0:00:03 > 0:00:08For Victorian Britons, George Bradshaw was a household name.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10At a time when railways were new,
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Bradshaw's guidebook inspired them to take to the tracks.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16I'm using a Bradshaw's guide
0:00:16 > 0:00:21to understand how trains transformed Britain,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25its landscape, its industry, society and leisure time.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30As I crisscross the country, 150 years later,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33it helps me to discover the Britain of today.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06London.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Kings Cross Station.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Predawn.
0:01:11 > 0:01:17I'm here for a great British railway journey like no other.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35Television cameras, paparazzi, flashbulbs -
0:01:35 > 0:01:39the world's media assembled, not for a rock idol,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41not for a film star,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43but for royalty.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46The royalty of railway engineering.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54I'm going to board a train
0:01:54 > 0:01:59whose name conjures the excitement and romance of steam travel.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03The Flying Scotsman.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10After a painstaking 10-year restoration
0:02:10 > 0:02:13overseen by the National Railway Museum in York,
0:02:13 > 0:02:18and paid for by public and private donations of more than £4 million,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22this world-famous locomotive is ready to roll again.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28Joining me for its inaugural journey is the museum's senior curator,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Anthony Coulls.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Anthony, when is there first
0:02:32 > 0:02:35a rail service from King's Cross to Scotland?
0:02:35 > 0:02:38It starts in 1862, London to Edinburgh is the great challenge,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40to get there as fast as possible.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44The London North Western Railway from Euston are running at 40mph
0:02:44 > 0:02:47up to Carlisle and Glasgow - must have been absolutely turgid.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48So the Great Northern Railway say,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50"Let's see what we can do, let's go faster.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53"We'll knock spots off their service."
0:02:53 > 0:02:56It wasn't known as The Flying Scotsman particularly at that time.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00It had all sorts of names, the Great Scotch Express, The Flying Scot,
0:03:00 > 0:03:05but the appellation Flying Scotsman came out of that around 1880s.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08So, when the service begins from King's Cross,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12that inaugurates a period of faster travel between London and Scotland.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16It does, yes. There was a 45 minute lunch stop at York
0:03:16 > 0:03:19from the ten o'clock Flying Scotsman service from King's Cross.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21As they try to make the service quicker,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23the lunch stop gets put down to 20 minutes,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27and you could imagine the absolute chaos that there was there.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- No dining car?- No, exactly.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32No toilets either. You had to have a comfort break at Newcastle.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34So, from some time in the 19th century,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38there's a service that people are calling The Flying Scotsman,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41but Flying Scotsman the locomotive, that comes about in the 1920s.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43It does, 1923,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46the London North Eastern Railway introduced this new locomotive,
0:03:46 > 0:03:47the A1 Pacific.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50It was only natural that the LNER
0:03:50 > 0:03:52would want to name their new locomotive
0:03:52 > 0:03:57after their most prestigious service so it bore the name Flying Scotsman.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03one of Britain's most famous railway engineers,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07the 96 tonne locomotive, built at the company's Doncaster works
0:04:07 > 0:04:09was a record breaker.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14In May 1928, it completed the first nonstop service
0:04:14 > 0:04:17from King's Cross to Edinburgh.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19And, in 1934,
0:04:19 > 0:04:24Flying Scotsman became the first steam engine to record 100mph.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Like me, my fellow fans here on the concourse are eagerly awaiting
0:04:31 > 0:04:35the first glimpse of this superb piece of engineering.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Are you passengers on The Flying Scotsman today?
0:04:38 > 0:04:40We are, yes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Ahhh, fare paying passengers?
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- Yes.- Indeed.- What have you paid?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46£450 each.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48That is a lot of money!
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It's the once-in-a-lifetime journey. We'll never see this again.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56You don't have any memory of steam engines on rail services, do you?
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- A little.- A little?!
0:04:59 > 0:05:01And, I mean, is it the nostalgia?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Is it because you want to relive what happened in your youth?
