Doncaster railway station seemed to have taken a step into the past on the day I went to the Danum Museum. Over the last couple of years train services operated by LNER have been updated with a fleet of new Hitachi trains, and the old trains have been taken out of use, some going to a scrapyard, some to be reused on other routes. However, some technical issues and a desire to operate more frequent services has given some of the old trains a reprieve while more new trains are built.
This shot shows one of the old trains outside the railway workshops west of the railway station. Judging by the clean bits on the bogies it looks like it has had an overhaul before returning to service.
This locomotive carries a special livery and is named Flying Scotsman. The original Flying Scotsman was a train service between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh, and it first became known by that name in the 1860s. In the early 1920s a new locomotive was named Flying Scotsman and was frequently used on the Flying Scotsman service. This is the steam locomotive that was restored a few years ago and which attracts huge numbers of enthusiasts and photographers wherever it goes.
New electric locomotives took over the London Kings Cross to Edinburgh route around 1990, and this is one of those locomotives.
Sadly, I'm not likely to get a ride on a train pulled by one of these electric veterans, since at the moment they are only used on Leeds to London services, but it was good to have chance to get photos of several as they passed through Doncaster.
Glad you got to catch it there. Love the Flying Scotsman engine. So iconic! (But secretly my favourite is Evening Star! She lives in York in the Railway Museum these days.)
The imposter. Was heading for the museum one day and passed the real Scotsman and imposter too. Much prefer the real one. Did you see him steam into York after his last make over? Wonderful sight.
Thank you all for your lovely comments, they are very much appreciated.
One of these locomotives is destined for the National Railway Museum, two are to be modified for working freight trains in Europe and ten are being used by LNER, so they will be around for a little while yet.
Thank you all for your lovely comments, they are very much appreciated.
One of these locomotives is destined for the National Railway Museum, two are to be modified for working freight trains in Europe and ten are being used by LNER, so they will be around for a little while yet.
Ian
I was at York station for the arrival of the steam Flying Scotsman into York, after a dash back from Leeds on a Zap bus. There were photos on our 365 project - https://365project.org/fishers/365/2016-02-25 and https://365project.org/fishers/365/2016-02-28
Amazing to think it is over half way in time to it's next overhaul, though there should be much less work to do on it next time.
Ian