THE ICONIC Flying Scotsman steam locomotive has made an historic visit to Dorridge station while working a series of special trains, writes Neil Gordon.
The world-famous engine, number 60163, was at Dorridge on Wednesday, on the first of three days that the engine was booked to haul services from the village to Birmingham on behalf of Vintage Trains.
The Vintage Trains headboard adorns the front of Flying Scotsman. Picture by Neil Gordon Media.
The tour left Birmingham Moor Street Station behind a diesel locomotive, with the Flying Scotsman on the back of the train. Then, once at Dorridge, the iconic 100-year-old locomotive worked the train back to Birmingham, via Solihull, to the delight of passengers and onlookers.
Crowds gather wherever the world famous locomotive travels. Picture by Neil Gordon Media.
Scotsman was booked to haul three trains each day from Wednesday to Friday, as well as spending two days hauling Shakespeare Express services between Birmingham and Stratford-on-Avon.
The highly popular locomotive attracts huge attention wherever it goes, with many people lining the nine-mile long route between Dorridge and Birmingham photographing the train.
Past meets present. A modern day diesel locomotive next to the 103-year old Flying Scotsman. Picture by Neil Gordon Media.
And passenger Graham Marsden, who was making his first journey on Flying Scotsman, during a day out with three former work colleagues, said: “We all enjoyed it.
“It was just lovely to see the actual iconic Flying Scotsman and be on the train that it pulled.
“Seeing the steam and the locomotive up close was nostalgic.”
LNER 4-6-2 ‘Pacific’ type steam locomotive, number 60103, pauses in the heart of Birmingham. Picture by Neil Gordon Media.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Vintage Trains, said: “Each journey is planned to reflect the character of Flying Scotsman: powerful, graceful and steeped in history.”
