Iconic Flying Scotsman passes through Warrington

TRAINSPOTTERS in Warrington were given a rare treat when the famous ‘Flying Scotsman’ made an appearance passing through town today.

The iconic steam locomotive was captured by local photographer Eddie Whitham passing through Winwick, on its way to The East Lancashire Railway at Bury.

The exact details of the engine route were kept secrete due to earlier incidents causing safety problems.

Often described as the world’s most famous steam locomotive the Pacific steam locomotive was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design of Nigel Gresley.

It was employed on long-distance express East Coast Main Line trains by the LNER and its successors, British Railways Eastern and North-Eastern Regions, notably on the London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman train service after which it was named.

The locomotive set two world records for steam traction, becoming the first steam locomotive to be officially authenticated at reaching 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h) on 30 November 1934 and then setting a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles (679 km) on 8 August 1989 while in Australia.

It retired from regular service in 1963 after covering 2.08 million miles.