The 60103 Flying Scotsman is one of their most legendary old locomotives ever made. It’s about to reach its 100th birthday. It is famously known for its intense power and elegance. It is the first locomotive to revolutionize the locomotive industry. Read along to explore this legendary locomotive with us.
The history of the 60103 Flying Scotsman
The 60103 Flying Scotsman has a very interesting history. It started its journey back in 1923. Back in that day, it started as a prototype designed by Sir Nigel Gresley which was included in his A1 class. That class includes the most powerful locomotives used at these times.
It was numbered 1472. Later in 1924, it was selected for the British Empire Exhibition and renumbered 4472. At this time the engine was upgraded and was built as an A3 class engine. It is at that time that this train got the name Flying Scotsman. That made it more iconic.
Flying Scotsman also had the privilege of being the first-ever steam engine to reach 100 mph. It was a world record in 1934.
The locomotive got the 60103 names after the British railway was nationalized.
This locomotive was restored three times with changes of ownership consecutively in 1968, 1996, and 2016. Its current owner is the National Railway Museum of the UK.
Inside the 60103 Flying Scotsman
Inside the Flying Scotsman, we have nothing but remarkable engineering. The engine was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley. It was undoubtedly the most powerful and sophisticated engine at that time.
It is a three-cylinder steam engine with an increased capacity of water and coal to make it run long distances. It was initially of the A1 class but upgraded to the A3 class soon after. It was huge and that made it a hot topic at that time. It was longer than any other train locomotive back in the time.
The overall length of the Flying Scotsman is 70 feet or 21.34 meters. The height of the train was 13 feet(3.96 meters). The weight of the 60103 Flying Scotsman is 96.25 tons.
One of the specialties of this engine is that it was capable of running non-stop without needing to stop for swapping crews. This was achieved by a clever LNER corridor tender design. This corridor allowed the second crew to come in the engine as passengers would move from carriage to carriage.
To run the engine, there is a tender with the capacity of 8 tons of coal and 5000 gallons of water. This was increased to double after adding a second tender.
While the engine fuel capacity was increased, this decreased its top speed. The Flying Scotsman was now down to the top speed of 75mph, making it too slow for the British Railways.
How many 60103 Flying Scotsman locomotives are there?
There is only one 60103 Flying Scotsman locomotive out there. Over time it was changed and upgraded. The Flying Scotsman we have now in the UK railway museum is different in many ways from its original made in 1923.
Originally it was an A1 class locomotive. But in 1924, it was upgraded into the A3 class as it was selected for the British Empire exhibition.
You may get confused by all the different numbers that appeared in the Flying Scotsman. Don’t be. It is the same locomotive that got renumbered from time to time. The locomotive started its journey with the number 1472. Then in the British empire exhibition, it was numbered 4472. Now it has the number 60103.
The fun fact is that the Flying Scotsman was once painted blue for some time. But that did not fit the aesthetic of the train and so it was repainted its original BR green and black colour.
How much does 60103 Flying Scotsman cost?
The 60103 Flying Scotsman was initially constructed in 1923. The cost at that time was £7,944. (£100 in 1923 = £6,202.95 in 2021).
In February of 1996, the Flying Scotsman had changed ownership in a deal of £1.25 million. In 2004, there was another change in ownership and this time the buyer is the National Railway Museum of UK.
The National Railway Museum has poured £4.2 million to completely restore the Flying Scotsman and make it ready for running in the BR.
From a passenger perspective, the Flying Scotsman will cost from £140 to £299. The Standard class costs £140, Premier Standard is £200 and the Premier Dining costs £299.
What is the current status of 60103 Flying Scotsman?
The current state of the Flying Scotsman is that it is active under the ownership of the British National Railway Museum. Everyone is welcome to ride the train if they can afford and book a seat.
The train is set to start its trip in late 2021.
What Engine is in the 60103 Flying Scotsman?
The engine in the 60103 Flying Scotsman is a three-cylinder A3 class engine. At its initial stage, it belonged to the A1 class.
How long is the 60103 Flying Scotsman?
The 60103 Flying Scotsman is now 70 feet long.
What does the 60103 Flying Scotsman weigh?
The 60103 Flying Scotsman weighs 96.25 tons with its tender with 8-pound coil and 5000 gallons of water.
How much does the 60103 Flying Scotsman cost?
The 60103 Flying Scotsman went under a £4.2 million restoration cost. So the selling cost will be more than £4.2 million.
But the passenger seat cost ranges from £150 to £299.
Are there other versions of 60103 Flying Scotsman?
No. There is only one Flying Scotsman that has been upgraded and renumbered. But the engineer of the Flying Scotsman, Sir Nigel Gresley, has made more new steam locomotives that were inspired by the Flying Scotsman.
Conclusion
So that is the legendary 60103 Flying Scotsman. It is a British engineering marvel. Although this locomotive is now weaker in comparison to other locomotives these days, it will still remain the undisputed queen in railway history.
Peter has been building model trains for longer than he can remember. An avid fan of HO and O scale this blog is a creative outlet to allow him to dive further into other scales and aspects of the model train community and hobby.