BR Period Locomotives: lnwrbns_br2932

Preserved LNER Class A3 4-6-2 No 4472 'Flying Scotsman' is on show at New Street station in 1964. The locomotive was originally numbered by the LNER as No 1472 and was built in 1923 at their Doncaster works. Designed by HN 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 train service after which it was named. The locomotive is notable for having set two world records for steam traction; becoming the first steam locomotive to be officially authenticated at reaching 100 miles per hour on 30th November 1934, and then setting a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles on 8th August 1989. Retired from regular service in 1963 after covering 2,076,000 miles Flying Scotsman gained considerable fame in preservation under the ownership of Alan Pegler, William McAlpine, Tony Marchington and finally the National Railway Museum. As well as hauling enthusiast specials in the United Kingdom, the locomotive toured extensively in the United States (from 1969 to 1973) and Australia (from 1988 to 1989).

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