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Documentary on the Yesterday Channel tonight (July 31st) at 9pm called "The Flying Scotsman - A Rail Romance" followed by a repeat of the Timeshift programme "The Last Days Of Steam" at 10 pm

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Thanks Dave, I'll record them.

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I thought you might be interested, Flying Scotsman, Tornado and their resident BoB and WC Pacifics will be operating together on the Severn Valley Railway in September for a 'Big Pacific' week. The railway is awsome, if FS is teamed up with their 8 coach teak LNER/GNR set, as I suspect it will, it will look amazing.I have travelled on the LNER teak train it's incredible, the attention to detail with even the upholstery is fantastic, just a bit wierd the whole ensemble being pulled by BoB 'Sir Keith Park' but hanging out of a restored GNR coach just behind the loco was a great experience, especially with the scenery on that line, Victoria Bridge is fantastic.

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If anyone is interested in seeing Flying Scotsman and Tornado in action on the Severn Valley Railway this last weekend, just Google 'Flying Scotsman at the Severn Valley Railway'. FS was teamed up with the 9 coach LNER teak train, it needed to be in LNER colours to look right; but it did in a sense. Some of the footage is a bit crap , but persevere.

I'm off to Kiddy in a couple of days, perhaps FS  and Tornado will still be lurking somewhere.

By the way, the bar at the SVR terminus is fantastic, I'll get off the London Midland/GWR train at Kiddy and wander over the carpark for a pint of decent local ale. A very, very, very, famous rock star who lives locally, thinks it's the best pub going, goes there every Friday night, we have met in the past, but not recently.

Why do I go to Kiddy, to be with my girlfriend who went to BGS 46 years ago and whom I got back in contact with earlier this year after 43 years of separation, how cool is that!

 

 

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Just been reading that it has cost the nation £6.8m to buy and restore this locomotive to main line condition!

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And worth every penny. It installs interest in the younger generations and kekindles memories of us oldies. 

Goodness knows how much tourists have paid into the countries coffers due to this engine running again. 

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Totally agree with you Fly,it's about time we blew our own trumpet and shouted about all the great and good things that this country has provided and shown the world

 

Rog

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Exactly Rog. Railways, roads, language, education systems, legal systems, construction processes, 

The world has benefited from our industrial revolution and its successes and I'm afraid to say, many have abused it. 

I remember watching an episode ofMastermind several years ago, and the woman answered questions on 'The Victorian Era' . The presenter, I think it was John Humphries, remarked that it was a vast subject, She replied that it was probably the last time that citizens of this country were allowed to think for themselves. 

It has since been referred to as 'The greatest Empire the world has ever seen, ruled by the greatest ruler the world has ever seen'.

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Given sufficient funds and the option to choose any type of locomotive to build for the preservation movement; would it be an existing design and if so, which? or would it be a brand new locomotive?

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Everything should be done to get the Gresley V2 'Green Arrow' fully restored. They were surely one of the most aesthetically pleasing designs ever !

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I agree.  I was also priveleged to see it running through Bulwell on the GC.

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Yes, many of the York V2's found their  way through Vic on the NE / SW fitted freights. 

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But it was always disappointing at Grantham when a V2 hove into view to find when it got nearer that it wasn't an A3, and therefore a 'namer'!

 

Of course there were a handful of named V2s, but I don't think I ever saw any other than Green Arrow itself.

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Me neither Merthyr. V2s were a pretty common sight through Bulwell Common and our vantage point from the top of the cutting just behind Nottingham Commercial Vehicles, (Where they have discovered the 'lost well' that every kid in Bestwood knew about) was ideal. 

I was never too knowledgable about steam, but as I recall the main classes we saw were 9F, V2, 'Austerity', B1 and Britannia. There will of course have been others I can't recall.  Malcolm Castledine's books also show more than a few Jubilee's, but I only recall seeing them at Trent Junction.

And Merthyr, I only went to Grantham once.  It was a revelation!  Seeing named Pullman cars, such as Topaz etc., and being pushed back from the platform edge by the guards as the 'through' expresses shot by.  Saw Silver Fox and a number of other A4s (or 'Streaks') as we called them that day.  It as the only time I saw A4s operating 'in anger' as it were.

I would have loved to see the big LMS stuff. 'Semis' (Coronation Class.. or 'Big Lizzies') and the 'Princess Coronation Class' (Prinnies) running up the West Coast Mainline, but it was just too far for a 10-13 year old kid back then.  Only a couple of miles from me now, there is a spot just off the A580, at Golborne, south of Wigan, which must have been a spotter's paradise back in the day. I regularly see Virgin Pendolino's whizzing past there when driving to Manchester.

 

Col

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Merthyr, regarding named V2s.  I hadn't realised there were other named ones besides Green Arrow, but a bit of googling revealed a list here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_V2#Names

 

This in turn provoked a memory from a very long time ago when I was probably only about 9 or 10 and knew even less about steam than the little bit I know now. This would be around 1958 ish and I was out with an older lad from our street.  We were walking past Bulwell Common on the path beside the playing fields when we saw a distant train and stopped to look..  As it passed he got all excited and I distinctly remember him shouting out 'St Peter's School York!!' and that's a ?2 I've never seen before!'  I thought he said A2, but wasn't sure and didn't want to reveal my ignorance by asking, so I said nothing.

 

So now.. close on 60 years later, it turns out I saw two named V2s. These things matter.. :)

 

Col

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Eight were named, and I believe they all passed through Vic at one point or other. I definitely remember seeing at least three here, but others elsewhere.  Of the Bachnann models, I currently have five, including Green Arrow, and Durham Light Infantry.

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I remember the Scotsman being parked outside the Derby loco works, visible from the main line, during my travels to Tech in Derby during the mid 70's. not sure if that's when it came back from its fated USA tour or not, waiting to be recommissioned. it was there a fair few weeks from memory.

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I often to the NRM workshop at Shildon, not far from me. Its nowhere near as impressive as York NRM but the staff are very chatty and explain what they are doing. Usually followed by a comment -  do you want to volunteer and you can help restore trains too. Sometimes I am tempted. 

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