The Scottish Curse - Adonis beware!

Telegrammed by our International Correspondent
A little light relief, after today's IEP excitement...

State-owned national icon No 4472 - Flying Scotsman - continues to cause heartache as engineering problems worsen.

This from the Northern Echo...

'Chris Beet, engineering and rail operations manager, said:

“Essentially, it’s a very big job and very time consuming....

"It should have been scrapped 46 years ago by British Railways”.'

Ain't that the truth!

As avowed by the bank managers of Messrs Alan Pegler, Sir William McAlpine BART, Pete Waterman, Dr Tony Marchington, the creditors of Flying Scotsman plc... (cont P94).

Give us your fooking money

Telegrammed by our International Correspondent
The National Railway Museum has its begging bowl out again.

According to the NRM the cost of the Flying Scotsman overhaul has risen as a result of unforeseen problems, including increased prices for raw materials.

The markets appear to disagree about steel prices...

...and aluminium...

...and non-ferrous...

but you'd have to ask Mystic Wolmar about spot prices for unobtainium.

Trying Scotsman

Further to the piece earlier this week on the 'Crying Scotsman' a missive reaches The Fact Compiler from the editor of Model Rail magazine.

Ben Jones, a man knows his scale models, commends The Flying Scotsman cuckoo clock to Railway Eye readers.


As Ben sagely points out "It moves".

Not much like the real thing then.

Crying Scotsman

The Fact Compiler has received the following missive from Andy Roden, saviour of the Cornish sleeper and author of an excellent book on the 'Flying Scotsman'.

"As you’ve been covering a lot of heavy politics recently, I thought you might be interested in a wee distraction to amuse and entertain.

The link is below, but as a taster to whet your appetite…"


Andy - thank you. Our joy is full.

Hurry to buy the 'Romance of Steam Flying Scotsman Village Clock' here.

The Fact Compiler wonders who at the NRM "Officially Authorised" this magnificent illuminated geegaw?