Welcomed by crowds eager to get a good photo, the record breaking locomotive steamed into Swanage for a three week flying visit.
After a six hour rail journey from London, the Flying Scotsman arrived at Swanage Station on Tuesday 18th October 2022 – a return trip to the town after her visit in 2019 proved a box office success.
Flying Scotsman arrives in Swanage
First steam loco in UK to haul a train at 100 miles an hour
Owned by the National Railway Museum in York, the locomotive will be on Swanage Railway until Monday 7th November 2022.
She’s most famous for being the first steam locomotive in the UK to haul a train at 100 miles an hour, during a test run in 1934.
As the Flying Scotsman made her way down to Swanage, she left the national rail network at Wareham and then made her way along the heritage line, passing through Norden, Corfe Castle, Harmans Cross and Herston Halt stations.
People gathered to welcome the iconic locomotive
First stop on Flying Scotsman’s centenary tour
Although famous for her world breaking speeds, she took her time, arriving in Swanage nearly an hour later than scheduled. This meant that one Flying Scotsman fan was able to get photos of her at Wareham Station, hop on a Purbeck Breezer bus and still get there in time for her arrival in Swanage!
The Nigel Gresley-designed locomotive was completed in 1923 and will celebrate her 100th anniversary next year. She’s just had a complete overhaul and her visit to Swanage is the first in a series of appearances around the UK as part of a centenary tour.
The locomotive travelled backwards or tender first though the Purbeck countryside
“Wonderful charisma – it’s a real icon”
Chair of Swanage Railway Company Bob Patterson said:
“It’s wonderful to see Flying Scotsman at Swanage because the iconic locomotive has a wonderful charisma – it’s a real icon, an impressive piece of 1920s railway engineering and the most famous steam locomotive in the world.
“We are very honoured to have Flying Scotsman visiting the Swanage Railway and it will be great to see No. 60103 hauling the unique Car 14 Devon Belle Pullman observation carriage because they operated as a pair while on a tour of Canada and the United States to promote British exports between 1969 and 1972.”
Visitors from across the UK and local residents all gathered to watch the locomotive’s arrival
Five days of Flying Scotsman trips
Flying Scotsman will be hauling passenger trains from Swanage to Corfe Castle and Norden for five days – from Saturday 22nd October to Wednesday 26th October 2022 – with ticket-only access to stations for the public.
For the rest of the time she will be on show at Swanage Railway Station with the opportunity to visit the footplate.
Standard class seats for a one hour return trip are £39 per person, while premium class seats in a 1930s coach are £55 per person.
Champagne and canapés
Tickets are also available to have breakfast pastries, afternoon tea or champagne and canapés in the Devon Belle carriage pulled by the Flying Scotsman, priced at £99 per person.
Alternatively the Flying Scotsman can be viewed for free from fields and bridges along the route between Swanage and Norden.
Further information
- More about Flying Scotsman and tickets is on the Swanage Railway website
