This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/25/trespassers-force-flying-scotsman-steam-train-unscheduled-stop-inaugural-run
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Trespassers force Flying Scotsman to make unscheduled stop on inaugural run | Trespassers force Flying Scotsman to make unscheduled stop on inaugural run |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Flying Scotsman’s inaugural run from London to York after a decade-long refit was briefly brought to a halt by trespassers on the tracks. | Flying Scotsman’s inaugural run from London to York after a decade-long refit was briefly brought to a halt by trespassers on the tracks. |
| Thousands of steam enthusiasts lined up on Thursday morning to get a glimpse of the world-famous locomotive. Network Rail said that as a result of people on the tracks all trains on the east coast mainline had come to a standstill. | |
| We've had to stop all trains on the East Coast Main Line incl. #FlyingScotsman because of huge number of trespassers. Please, don't. | We've had to stop all trains on the East Coast Main Line incl. #FlyingScotsman because of huge number of trespassers. Please, don't. |
| Passengers said the train came to a “shuddering stop” near St Neots, Cambridgeshire. Virgin Trains East Coast warned that other services were being delayed by up to 15 minutes due to photographers on the track. | |
| Footage filmed from the stationary train showed people walking down the line holding cameras. | Footage filmed from the stationary train showed people walking down the line holding cameras. |
| British Transport police received reports of about 60 trespassers on the track near St Neots shortly after 9am. No arrests were made. | British Transport police received reports of about 60 trespassers on the track near St Neots shortly after 9am. No arrests were made. |
| The trains were soon on the move again according to the press office, which advised people to enjoy the view “safely and stay off the railway”. | The trains were soon on the move again according to the press office, which advised people to enjoy the view “safely and stay off the railway”. |
| Flying Scotsman eventually arrived in York shortly before 1.30pm, later than expected and close to six hours after it departed London King’s Cross. The journey had been scheduled to take five hours. There were 297 VIPs, fundraisers, competition winners and ticket-buying members of the public on board. | Flying Scotsman eventually arrived in York shortly before 1.30pm, later than expected and close to six hours after it departed London King’s Cross. The journey had been scheduled to take five hours. There were 297 VIPs, fundraisers, competition winners and ticket-buying members of the public on board. |
| Flying Scotsman was painted in the traditional early 1960s British Rail green for its first official outing bearing its nameplates after the restoration project. | Flying Scotsman was painted in the traditional early 1960s British Rail green for its first official outing bearing its nameplates after the restoration project. |
| Built in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in 1923, it soon became the star locomotive of the British railway system, pulling the first train to break the 100mph barrier in 1934. | Built in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, in 1923, it soon became the star locomotive of the British railway system, pulling the first train to break the 100mph barrier in 1934. |
| One of the passengers on Flying Scotsman when it left King’s Cross just after 7.45am was the broadcaster and former MP Michael Portillo. He said he was very excited to be travelling on the train as part of filming for BBC documentary series Great British Railway Journeys. “This is certainly the most famous journey and most famous locomotive in Britain,” he said. | |
| Portillo described Flying Scotsman as an engineering triumph and praised its designer, Sir Nigel Gresley, for having “an eye for engineering, for design, for style and for marketing”. | Portillo described Flying Scotsman as an engineering triumph and praised its designer, Sir Nigel Gresley, for having “an eye for engineering, for design, for style and for marketing”. |
| The National Railway Museum in York bought the locomotive for £2.3m in 2004 before work got under way on its restoration in 2006. | The National Railway Museum in York bought the locomotive for £2.3m in 2004 before work got under way on its restoration in 2006. |
| The museum’s director, Paul Kirkman, said Flying Scotsman was a reminder that “railways have been making this country run properly for nearly 200 years”. He said the restoration project was a long old journey but that it was incredibly satisfying to see the locomotive returned to service. | The museum’s director, Paul Kirkman, said Flying Scotsman was a reminder that “railways have been making this country run properly for nearly 200 years”. He said the restoration project was a long old journey but that it was incredibly satisfying to see the locomotive returned to service. |
| Also among the passengers was Ron Kennedy, a Flying Scotsman driver from 1956 until it was retired in 1963. The 83-year-old, from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, smiled as the locomotive pulled into the station he first worked at as a cleaner almost 70 years ago. “It’s unbelievable. I never dreamt about being on it again. To be out with it is just fantastic,” he said. “It was a good engine.” | Also among the passengers was Ron Kennedy, a Flying Scotsman driver from 1956 until it was retired in 1963. The 83-year-old, from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, smiled as the locomotive pulled into the station he first worked at as a cleaner almost 70 years ago. “It’s unbelievable. I never dreamt about being on it again. To be out with it is just fantastic,” he said. “It was a good engine.” |
| Kennedy said he was impressed with how Flying Scotsman has been restored. “When the railway museum took it over they didn’t know what to do with it but public donations meant they could put it back together again,” he said. “I think they’ve done a wonderful job. It belongs to the public really so let’s keep it so it’s always there for our children and grandchildren.” | Kennedy said he was impressed with how Flying Scotsman has been restored. “When the railway museum took it over they didn’t know what to do with it but public donations meant they could put it back together again,” he said. “I think they’ve done a wonderful job. It belongs to the public really so let’s keep it so it’s always there for our children and grandchildren.” |
| • Flying Scotsman will be kept at the National Railway Museum until 6 March before embarking on a tour around the country. | • Flying Scotsman will be kept at the National Railway Museum until 6 March before embarking on a tour around the country. |
| The Press Association contributed to this report | The Press Association contributed to this report |