Monday 18 June 2012

Anniversary



Today is the 150th anniversary of the great train service called 'The Flying Scotsman!'  Begun as far back as 1862 because the English government were desperate to keep in touch with Edinburgh, they knew how desperately England needs Scotland.  In those far off days the trip from one end to the other, a distance of some 393 miles, involved three separate trains from a variety of rail operators.  The General Passenger Superintendent of the Great Northern Line (GNR), one Walter Leith, decided that it would be a good idea to a through train all the way.  His idea was adopted I imagine after much in fighting between companies, and the service, at first known as the 'Special Scotch Express,' the 'Flying Scotchman,' or the 'Ten O'Clock,'  began on this date in 1862.  One hundred and fifty years which have seen dramatic, fast paced change in this world, and railways travel played its part in speeding that change.  Railways revolutionised the world and the lines laid down then affect us still. Soon known as the 'Flying Scotsman,' at precisely ten o'clock two trains departed, one from Edinburgh's Waverley Station and one from London's Kings Cross. In 1862 the journey took ten and a half hours, and while this appears a long journey, broken by a thirty minute stop at York, previous journeys by stage coach could take up to a fortnight! Two hours were taken from this time within less than twenty years thanks to improvements on the railways. Heating, dining cars, and corridor trains were introduced with the new century although the stop at York was less. I strongly suspect the heating and corridors were the most important items to most passengers.




During the twenties and thirties rail companies competed with one another for custom. Rail times between London and the north came down and trains developed an expertise in comfort for passengers. At one time along with comfortable compartments, high class food, radio, cocktail bars, there was even a barber. In spite of this railway companies still lost money even after the great merger in 1924. At that time all small companies, all losing heavily, were combined into four regional organisations. It is said Churchill wished to nationalise them at that time but no Conservative government would dream of that! However by 1945 no other alternative was available and nationalised 'British Railways' came into being.




Most of us link the name 'Flying Scotsman' to the famous engine of that name. However she only came into being in 1923 and took the name from the now famous service. This engine cut the journey time to eight hours in 1928 by running non stop. A second train crew were carried and a pathway through the tender allowed them to change drivers at an appropriate spot thus ensuring there were no stops on the journey. This engine also became famous for the first official recorded speed of one hundred miles an hour in 1934. The engine continued in British Railways use until 1964 when it was retired. Since then it has gone through many private owners hands.


For a time the alterations to Britain's railways caused by Conservative governments inability to spend money to save money has meant this famous service was interrupted for a while.  However the present operators 'East Coast' and departs at the early hour of 5:40 a.m.from the Waverley.  This service stops only at Newcastle and is in London in just four hours.  For one who used to take a train from Kings Cross at eight in the evening, snuggling down into the ageing compartment coaches and arriving at Waverley Station at three in the morning  I find the four hour journey quite appealing.  I should add that the night service did not inform passengers it stopped at Waverley, it was bound for Aberdeen and carried few passengers and I suspect has long since ceased to be.  The cheap tickets, booked in advance, were considerably less than the near two hundred pounds I would have to pay for the privilege of rail travel today!



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9 comments:

Jenny Woolf said...

Hard to tell from that angle, but the last one looks like a Class A4. Beautiful streamlined engine.

A. said...

I didn't have you down as a train spotter.

Try highlighting the offending text and clicking on the Tx symbol over on the right at the top of the Compose window.

red dirt girl said...

Oh myyy ..... I KNOW THAT TRAIN! I stood right next to it at the railway museum in York. Ummmm .... I might have had a romantic moment with my sweetheart near that train in the museum. For some reason seeing the Flying Scotsman makes me blush ...;)

xxx

Relax Max said...

Happy birthday to it. It isn't the same at all, though. Shouldn't be allowed to call it by that name anymore.

Adullamite said...

Jenny, What a woman you are! Indeed that is the streamlined A4 Pacific 'Union of South Africa' entering York heading north, to Edinburgh and possibly on to Aberdeen.

A, I keep an old anorak in the house, just in case. Thanks for the Tx, I have been using this on the memorial blog and it never crossed my mind to use that here! It worked thanks.

RDG, Yes indeed, they have a sign banning you from entering there now.

Max, I know what you mean. They are attempting to revive the 'romance' of the past. Romance that lost money but don't tell them that.

Gerry Hatrić said...

Is that you in last pic (Ben Brooksbank)?

Robert

Adullamite said...

Rob, actually no it isn't! I was not at Kings Cross in 1948.

Adullamite said...

Jenny, Fool that I am that A4 was entering Kings X not York!

Gerry Hatrić said...

No way!