Most Famous Steam Train – Flying Scotsman

The Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway, and earned its name from the London to Edinburgh rail service of the day. It was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, with the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 making it world famous. It is 70 feet long, and weighs 96 tonnes. It was the first train to officially hit 100mph in service, in 1934. HOWEVER, the City of Truro steam engine was claimed to have beat that speed earlier, hitting 102mph in 1904. It also set a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles (679 km) on August 8, 1989 while in Australia. The Flying Scotsman retired from regular service in 1963 after covering 2,076,000 miles (3,341,000 km) but has since gained considerable fame in preservation.

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