I understand Fly,it must be weird. What was in the location of that petrol station/garage? I passed this area every morning going to School. It is eerie when I stand outside Vic Centre and see that ramp at the side of the pub! Bulwell Common was a good vantage point?

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Immingham Brit, brilliant, but previous to that , a couple of K3's or occasionally a Standard 5 . Ooh great memories.

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Bulwell Common was paradise. Many Saturdays spent there when spending money was in short supply..

Re St Albans Rd, I don't know Ian, as we were always on the east side of the station. Maybe an old Bulwellian can elaborate.

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Has anyone any idea of what remains of the original Flying Scotsman apart, possibly, from the name plates and other plates? I guess it's like the old garden broom - ten new handles and twenty new heads, and still good as new.

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Scotsman's first mainline outing will be up the Settle and Carlisle line on 23rd January. Royal Scot now in BR green will have it's first mainline outing since BR days on Feb 6th from Crewe to Holyhead, it will then be running with Scots Guardsman on various Cumbrian trips. I wonder how long it is since two Scots have been together in steam, Annesley???

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Has anyone any idea of what remains of the original Flying Scotsman ... I guess it's like the old garden broom - ten new handles and twenty new heads, and still good as new.

That's a good point, and is true of just about all preserved locomotives and rolling stock - buses too.

There's a good article on the NRM website dealing with this question about Flying Scotsman:

http://blog.nrm.org.uk/how-much-flying-scotsman-original/

'

To quote from that: 'How much of Flying Scotsman is original? Well, it mainly consists of the rear two thirds of the frames, part of the cab sides and some parts of the motion and possibly the driving wheel splashers.'

Usually, the frames of a steam locomotive are taken to be its 'identity', rather than the boiler, which is the most obvious part to look at.

I remember there was some controversy recently about whether Evening Star as it exists today is actually the engine that was the last built 9F. I think it was alleged that while the boiler may be that of 92220 the frames are those of a different engine.

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I only live round the corner from St Albans Rd, and every time I walk or drive down there, I lapse back to the late 50's and early 60's.

The atmosphere in that area was unbelievable. Please someone invent a time machine.

A couple of us used to cycle after school from FFGS to the bridge south of Bulwell Common Stn, and wait for the 'Fast Fish ' from Grimsby to Banbury. It'd pass around 6.30 then home to plough through homework.

Used to run to get to the Common for the early fish train. 4:15 I think and often a Brit. Then back at 6:30 for the later one also mostly Brits.

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Question for the real buffs. Flying Scotsman was not originally fitted with smoke deflectors as far as I know. When were they fitted?

Col

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Royal Scot on the West Somerset line. I've been on that line pulled by a GWR engine. Bishops Lidyeard to Minehead.

Col

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Imp Re #30, similar rumours exist regarding Mallard and other famous engines. I wouldn't know. I'll believe owt me... :)

Col

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Re #34. The German style smoke deflectors were fitted to various A3's round about 1960 or 61 I believe.

It certainly did nothing to enhance their aesthetic appearance, but over time, I think we've become accustomed to them.

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Dad would occasionally be rostered to drive the Grimsby/Immingham fish train, and he usually came home with something wrapped in newspaper - skate balls were considered a great delicacy. Never heard of them since, and wonder if it was a fatherly joke.

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My Dad could have been his Guard Jim,........he often did that run......he was a Guard at Annesley for many years.

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Fly, #37. when we were kids we called them 'blinkers', and that style was 'German Blinkers'

A4s were 'Streaks'

Coronations were 'Semi's', though I believe drivers called them 'Big Lizzies'

Princess Coronations were 'Prinnies'

Jubilee's were 'Jube's'

We often used to go to Trent Junction and spend a day watching things like 'Jube's' coming through pulling the 'Thames Clyde Express', or the 'Peak' Class Diesels with those funny braking tenders on the front, and the short lived bright blue 'Midland Pullman.'

Col

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Dad would occasionally be rostered to drive the Grimsby/Immingham fish train, and he usually came home with something wrapped in newspaper - skate balls were considered a great delicacy. Never heard of them since, and wonder if it was a fatherly joke.

I had an aunt & uncle who lived near Grimsby, they sometimes cooked skate balls, I think they were from the tongues and cheeks of the fish, there was one particular fish shop close to the docks that sometimes had them for sale. I don't think that many skate were caught. I also remember skate wings that my aunt would also cook.

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German style deflectors were experimentally fitted to 60049 Galtee More in October 1960.They were successful and in March 1961 authority was given for the A3 class to have them fitted as they passed through the works for repairs.

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Yes i have Jim,really takes me down memory lane,...........there are phot's of me Dad and Grandad,plus dozens of others that i knew from my days working behind the bar at BRSA,Bestwood road,Bulwell.........a few not many i still see in Bulwell.

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Question for the real buffs. Flying Scotsman was not originally fitted with smoke deflectors as far as I know. When were they fitted?

Col

I took this photo of FS at the north end of Grantham Station just before it was withdrawn from BR service, as you can see it had been fitted with German type smoke deflectors:-

scan0006-4.jpg

A3 60097 'Humorist' was fitted with the standard A1/A2 type smoke deflectors back in the 50's, if smoke drift was a problem with A3's I don't understand why the type weren't all so fitted at the same time. Humorist spent most of it's time shedded at 64B Haymarket and I never saw it, there's a photo of it in my 1961/62 Winter Combined Volume.

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Regarding the smoke deflectors, while the A3s had single chimneys there was apparently no great need for them. 'Humorist' in its time was a one-off, having been fitted with a double chimney in pre-war days and received the A2 style deflectors in 1947.

When double chimneys began to be fitted to the A3s en masse in the late 1950s smoke drifting was found to be a problem, and why A2 style plates weren't fitted isn't completely clear, but some sources say the German style plates were suggested by P. N. Townend, the shedmaster at King's Cross. In his book 'Top Shed', Townend doesn't actually say as much, but the following is of interest:

'Doncaster was urged [he doesn't say who by] to try the Deutsche Bundesbahn type of deflector, and a side view photograph of a DB 01 class Pacific taken a few months earlier in Cologne was submitted with the information that the German Railways obviously had faith in this type of deflector as many locomotives had been converted to it from the more usual type.'

He goes on to mention observations of passing trains hauled by 9Fs and A1s as well as A3s, and that the German type deflectors seemed to be doing a better job and '...also had the advantage of not obstructing the running plate or the front of the engine.'

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Benjamin. As I recall, the RSA club on Bestwood Road dates from around 1960, so it would have been open for business for dad only for five years or so before he was made redundant: a wrist watch and £350 for 35 years service! I know he used to go there for his ASLEF meetings, with his mate, Bill Harrison and others.

I guess you are younger than me, but did you go to the Christmas parties for the Annesley families, initially at Annesley miners' welfare club and finally at Highbury School?

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