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Steam & Excursion > Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in 1971

Date: 07/17/14 13:46
Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in 1971
Author: weather

I was 24 years old and living on Potrero Hill in 1971 and the big news for any rail fan was that mainline steam was coming to the Bay Area for the first time since the end of steam on SP in 1958. However, the train came in on Western Pacific. I tried to avoid the usual crowded spots and shot form different angles. The entire train set was barged across the Bay on the Las Plumas and it rain for one summer along the Embarcadero on State Belt trackage. It was quite a sight. I have more pictures which I have to scan before presenting here. The first shot the train on the cement arc over 580. The second shot is coming iOakland and the W.P. yard. Any comments or feedback or appreciated. Text and photos by Mike Pechner Copyrighted 1999.

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Date: 07/17/14 14:17
Re: Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in
Author: weather

This scene has change quite a bit!

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Date: 07/17/14 14:47
Re: Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in
Author: Realist

Should that be "Scotsman?"

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Date: 07/17/14 15:45
Re: Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in
Author: Ardenwood

So it was in 1971, thank you for the Altamont shots.

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Date: 07/17/14 16:16
Re: Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in
Author: Margaret_SP_fan

Mike and Ardenwood --
Thanx for the nice pix of an event i missed
completely, not being a railfan at that time.
Great photos, guys! I look forward to more
when you get other pix scanned.

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Date: 07/17/14 17:26
Re: Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in
Author: djansson

The AAR had a heart attack when they found out this critter and train USED VACUUM BRAKES. Yep, Veddy British, Eh Wot? Ya'll suck the air pipe (ahem. 'extract the air') to release them, and if the air line breaks (or 'driver' big holes it), you get a whopping 14.7 pounds of air applied to the brake shoes.

Rule Britannia...?

Needless to say THAT was one (of many!) mods made to this trainset.

LNER #4472 went back to Old Blighty but the cars (seven of them?) were incorporated into the large "Victoria Station" restaurant at Universal Studios in LA. I saw them there in the early 80's - lovely setup. They disappeared when that chain folded and I've never been able to find out what happened after that.

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Date: 07/17/14 18:09
Re: Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in
Author: weather

Nice shot Ardenwood!

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Date: 07/17/14 20:10
Re: Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in
Author: rob_l

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2257686

Best regards,

Rob L.

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Date: 07/17/14 22:49
Re: Britons' Flying Scotchman lands in the Bay Area in
Author: TCnR

Great photos, but that would be 'Scotsman'.
t4p.

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Date: 07/18/14 08:32
Re: Britons' "Flying Scotsman" lands in the Bay Area in
Author: Pullman

The observation car (#14) on the train sat for years in San Francisco, used as a conference room. It was eventually sent home, where it has been restored and operates on the Swanage Railway in Dorset. It originally ran on the Devon Belle passenger train.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devon_Belle

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/observation-car-experiences



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/14 12:03 by Pullman.

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