0:05:04 > 0:05:06It is, it is nostalgia.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08It's remembering going to see my grandma.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10And John's a bit of a steam nut.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12The Flying Scotsman, I used to see when I was a child.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15You used to go chasing the Flying Scotsman
0:05:15 > 0:05:19when you knew it was coming through, and it was an amazing thing to see.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21It's just one of those fantastic trains with all the history.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24What will you feel when the train comes in, do you think?
0:05:24 > 0:05:29I'm shaking already because I can just feel the family history.
0:05:29 > 0:05:35My grandfather was head chef to King George V on the Flying Scotsman.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37That is extraordinary.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42I remember my mother said that the Queen said,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44"Aren't the peas nice?"
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I hope you have a very stirring day.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Yes.- I think we all will. - I will, I will.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55As the anticipation builds, I'm in the spotlight, too.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Today we can recall a bit of great British history.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Have you been on the locomotive before?
0:06:01 > 0:06:04I have not. I'm a Flying Scotsman virgin.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06This is going to be the most exciting day.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I mean, I just can't wait even for it to enter the station.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14- Swap your Bradshaw's with my Bradshaw's.- Thank you.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- Are you going on the train?- Yes. - That's fantastic.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Have a wonderful time. Thank you.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25The word has got out that the train is due,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and the Flying Scotsman is going to reverse into the platform.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32That's been enough to send everyone scurrying to this end
0:06:32 > 0:06:37to capture the moment when the iconic locomotive arrives.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49What a beautiful sight.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52In its gorgeous dark green livery,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56the Flying Scotsman has arrived.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06I'm now going to touch engineering brilliance.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Around 300 of us in 11 vintage carriages
0:07:18 > 0:07:22are going to be hauled from King's Cross to York by Flying Scotsman.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26I'm keen to meet the crew.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- What are you doing today? - I'm the traction inspector today.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33This is absolutely amazing.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36You're all mobbed here as though you were film stars and celebrities.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- What does it feel like?- It's an honour, really, and a privilege.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42It's been away for a long time, but it's not been forgotten.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43So it's great.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- Oh, it's the old famous Bradshaw. - This is my famous Bradshaw!
0:07:48 > 0:07:50This is your famous Flying Scotsman.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- It certainly is, yeah. - You must feel wonderful today.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55I've been very honoured, yeah.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57- Very lucky.- How is the engine today?
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Yeah, fine. Everything is working well, yeah, great.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- Think we'll make it?- Of course we will. Yeah, yes, we'll make it.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Done it many times before, hasn't she? So...
0:08:08 > 0:08:09Finally aboard.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Coming into the carriage is like stepping into history.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21This lovely upholstery,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23the antimacassars,
0:08:23 > 0:08:24the napkins,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26the tablecloths,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28the crockery.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The elegance of old travel.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55I must have left King's Cross station a thousand times,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58but never with these crowds,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00never with this style.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Good morning, can I offer you today's menu, sir?
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Thank you. It's all been so beautifully done, hasn't it?
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Porridge, grapefruit, bread basket,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28smoked back bacon, free-range egg.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- The whole thing is here, isn't it? - Indeed it is, sir,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33and you have to leave room for lunch when you get to York!
0:09:40 > 0:09:44The glamour and sophistication of the nonstop service
0:09:44 > 0:09:48between London and Edinburgh, as well as its speed, made it famous.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57In its 1930s heyday,
0:09:57 > 0:10:02passengers could dine in a luxury Louis XVI style restaurant.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Sip cocktails in the elegant bar.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10And have their hair coiffured in the train's salon.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14George Bradshaw would surely have been amazed
0:10:14 > 0:10:17by how luxurious steam travel would become after his death.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25To ride the flying Scotsman as it raced along the East Coast mainline
0:10:25 > 0:10:28must have been thrilling for both passengers and crew.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32I want to hear first-hand from some of the people who were lucky
0:10:32 > 0:10:34enough to experience it.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Ron, how many years were you on the railway?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- 50 and a half.- And what age are you today, may I ask?
