European Railroad Discussion > Canadian memories of the Flying Scotsman

August 1970 I had the incredible experience of being on portion of the Flying Scotsman tour in Canada. There was an advertisement in "Railroad Magazine" looking for volunteers to help with the tour, doing such things as wiping the engine, assisting the crew with other chores and generally helping here and there. Wow, what a chance for a younger railfan to do this. I sent a letter and later received confirmation that they could use me on the train. I rode a CN passenger train from my hometown of Dundas, Ontario to Sarnia, Ont where I connected with the Flying Scotsman as well as the friendly and wonderful crew members involved.

I stayed with the train from Sarnia to Toronto where it was on display at the Canadian National Exhibition for a period of time. Then we went to Ottawa at which point I had to return home and back to school.  My "duties" were to be engine wiper, help with other maintenance and general "go for" the crew. I stayed on board the train several days, at night sleeping in the crew coach, or I could ride a train back to Dundas for a change of clothes etc at home.

Most of the crew were from the UK, retired railway people. Some of the engine crew had actually worked the Flying Scotsman when it was in regular passenger service. All in all it was quite an experience, memories not to be forgotten.

Have attached some of my images from the time on board. The images are "Kodak Instamatic", not the greatest not did the weather cooperate.
Doug
images:
01 at Springfield Massachusetts Oct 1969, my first glimpse of the Flying Scotsman
02 drivers side of the cab
03 brake, throttle and valve cut off indicator.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/16 06:58 by hoggerdoug.

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images:
04   water glass
05  coal at the tender
06  fire in the beast

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07 tunnel through the tender to the cab, very cramped space for my 6 foot frame.
08 engineers side
09 very young "hoggerdoug" day dreaming

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10  at Ottawa, a very gloomy morning for photos
11  at Bayview Junction, nearing Hamilton Ontario, late September 1970
12  on display for the afternoon at Hamilton

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13
14
15
a few views

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16  Mr Alan Pegler
17  the "entourage" crew members and spouses
18 left to right,  fireman, driver, master mechanic, business agent



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/16 07:06 by hoggerdoug.

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last image and my last view of the Flying Scotsman, departing Hamilton, Ontario in the CN  Grimsby subdivision eastbound to Fort Erie and back into the USA.
Thanks for looking,  Doug

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Can you only imagine something like that taking place in today's environment?  Even back then the trip was a financial disaster.  Forgetting for the moment that most host railroads involved wouldn't even consider steam on their tracks, much less a foreign loco, today's insurance costs would make sure a venture a non starter. That really was a once in a lifetime experience.

Yes, in this day and age an excursion would be a environmental, financial and logistical nightmare. I recall that the fist year of this tour was sponsored by many business and industries in the UK as sort of a travelling business fair promoting UK business.  The second year I recall that Mr. Pegler decided to continue on by himself and that is where the financial problems occurred.   Doug



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/16 07:06 by hoggerdoug.

Thank you for the memories.  I saw the train a few times on this tour but have no photos.  When it was on display at the CNE in Toronto, it was possible to take a short ride on the footplate. For the princely sum of $1.00 I rode up and down the short siding.  It was the first time I was ever in the cab of a live steam loco and to this day I have never again been in one that was moving.

Is that the normal position of the whistle? I assume the bell was added here.

I saw it at Chicago's La Salle St. Station as a teenager. As a fan of "big American passenger trains," I thought European trains looked kind of fragile and wierd. Peering back through time I now realize The Flying Scotsman was one of the coolest trains I've ever seen. The observation car was like a dreamy greenhouse on rails.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/16 10:15 by stuporchief.

DrawingroomA Wrote:
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> Thank you for the memories.  I saw the train a
> few times on this tour but have no photos.  When
> it was on display at the CNE in Toronto, it was
> possible to take a short ride on the footplate.
> For the princely sum of $1.00 I rode up and down
> the short siding.  It was the first time I was
> ever in the cab of a live steam loco and to this
> day I have never again been in one that was
> moving.

Interesting, perhaps I was there during your visit. I remember that the locomotive did run back and forth on the track at the CNE, don't recall that there was a charge for the short trip. I did get to pull the throttle on one of those short excursions at the CNE. The crew had some faith in me, left me alone in the cab to "keep an eye on things" while they went for tea and sandwich. I got brave and flung a scoop or two of coal in the firebox, Nat the old driver noted he could tell I added coal just by the blacker smoke!! Even though the locomotive was on display at the CNE, somebody had to be present at all times because it was fired up , needed coal and water when necessary.
thanks,   Doug

Did you know that they brought the Flying Scotsman to Australia as well?  I wonder where else it went to.  Coincidently, yesterday I threw on a DVD which showed a Charles Smiley highlight on the WP.  They showed the "Las Plumas" (SF Bay Ferry) at a brief glimpse with no comment on what was on it.  It was the Flying Scotsman and the entire train.

Rick

CPRR Wrote:
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> Is that the normal position of the whistle? I
> assume the bell was added here.

I think the whistle and bell were added to become North America compliant.  The bell had a Southern Railway notation on it. Most likely the headlight was added for the North America trips, not British rail style of light.  Doug

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Coming from a British resident of London, these pictures are wonderful! I recall seeing the loco at Kings Cross terminus in London quite often in the late 50s and early 60s, when many of the class had been modernised with double chimneys and German-style smoke deflectors in order that they could continue in frontline express passemger service. I also rode behind the Scotsman on a more recent special in 1987 and have a couple of pictures from Hellifield in Yorkshire.

The headight, bell and cowcatcher were all added for north American Service, in the UK until very recently locos (and multiple units) only required marker lights, which in the case of steam locos were almost always oil lamps. Their position would indicate the class of train being hauled.

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stuporchief Wrote:
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> The observation car was
> like a dreamy greenhouse on rails.


Interesting, stuporchief, that we shared the same thought regarding the observation car.  On the 125.2-mile run of the LNER 4472 from Pasco to Wishram, Washington on 09/16/1971 I started out the trip in the observation car before moving forward to locomotive.  I definitely had the impression that I was riding in a mobile greenhouse considering the vast expanse of glass that surrounded the passengers.  One of those passengers was David P. Morgan, the long-time TRAINS Magazine editor who was also a fan of ALCO diesels.  Being the third generation hiree in my family on the 82.8% ALCO diesel fleeted Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway we had a great time swapping ALCO stories.

Would that construction of such a huge glass-walled observation car design be allowed nowadays for passengers' enjoyment but I can't imagine such an idea ever getting by the governmental authorities.

hoggerdoug Wrote:
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> CPRR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Is that the normal position of the whistle? I
> > assume the bell was added here.
>
> I think the whistle and bell were added to become
> North America compliant.  The bell had a Southern
> Railway notation on it. Most likely the headlight
> was added for the North America trips, not British
> rail style of light.  Doug

You are correct. They were added for it to run in the U.S. Also note the plow.

I understand they had mechanical challenges such us burning up bearings due to the very long runs between service stops and so on? What years did the tour cover in the US and Canada?

TrackGuy

Posted from Android

TrackGuy Wrote:
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> I understand they had mechanical challenges such
> us burning up bearings due to the very long runs
> between service stops and so on? What years did
> the tour cover in the US and Canada?
>
> TrackGuy
>
> Posted from Android

1969 to 1971.  Engine and train in storage for awhile do to some "issues" and eventually shipped back to the UK.   Doug