Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 46, 2012

The LNER Class A3 Pacific steam locomotive No. 4472 Flying Scotsman (originally No. 1472) was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design of H.N. Gresley. It was employed on long-distance express trains on the LNER and its successors, British Railways Eastern and North-Eastern Regions, notably on the 10am London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman service after which it was named. In its career 4472 Flying Scotsman has covered more than 2000000 mi. The locomotive was completed in 1923, construction having been started under the auspices of the Great Northern Railway (GNR). It was built as an A1, initially carrying the GNR number 1472, because the LNER had not yet decided on a system-wide numbering scheme. In 1963 the Flying Scotsman was sold to Alan Pegler, who had it restored at Darlington Works as closely as possible to its LNER condition. Following an overhaul in the winter of 1968–69 it went on a promotional tour to the USA, for which it was fitted with cowcatcher, bell, buckeye couplings, American-style whistle, air brakes and high-intensity headlamp. After its return to the UK via the Panama Canal in 1973, the locomotive underwent another restoration at Derby Works after which it was transferred to Steamtown (Carnforth), from where it steamed on various tours. In October 1988 the locomotive arrived in Australia to take part in that country's bicentenary celebrations and during the course of the next year it travelled more than 45000 km over Australian rails, including a transcontinental run from Sydney to Perth. In April 2004, Flying Scotsman was bought by the National Railway Museum in York, where it is undergoing a complete rebuild and restoration that is expected to be completed in late 2013.