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I'm 83.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44I started in 1947.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46I was an engine cleaner
0:10:46 > 0:10:50until I was 16, a year later, I went out as a fireman,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and then in '58, I become a driver.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57- Was it very hard work? - Oh, definitely hard work.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59On a run to Newcastle
0:10:59 > 0:11:03you would shovel between six to eight tonne of coal,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and use 55,000 gallons of water.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10And when you was a driver, it was a hard work concentrating,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13watching the signals, knowing the road, inclines.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17If you had a good fireman you always had plenty of steam available
0:11:17 > 0:11:18for doing it.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Lots of drivers used to see them sparking.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26That was seeing the ashes coming out the chimney top red-hot.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30If one of them landed on you, you used to yell.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32And, pleased to be on the train today?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Oh, yes. Never thought it would happen.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Some of my friends will be very jealous.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39This engine belongs to the public
0:11:39 > 0:11:43because they put their coppers in it to have it all rebuilt.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46It's a wonderful achievement and it got it going.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49And we should be very proud in this country
0:11:49 > 0:11:53because we was the birth nation of fast steam engines,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and our workmanship is beyond belief.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Hello. What's your connection with Flying Scotsman?
0:12:02 > 0:12:07Well, I was the shed master at King's Cross from 1956 to 1961,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11and the Flying Scotsman was one of my locomotives.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13It had just over 1,000 staff,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17and we turned round the engines that came in from the north
0:12:17 > 0:12:19and sent them back again.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21And we turned our own out every day.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26We had to clean them, service them, coal and water, and everything.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Everything to do with steam locomotives.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Flying Scotsman was very well-known.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32It was very well-known.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37It was the first specific build after the formation of the LNER.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41And it proved the reliability of these locomotives
0:12:41 > 0:12:45when it started running the nonstop in 1928.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Previously, steam engines had had to stop to change crews.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55But, keen to create the fastest possible journey time,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Sir Nigel Gresley built a corridor
0:12:57 > 0:13:02just five feet high and 18 inches wide through the tender,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04where coal and water were stored, to the locomotive.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08A relief crew could squeeze through on the move
0:13:08 > 0:13:10between the capital cities.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17There is an apocryphal story that he arranged in his lounge
0:13:17 > 0:13:20two rows of chairs to get the spacing right
0:13:20 > 0:13:22for the corridor tender,
0:13:22 > 0:13:27which was used every day on through workings to Edinburgh.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Innovative ideas such as that helped to make Flying Scotsman
0:13:34 > 0:13:37the United Kingdom's most famous steam engine.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41And it still pulls crowds today.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47With our delicious breakfast served,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50the train has made an unscheduled stop.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52And the reason is perfectly clear.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55There are people trespassing on the line.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59They're so overcome by the need to photograph
0:13:59 > 0:14:02and look at this wonderful locomotive
0:14:02 > 0:14:06that they've forgotten all the basic rules of common sense and safety.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10So I think not just our train, but all the trains on the line,
0:14:10 > 0:14:14have been called to a halt until we get the people away from the track.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Now that the steam enthusiasts have retreated to a safe distance,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23we're on our way again.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Since today's Virgin East Coast services to Edinburgh
0:14:30 > 0:14:33are scheduled at just four and a half hours,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37you have to imagine how astonishing was the speed of Flying Scotsman
0:14:37 > 0:14:38in its day.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43In the 1840s,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47the journey on the West Coast route had taken 12 and a half hours.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49But, by 1934,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Flying Scotsman travelled between the two capitals in just over seven.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00Every second counted, and this legendary service was loath to stop.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05But train manager Robert Tibbets has to bring her to a halt today.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Rob, it occurs to me that people under the age of 50
0:15:09 > 0:15:12may not even know why we've made the stop. What's the reason?
