Flying Scotsman memories

The sight on TV screens on Friday of the Flying Scotsman back on the rails after a 10-year rebuild brought back memories for one member of the AudlemOnline webteam.

Bob Cartwright explains:

Back in 1987, I was running a public relations and advertising programme focussed on the west coast of Cumbria – yes, I have to admit it was largely about Sellafield, but that's another story.

One day, a suggestion came in from a member of the public: Why don't you run a series of steam train trips around the Cumberland coast line, one of the most scenic railway routes in England? It seemed a great idea, and fitted in with the campaign, so I contacted Bill MacAlpine who owned the Flying Scotsman at the time and he invited me to lunch.

Yes, he responded, we can run as many trips as you want and we can attach the Brighton Belle carriages to the Flying Scotsman – it will be quite a sight riding over all the viaducts on that line. His organisation would look after all the bookings and run the trips which we decided would set out from London (twice), Bristol, Nottingham and Birmingham.

I took on the advertising of the trips and, in my view, the vital task of procuring the all-important lunch ingredient – Cumberland sausage. The advertisements worked a treat and all five trips were sold out almost immediately, almost 2,000 bookings at around 400 a train load, or ten carriages. That covered the costs and made a small profit too.

Sausages

Finding the best Cumberland sausage was an easy task. Everyone I asked in Cumbria pointed me in the direction of Woodall's of Waberthwaite, a tiny shop in a tiny hamlet on the west coast. I found the shop and saw that despite also being the village post office and general store, it had three Royal Warrants, for its hams, bacon and sausages. Perfect.

Now, as connoisseurs of sausage will know, Cumberland sausage comes in a continuous coil rather than separate links. As I walked into the shop, the lady behind the counter confirmed they could sell it by length: "How much would you like?"
"A quarter of a mile!" I replied. She looked astonished as I explained: "It's for almost 2,000 people and I've done the maths and I think 9 inches is enough for any man."

The lady stifled an embarrassed laugh and went off to find Mr Woodall. This was a serious order. I wanted to meet him too as I was planning a film of the first trip and an opening sequence of sausage making, intercut with the shots of the Flying Scotsman being fired up, was already in my mind.

The supply of sausage went like clockwork and the day of the first trip arrived with an 8.00am departure from London Euston. The train had to be drawn by a non-steam loco until Carnforth in Lancashire where it would be joined by the Flying Scotsman for the glorious coastal section on a non-electrified line.

All aboard

As we set off, I was amazed by the enthusiasm of of the passengers, almost all of whom were train spotters or enthusiasts. Windows were opened and recording equipment lowered to capture the sounds of the train passing over points, cameras were out of every window and the chat was all about railways. The excitement was noticeable as we reached Carnforth and everyone was out on the platform as the Flying Scotsman reversed into position at the front of the train.

As we got going off the mainline, we first crossed the River Kent at Arnside on a spectacular viaduct across the sandy estuary. The tide was out and there were literally hundreds of photographers on the sands capturing what must have been some remarkable shots of the steaming train pulling ten beautiful matching carriages. It was then I really understood what a big deal this trip was.

We stopped at a small station to give all on board a photo opportunity before heading off and hitting a snag. Anti-nuclear protesters had padlocked a level-crossing gate across the rail lines to bring the train to a shuddering halt. Fortunately, bolt cutters carried by the crew soon sorted the issue and a potentially dangerous situation was averted.

On board, everyone ordered the Cumberland sausage, mashed potato and red cabbage for lunch so, accompanied by a film crew – another was in a helicopter capturing wonderful aerial shots of the trip around the coast – I went to see how the chef was coping in the alarmingly small galley which had to produce almost 400 lunches.

The chef's response to me and the film crew wasn't entirely welcoming. From the torrent of abuse, I gathered he was feeling the pressure. Despite that, everyone I spoke to was delighted with the magnificent sausage. I didn't dare tell them how I intended to cook my lunch.

What an invitation

The train manager then approached me as I returned to my seat. "Would you like to ride on the footplate?" he asked.
"How do I get there while the train is moving?" I asked.
"There's a passageway through the tender," he responded.
"But I have a new suit on," I answered, "and I might get oil or coal dust on it, No, I'll give it a miss." This was accompanied by wails of shock and horror from all the other passengers and I must admit, I have often wondered since why I had put a new suit on that day, and why I had turned down such an opportunity to ride on footplate of the Flying Scotsman as it steamed through glorious Cumbrian countryside.

When we arrived at Seascale station, near to Sellafield, where we were greeted by a brass band and anti-nuclear protesters in friendly rivalry as to who could make the most noise, a fleet of busses took the passengers off around the nuclear plant. My attention turned to lunch and the cooking of my portion of sausage – on a shovel inserted into the firebox of the Flying Scotsman. I think it was one of the finest lunches I have ever enjoyed!

The return trip was relatively uneventful and I enjoyed the stop-off at Carnforth station, where 'Brief Encounter' had been famously filmed in the 1940s and which was featured in Michael Portillo's 'Railway Journeys' programme this past week.

The remaining four trips went well too, so much so that another five were arranged a couple of years later by which time the new Sellafield Visitors Centre was in full swing and receiving 200,000 visitors a year, including another 2,000 off the Flying Scotsman.

I still have the video of that first trip and occasionally watch it as a trip down memory lane. As you can imagine, it really was a thrill to see that magnificent steam engine back in action again this week but, oh, how I wish I had taken up that offer in 1987 to ride on the footplate. What an opportunity missed!

I also have a painting of the trip hanging in my office to this day – seen at the top of this story.

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