The Flying Scotsman, one of the world’s most iconic locomotives, is about to turn 100 years old, and is celebrating by hitting the road again for two weeks of special trips.
The first locomotive to break the 100 mph barrier got its name as the primary engine for the fast London-Edinburgh service in the 1920s. It spent the past weekend on display at London’s Kings Cross station, and is now headed for Dorset, where it will be on display at Swanage Station, before running excursions on the heritage Swanage Railway.
The excursions on the Swanage Railway include a rare Pullman observation car from the U.S., pulled by the Flying Scotsman when it was on tour in the U.S. in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The U.S. is not its only international journey; it’s also visited Australia, where it chalked up a record for the longest non-stop run ever by a steam locomotive.