0:15:12 > 0:15:14The reason we've stopped here
0:15:14 > 0:15:17is so that Flying Scotsman's tender can be filled with water.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19In the days gone by,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23water columns would be situated at the end of platforms
0:15:23 > 0:15:24all over the country.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27But there was a system where you could pick up the water
0:15:27 > 0:15:31by having a scoop dropped from the tender into water troughs,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34which were situated between the rails and the railway.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38So the train could be picking up water on the move,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42which is how it enabled them to run nonstop trains with steam
0:15:42 > 0:15:45between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Extraordinary. How are we taking in water today?
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Well, these days we have to get water either from our hydrants,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53but in the case as it is today,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56from a tanker which comes and pumps water in.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Any idea how much water the engine will take on?
0:15:59 > 0:16:02I would think at this stage they'll be looking at something like
0:16:02 > 0:16:052,500 to 3,000 gallons to go into the tender.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24From the 1950s, British Railways was keen to modernise,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and diesel and electricity were the future.
0:16:32 > 0:16:38In 1963, after 40 years of service and more than two million miles,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Flying Scotsman was retired.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44But its astonishing story continued.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Rumours circulated that it would be scrapped.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53When a campaign to Save Our Scotsman failed to raise sufficient funds,
0:16:53 > 0:16:58steam enthusiast Alan Pegler, then on the board of British Railways,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00bought it for £3,000.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05'All dressed up for the part, the proud man from Nottinghamshire,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08'Alan Pegler, was with the engine he saved from the break-up yard.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10'Flying Scotsman has years of work in her still.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14'But progress in the shape of diesel locomotives has pushed her aside.'
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Having overseen its restoration
0:17:17 > 0:17:20at the Doncaster works where it had been created,
0:17:20 > 0:17:25Pegler wanted to show off the famous engine beyond Britain's shores.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28In 1969, backed by Prime Minister Harold Wilson,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31he planned a trade mission by British companies
0:17:31 > 0:17:36to the United States, with Flying Scotsman as the star of the show.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39'The world's most famous railway engine was off to America
0:17:39 > 0:17:40'on a trade-boosting mission.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45'On the other side, the engine will follow a 2200-mile route,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47'showing the people of the United States
0:17:47 > 0:17:49'carriage-loads of British goods.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52'The Scot is expected to attract millions of visitors.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55'Who said the age of steam was dead?'
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Supported by big names like BP and Pretty Polly,
0:17:58 > 0:18:04and, with a traditional British pub on board, it crossed 17 states,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06attracting huge crowds.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Davina Pike and Tanya Hopkinson were there.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11You're Tanya, aren't you?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- Yes, how do you do.- Davina? - Davina, yes.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Why was Flying Scotsman accompanied by lovely ladies like you?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20I think because it was a trade promotion tour,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23they wanted to show everything that was great about Great Britain,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and they wanted to have some fun and they wanted to have some
0:18:26 > 0:18:28light-heartedness to go with it.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32We had little miniskirts, little kilts like that.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33You can see they were very short.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35And we had white boots,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39and then we had either a frilly white shirt or we had a red jumper,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41and we had little Tam o'Shanter hats.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Of course, this was the swinging '60s,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46and Britain was the heart of the swinging '60s.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48What was your role, Davina?
0:18:48 > 0:18:51I was Executive Secretary to Alan Pegler.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54I coordinated between all the people on board,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56like the Royal Shakespeare Company,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Cutty Sark Whisky,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Cunard, who had shipped the engine,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03and it was just generally helping Alan with the promotion.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07What was the American reaction to the locomotive?
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Absolutely fantastic.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13What I do remember is loads of people all over the bridges,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15and to see all of the cars just suddenly,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18all the brake lights would go on and they would look over,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22you could almost see them saying, "What the heck is that?", you know.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24This was over 40 years ago, we did this,
0:19:24 > 0:19:29and it was such an experience for young girls in 1969,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31and the people we met, you know,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35John Churchill, Winston Churchill's nephew, was on board.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36So many exciting people.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40It just, honestly, it brings a lump to your throat,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42you almost feel like crying.
