Forum Topic

The Flying Scotsman in Putney Today

Martine Guy ● 729d12 Comments

Thank you for the photos, Martine, especially the first one. It's frustrating that these trips through Putney (and everywhere else) are so little publicised, but it's understandable when you realise that they have to be very careful because of the risk that overenthusiastic steam fans might stray onto the railway tracks.

Richard Carter ● 728d

Good to see the moving bits.

David Ainsworth ● 728d

Nice one :-)

Michael Ixer ● 728d

Thanks Ivonne. Here’s one last photo from last night:

Martine Guy ● 728d

Yes, being right in the station under a roof amplifies the sensation. I was just remembering from late in the days of steam standing on a platform in Luton station when some express (?) went through at speed. Loud, spectacular and terrifying - hundreds of tons of steel and copper only metres away.

David Ainsworth ● 728d

Thanks, Judy. David, we can’t really say about the speed, but when the train was travelling towards Barnes, it seemed as though it wasn’t going that fast, but on the return, as we were down on the platform as it went close by, it felt faster, just like the all the other trains that travel through Putney station without stopping. re: the photo from Platform 1 towards the tunnel, if we had been on Platform 2 our view of The Flying Scotsman would have been totally blocked by the SW Train that you can see in the photo.

Martine Guy ● 728d

Fabulous photograph, Martine!

Ivonne Holliday ● 728d

Martine, two great pics, especially of course the one from the bridge with the trail of steam.

Judy Allen ● 728d

How fast was it going? I assume not very.

David Ainsworth ● 728d

Thanks David, and thanks Michael on the other thread. We knew the Flying Scotsman was going to travel through Putney in this, its 100th Anniversary Year.  I understand the timetables and routes aren’t publicised for safety reasons but if you Google The Flying Scotsman you can find out all this info. on its timetable and routes. It was a bit frustrating at Putney railway station because the staff knew nothing about it and thought we were mistaken, when we were trying to find out the best platform to stand on. Here’s a photo I took at the station, as it entered the tunnel:  Not very good, but best I could get.  What you don’t get is the noise of the train and the smell of the steam/coal:

Martine Guy ● 728d

Glad you were there. Good photo. (Trouble is, it's started me Googling.)

David Ainsworth ● 728d

There were just 6 of us on the Dyers Lane footbridge when one of the world’s most famous locomotives passed through Putney this morning and they were my friends and family. Glad to hear from my friend that there were about 50 on the footbridge this evening on the return journey from Portsmouth.  My family were at Putney station to try and get a different view. Choo choo!

Martine Guy ● 728d