The Flying Scotsman Saga

Flying Scotsman at Carnforth - Creative Commons licence

Those looking to understand the problems of maintaining and running large bits of engineering kit in museums and on heritage railways can do no better than read the report into the NRM's travails with the Flying Scotsman. While highlighting the deficiencies in NRM's project management it also highlights the serious issues facing heritage railways in general and the conflict between 'cottage engineering' and the professional engineering industry.

It also has lessons for anyone involved in operating, restoring or conserving complex or not so complex obsolete machines - steam locomotives, aircraft, stationery engines etc and the ability in the future to these keep them operating. Well worth a read even if engineering is not your 'thing'

See the report for the Trustees of the Science Museum Group into the restoration of A3 Class Pacific Flying Scotsman and associated engineering project management. Researched and written by Robert Meanley and assisted by Roger Kemp 26 October 2012 Download available on the National Railway Museum site here