0:19:42 > 0:19:43Tanya, just one question.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Why haven't you worn your tartan miniskirt?!
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Because I'm a little bit bigger now than I was then!
0:19:49 > 0:19:51And it was a bit short.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53I don't think I'll get away with it.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55I wish!
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Despite the fun and success of the first mission,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03a second planned for the following year,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05without the support of big companies or the Government,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07lost money.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08In 1971,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Alan Pegler had to leave his beloved steam engine in the United States,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15and return home to file for bankruptcy.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19But all was not lost.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Hearing of Flying Scotsman's fate,
0:20:21 > 0:20:26businessman and steam railway fanatic Sir William McAlpine
0:20:26 > 0:20:28came to the rescue.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Bill, at one time you owned Flying Scotsman. How did that come about?
0:20:32 > 0:20:34We heard that she was in trouble,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37and some of us were getting together to organise a rescue bid.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Alan Pegler had gone bankrupt, she was marooned in San Francisco.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43And knowing everybody loved her,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46and she was so much of a British icon, we got her back.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48You bought the locomotive with your own money?
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Yes, I fortunately had some at the time!
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Is it a matter of public record how much you paid?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59I think it was about £25,000.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03The dollar exchange was pretty good in those days.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05And soon she was on her travels again.
0:21:05 > 0:21:11This time in Australia, as part of the 1988 Bicentennial celebrations.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14I said at the time, you know, as long as I have a return ticket,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17paid for before she leaves, you can have her.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19And so she went over,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23and she went up to Alice Springs, Sydney to Perth,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25and she was very popular over there.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28How did it feel to be the owner of Flying Scotsman?
0:21:28 > 0:21:29It felt very odd.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33I remember sitting and thinking, I own this locomotive,
0:21:33 > 0:21:34but it doesn't feel like it.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38I mean, I really bought her for the people who loved her.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41And I felt that I didn't really own it, she belonged to the nation.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45I was in the right place at the right time with this amount of cash.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47You've owned a lot of locomotives,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50what's special about Flying Scotsman?
0:21:50 > 0:21:51Well, I mean, she is the best.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I can't find anybody who will argue
0:21:54 > 0:21:57that she is not the most famous locomotive in the world.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00So, you know, how can you beat that?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Returning to Britain in 1990,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Flying Scotsman was owned by a succession of wealthy individuals
0:22:09 > 0:22:11before public and private donations
0:22:11 > 0:22:14allowed the National Railway Museum in York
0:22:14 > 0:22:16to buy it for the nation in 2004.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Now, today's remarkable 200-mile journey is coming to an end.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Since we left London, every station, level crossing and bridge
0:22:30 > 0:22:33has been crowded with people, young and old.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37It seems as though half the population of England has turned up
0:22:37 > 0:22:38to cheer on Flying Scotsman.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42And, if that's so, the other half of the population of England
0:22:42 > 0:22:45is gathered here at York Station to see the arrival.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Look at that!
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Well, the enthusiasm, the mania, the madness continues.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07People are pressing to get towards the locomotive.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10I think they want to touch it, they want to put a hand on it.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14And we're, what, about 20, 25 persons deep,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17just trying to get near Flying Scotsman.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- Hello. - How did the locomotive perform?
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Very well, thank you. Yes.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26I think the engine knew it was on the East Coast Mainline again
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and it went for it, it did very well.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Do you ever see anything like the crowds we've encountered today?
0:23:32 > 0:23:35No, I've never seen anything like this before, for a steam engine.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38It's quite amazing, to see how many people have turned out.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Well, thank you, we had a really memorable ride.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45And so another emotional moment,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48as Flying Scotsman returns to her home
0:23:48 > 0:23:51at the National Railway Museum in York.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Today's memorable journey is a celebration
0:23:54 > 0:23:57for Flying Scotsman's passengers and devotees.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02And, for the skilled engineers at specialist locomotive company
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Riley and Son, who have spent the last decade restoring it
0:24:06 > 0:24:08to prime performance.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Director Colin Green headed the team.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Colin, ten years rebuilding Flying Scotsman.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16It's been quite a big job, then?
