Flying Scotsman at Nene Valley Railway

[DaleCooper]

The Flying Scotsman will be at Peterborough's Nene Valley Railway (NVR) until 9 March.

Flying Scotsman arrives at Peterborough's Nene Valley Railway

Hopes are high the locomotive's stay will give a much-needed financial boost.

www.bbc.co.uk

One of the world's most famous steam locomotives has arrived at a heritage railway and museum for a special stay.
The Flying Scotsman will be at Peterborough's Nene Valley Railway (NVR) until 9 March as part of a celebration of 200 years of British Railways, with tickets sold out for the weekend passenger services which begin on Saturday.
Chris O'Regan, commercial manager at NVR, said the team felt "honoured and privileged" to host the Flying Scotsman with people travelling from as far as America to see it.
Last month the NVR said its appearance in Peterborough would help give a "financial boost" to the railway previously facing risk of closure.

 

[50002Superb]

I saw this yesterday but believe that all tickets have sold out.

 

[james_the_xv]

Last month the NVR said its appearance in Peterborough would help give a "financial boost" to the railway previously facing risk of closure.

But it's a 'flying moneypit' that takes valuable funding away from another project

 

[87electric]

NVR still crying over money issues I see. A gander over at the success of SVR diesel gala crowds in recent years might open their eyes. Money is money, diesel or steam.

 

[D Williams]

NVR still crying over money issues I see. A gander over at the success of SVR diesel gala crowds in recent years might open their eyes. Money is money, diesel or steam.

Many heritage railways are struggling with "money issues" let alone everything else.

 

[Trainlog]

I said this over on the Swanage diesel gala thread but the Nene valley strategy current of rotating famous mainline registered locos visiting every couple of months is interesting. I like that there is often a good window of time to see these locos at the Nene valley so it's not too crowded compared to 2 weekends if your lucky if it is like most galas these days, and it gives the public more access to ride behind mainline certified locos without railtour prices.

The Scotsman ticket is a good approach as they are allowing you to visit the footplate of a famous loco for a tenner - I would prefer a give what you can philosophy, however, seeming as Scotsman's fame isn't going away anytime soon and its an easy story for a local paper to write about, it can help with crowd control and allow for those to get the best out of the Scotsman experience. At least they are confident you can look at the footplate as when it did the Kings X event that didn't seem guaranteed from the ticket at the time.

 

[Iskra]

Britannia is arriving at the Nene Valley on Tuesday afternoon. I know that the Flying Scotsman's movements are kept fairly quiet, but is it leaving on the same day? The last footplate visit finishes early that day. It would be great if I could catch both loco's in one afternoon.

 

[WagonLocoCrew]

Britannia is arriving at the Nene Valley on Tuesday afternoon. I know that the Flying Scotsman's movements are kept fairly quiet, but is it leaving on the same day? The last footplate visit finishes early that day. It would be great if I could catch both loco's in one afternoon.

Not sure when Flying Scotsman is leaving NVR, but the reason for the footplate visits ending earlier is because where it's positioned for those visits fouls entry to the yard, so needs to be moved to allow Britannia in.

 

[Iskra]

Not sure when Flying Scotsman is leaving NVR, but the reason for the footplate visits ending earlier is because where it's positioned for those visits fouls entry to the yard, so needs to be moved to allow Britannia in.

Yeah I’ve seen that Flying Scotsman is blocking the shed. I’m at the railway now awaiting Britannia. It’s been a fantastic day, well worth £10. The shed tour was also great. Apparently the cost of hiring Scotsman was recuperated after only 3 hours of ticket sales online, so seems to have been well worth it for the railway Also FS isn’t leaving today, some vague references to the back end of the week have been made.



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Britannia has now arrived



== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Mar 2025 ==

My video footage of Flying Scotsman and Britannia arriving today, with them both being shunted in the yard:

 

[Trainlog]

Yeah I’ve seen that Flying Scotsman is blocking the shed. I’m at the railway now awaiting Britannia. It’s been a fantastic day, well worth £10. The shed tour was also great. Apparently the cost of hiring Scotsman was recuperated after only 3 hours of ticket sales online, so seems to have been well worth it for the railway Also FS isn’t leaving today, some vague references to the back end of the week have been made.

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== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Mar 2025 ==

Britannia has now arrived

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My video footage of Flying Scotsman and Britannia arriving today, with them both being shunted in the yard:

I'm glad that you enjoyed it and that the Nene valleys new strategy is paying off! Granted its Flying Scotsman so the event was going to make a profit but to make one that quickly is great.

I hope that this strategy is used going forward for the Nene Valley, could definitely see a 'visit the loco strategy' being useful for when the P2 does its first tours of the country once its completed.

 

[Spekejunction]

The Strategy seems to be working..this morning the Nene Valley Railway website is showing a waiting time of 15 minutes.
Unable to access website for information..

 

[NER1621]

Apparently the cost of hiring Scotsman was recuperated after only 3 hours of ticket sales online,

But...but..but... I'm always being told that "Flying Scotsman" is just a moneypit that sucks resources out of other much more deserving preservation causes?

 

[Spekejunction]

But...but..but... I'm always being told that "Flying Scotsman" is just a moneypit that sucks resources out of other much more deserving preservation causes?

Sorry I’ve used this post ..The demand has switched to the next visitor which is Britannia..

 

[norbitonflyer]

But...but..but... I'm always being told that "Flying Scotsman" is just a moneypit that sucks resources out of other much more deserving preservation causes?

Flying Scotsman is no less - but also no more - worthy of TLC (and therefore funding) than any other last survivor of a class. It does have its place in history - alongside 4073 Caerphilly Castle as an exhibit at the 1923 Wembley exhibition (where the GWR loco rather showed it up as being more powerful), as one of several claimants to be the first to acheive the "ton" (although the GWR would dispute that!).

Personally I find that hard to beleive - in 1934 she was already ten years old and still in unrebuilt "A1" form - she would not beome an "A3" until 1947. "A3" No 2750 "Papyrus" did achieve 108mph the following year.

But particularly as the pioneer of the main line steam heritage movement - Pegler having negotiated an agreement to allow main line running when he bought it in 1963, which gave him grandfather rights when BR introduced a ban five years later.

Rev Awdry may have had a hand in it too, as Flying Scotsman appears in one of his books ("Enterprising Engines" - 1968), when the Fat Controller arranges a visit to cheer Gordon up when he learns from the diesels that they have "abolished steam" and that all but one of his "Doncaster brothers" have been scrapped.