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Flying Scotsman steam locomotive.

If any other ageing anaraks (like me!) are interested the FS is out this Sat. June 19th on a rail tour from London King's Cross to York :
King's X platform 1 07.23, Potters Bar stop 07.52, Stevenage stop 08.18.
For further info. including definitive timings go to https://realtimetrains.co.uk
The train report no.is 1Z72 from KX to York. It will work empty stock around the North London line from its stabling point at Southall beforehand.
We are lucky to have the timings published as because of trespass issues both Network Rail
and the custodians ( NRM York) have threatened to pull the plug running FS on the main line. Only a week or so ago NR released footage of track trespass on a level crossing in Hampshire and at Kemble station some time ago an elderly lady was so dangerously close to the platform edge being transfixed filming it as it passed through the station, she had to be pulled back in the nick of time.
We will probably see it at accelerating through Welwyn North Station, this is just after the famous viaduct and on the two track bottleneck section between Digswell junction and Woolmer Green. The train is normally held just before being switched onto the two track section following a pathing stop to allow a couple of service trains past.
Quite a leisurely schedule: finding suitable paths is very difficult.
Railadvent.co.uk is another useful site.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 1

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

Choo Choo

very useful

Original post by 04MR17

Choo Choo

Chuff chuff....

Reply 4

UnclePete

Original post by Joinedup

very useful

Thanks!
Saw it at Welwyn Garden City: the service train to Cambridge we were on was four to five minutes late already by the time it arrived at WGC, and then held for another fifteen or so waiting for a relief driver. Scottie was booked to follow our train at Welwyn North where we hoped to see it, in the end they held our service train at WGC and let it pass slowly around ours on the adjacent bay platform.
He had quite a load, at least twelve or more coaches unassisted so it would have looked and sounded impressive climbing Holloway bank out of KX.
I once worked out that by the time a train departing from KX reached the Holloway Rd.bridge, it has actually lifted itself higher than the roof of the station. The gradient is 1/105 -107 from just inside Gasworks tunnel outside the station. And from just beyond the platform end until recently, dipped down at 1/96 before abruptly changing to the 1/105, so effectively a departing locomotive hauled train straddling the dip would at that point be pulling a dead weight. In steam and diesel hauled days quite a challenge.
A good place to view until recently closed off was the through the fence between a gap in the wall where the old Holloway signal box was off Calendonian Rd at the end of Stock Orchard? St. You could get legally right down close at track level and look almost at the top of the bank.
Incidentally, how many know that St. Pancras next to KX, was built on large pillars, still there today as part of the shopping plaza, with the train deck above street level to mitigate against having to tunnel unlike KX did under Regents Canal, with adverse gradients just north of both stations?
The then Midland Railway had a good eye for business: the space made available was used to house beer barrels brought down by them from the Trent Valley breweries before being distributed in London.

(edited 2 years ago)

Original post by yeetouttawindow

Was this the run when Virgin's Richard Branson, if I remember right, offered the guy whose view was rather dampened by the overtaking train a first class ticket on one of FS's future trips?