Legendary Flying Scotsman coming to Notts next month – how you can see it

The locomotive last operated on a heritage railway in the East Midlands 25 years ago

People in Nottingham will have the chance to ride for over an hour on the legendary Flying Scotsman when it visits the city next month.

The legendary locomotive will first be in Nottingham across May 16 and May 17 – with people able to take part in an 80-minute return journey on both days.

The next opportunity for people to see the Scotsman will then be on May 23, May 24, May 25, May 30 and May 31 – with tickets still available.

For those simply hoping to catch a glimpse of the icon, it will be setting off on all days from the Great Central Railway’s Ruddington Fields base.

From there, it will pass through Gotham and to the side of the Gotham Sidings, before passing by the gypsum and plasterboard works at East Leake.

The line then runs through the site of East Leake station and eventually over the River Soar on the Stanford Viaduct.

The route eventually ends just outside the historic Brush Works at Loughborough.

The volunteer-run Great Central Railway is responsible for the preserved Great Central Main Line north of Loughborough, including Rushcliffe Halt and its Ruddington Fields base.

Andy Fillingham, the Chairman of Great Central Railway Nottingham, previously said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Flying Scotsman back to the East Midlands, 25 years since it last operated on a heritage railway in our region.

“We’re very proud of the work of our volunteers in reopening the railway to visitors, and this should bring awareness of our superb attraction to new people.”

The famous 4472 Flying Scotsman locomotive, originally numbered 1472, was built in Doncaster in 1923 and named after the London to Edinburgh rail service that began in 1862.

Becoming the first locomotive to clock a top speed of 100mph in 1934, the Flying Scotsman was retired from running British Rail services in 1963.

The locomotive was eventually purchased by Sir William McAlpine who returned it to the UK. It has since become a symbol of national pride, travelling throughout the country as well as completing tours of Australia and the USA.

The journeys are being run in partnership with Fox & Edwards events, which runs journeys on heritage lines across the UK.