Touted as an icon of speed and style, during its time under LNER Flying Scotsman was used to market the first non-stop run from London to Edinburgh on ‘The Flying Scotsman’ route in 1928, advertising it as ‘The Most Famous Train in the World’. And in 1934, when it achieved an authenticated speed of 100mph, they made sure this achievement was covered in the national press. It is possibly the UK's most famous locomotive and was built in Doncaster in 1923. Lots of people want to catch a glimpse of it and next year it is set to return to Yorkshire as part of a series of events to celebrate its centenary year. With a fault identified in the same year, and its removal from service, Flying Scotsman was refitted and renumbered for the British Empire Exhibition at the Empire Stadium in Wembley from 1924-1925. The name Flying Scotsman (along with its new number ‘4472’) was chosen to advertise the company’s non-stop service from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley of the same name. The Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever is a book I know my nan and grandad would have gifted to me as a child. The cover is a beautiful, matt watercolour image that instantly draws you in. As an adult you can feel the nostalgia bursting out and children will be filled with wonder at the the image of the train speeding out of the tunnel.

Sophie Vohra highlights the significance of Flying Scotsman's 100th birthday and shares details of our Centenary Programme. After some vital restoration work the Scotsman will begin its journey in the South of England before heading to the National Railway Museum in York as part of a new exhibition announced by the museum.Today, the National Railway Museum (part of the Science Museum Group) in York – home to Flying Scotsman, where it is a working museum exhibit – reveals behind-the-scenes images of the locomotive as it is worked on by a team of specialist engineers from Riley & Son (E) Ltd. It also announces, in collaboration with the Swanage Railway Trust, Flying Scotsman’s first centenary appearance this autumn, at the heritage railway at Swanage in Dorset. To celebrate its birthday the museum (entry free, book online) is preparing a new exhibition and film, Flying Scotsman: 100 Years, 100 Voices , that will tell the human stories behind the legend. Members of the public are being asked to share their memories of the train through film clips, diaries, letters or photographs. The film will feature 100 distinct “voices” of people connected to the locomotive, including former drivers, railway workers and passengers. Centenary Celebration is scheduled to launch at the museum and online next year, the exhibition and film will feature 100 distinct ‘voices’ of people connected to Flying Scotsman’s story, from former drivers, railway workers and members of the public. Further details of the centenary plans will be revealed later in the year, but will involve the publication of Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever (Thames & Hudson) – a new book by one of the UK’s best-loved authors and storytellers, Michael Morpurgo, and illustrated by the internationally renowned children’s book illustrator and author Michael Foreman – in October 2022, and the chance to see Flying Scotsman at several locations across the country, beginning with Swanage Railway in Dorset this October and at the National Railway Museum in York and Locomotion in Shildon in 2023.

Published in association with the National Railway Museum, York, Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever takes readers on a journey through the golden age of steam travel, paying tribute to the women who kept the railways running during the Second World War. With family at its heart, the story is warmly written and joyously illustrated by national treasures Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman. To mark 100 years of Flying Scotsman, Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman have created the stunning children’s book Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever. It tells the story of Iris, who dreams of being a train driver when she grows up, just like her dad, who drives Flying Scotsman. Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive of the newly formed LNER (London and North Eastern Railway) and originally numbered 1472. It was given its name in 1924 after the daily 10am London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley rail service. In Doncaster, an exhibition at the city's Danum Gallery, Library and Museum will open in February, displaying artwork from the new children's book based on the Flying Scotsman story by Michael Morpurgo, and illustrated by Michael Foreman. Today marks the 100th anniversary of perhaps the most famous British steam locomotive in the world, Flying Scotsman, commencing its service for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923.Iris knows everything there is to know about Flying Scotsman. Her dad is the famous train’s driver, and nothing makes her prouder than seeing him at work. But each time the Flying Scotsman pulls away, Iris wishes more than anything that she could be with her dad in the driver’s cab. An exhibition of Michael Foreman’s original watercolours from Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever at Danum Gallery, Library, and Museum in Doncaster will also be on display from February– June 2023. Read More Related Articles If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us Behind closed doors in a Lancashire workshop, the world’s most famous steam locomotive, Flying Scotsman, is being prepared for its centenary celebrations next year. Since May 2022, the celebrity engine has been undergoing a thorough mechanical overhaul to ensure it is ready to lead a national programme of events in 2023.