Flying Scotsman Update October 2016

scotsman has seen off every owner its had in preservation so far, NRM excepted, there are numerous reasons why,for some it was a naive hope to play at owning an engine, to others it was seen as a money machine, turning it into a hibred, which resulted in the problems that Ian riley had to confront , i guess the lesson s ensure you know what you are dealing with, and that you have the right people with the right skills leading, and the right people doing the work.

 

I agree, and it is a matter of public concern that NRM did not seem to have such people available when it mattered the most. I hope they do now.

 

I dare say that had it been any other engine, it may have been more straightforward, The NRM, had previously returned locos within the national collection to active condition,, some were no dought in good condition, from withdrawal having been overhauled then not used that often, and still had life in them, but we are talking here of an engine that had been modified without giving thought to what the modifications would do to the fabric of the engine, and one where the standard of overhaul can be questioned and can not be trusted, if you use domestic plumbing fixings in air pipework, and weld up mudhole doors, what else have you done? i think that the sheer amount of work needed would have been too much for any except the best equipped outfit, with a skilled workforce. so beyond what the NRM could do.