0:24:16 > 0:24:17Yes, it was a major challenge.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21We looked at the boiler, and decided that it was beyond economic repair.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And then we found there was major problems down on the chassis,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27which involved having to cut off the front-end of the engine,
0:24:27 > 0:24:28graft a new piece on it -
0:24:28 > 0:24:32it's almost major heart surgery, in layman's terms.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35So how much of this is the original locomotive?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37The tender pretty well is complete and original.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41On the actual engine side, there's quite a lot that we have renewed.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Copper pipework, all the electrical wiring's all brand-new installation.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47All the boiler fittings have been refurbished.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51What do you and your team feel like today, having seen it on the tracks?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Oh, it's a massive honour, it's a massive privilege
0:24:54 > 0:24:57to have been in charge of this team of guys
0:24:57 > 0:24:58that are absolutely dedicated.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00You know, there's been ups and downs.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03We've found things wrong, we've had to start again.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07It's just absolutely fantastic now to experience this, see the crowds,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11you know, see the engine, where it needs to be, back in the limelight.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14So if someone comes to you tomorrow, Colin, and says, you and your team,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18you can do another locomotive now, there'll be another locomotive,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21but it is going to take you ten years - do you accept or refuse?
0:25:21 > 0:25:24You've got to accept, haven't you? You've got to accept.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It's been an emotional roller-coaster,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28but I think it'll be worth it.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- She's done us proud. - Congratulations.- Thank you.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51At last, the moment to go on board.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- Matt?- Hi.- I'm Michael.- Hi, Michael.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00- Nice to meet you.- How do you do?
0:26:00 > 0:26:02So, what has your role been on Flying Scotsman?
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Once the engine was nearing completion,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06we started testing the engine.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09We was on the footplate, trialling it, seeing what it was like,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11seeing if there were any faults.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13What's it like to drive this engine?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Quite responsive.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17You realise there's a lot of power that you have in your hands.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19You get a good feel for it,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22you feel what the engine wants to do just through driving it yourself.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Can you give me a bit of a tour of the controls?
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Yes, no problem. We'll start with this here.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29This is like your gears in your car.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32And then after that, this is your regulator,
0:26:32 > 0:26:33which is like your car throttle.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36That's what makes it go. Then you've got your brake valves.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38We've got two separate ones on this engine.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Also we have what's called the blower.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44That puts an artificial draught in the firebox.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It gives it a draw on the fire.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48A speedometer.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Then we've got how much steam you're actually putting into the cylinders.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55And then we've got three different brake gauges here.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58One part of the locomotive that even I can normally make work
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- is the whistle.- Do you want to give it a pull?- Here goes!
0:27:01 > 0:27:02SHORT WHISTLE BLASTS
0:27:02 > 0:27:06- Good noise. - It's all right, isn't it?
0:27:06 > 0:27:08The engine has made the journey from London today.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- How do you feel?- Very proud. It's great to see.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13I mean, the engine's performed magnificently.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16It's great to see it here. Fantastic day.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Was this an exercise in national nostalgia?
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Yes, in part it was.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30A commemoration of the days when British engineering ruled supreme.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33But the fact that, over the last ten years,
0:27:33 > 0:27:39a dedicated group of people has put Flying Scotsman back in steam,
0:27:39 > 0:27:45and back on the tracks, demonstrates that British ingenuity and skill
0:27:45 > 0:27:48also exist in the present.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Next time, I work up a sweat.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Oh, joy!
0:27:56 > 0:28:02Chuck the exercise bike, get a pump trolley and a mile of track.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07Discover the archive of one of our best-known Victorian writers.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12These were sold on the Indian book-seller stalls in the railways
0:28:12 > 0:28:15for one rupee.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17And, get steamed up in a vintage car.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Apply the throttle, and we're off!