This morning, Keith and I set off to Tattenhall, near Chester. Why? Well, a trip for the Flying Scotsman had apparently been planned. It has been showcased on various trips around the country during the summer and today it was travelling from Crewe to Holyhead and back, via Chester. When these trips are broadcast, they are always rather cagey about the details of the route and exact times and places it can be seen, apparently because they think that people might be stupid enough to stand on the rail track in order to get a better view. (Sigh!)
However, they reckoned without Keith. He knows the area very well and soon pinpointed a certain bridge just outside Tattenhall as a good vantage point, so off we went.
The day was overcast, but at least it wasn't raining, and these photos are stills from the video which Keith took from his tripod which he had set up on the wall of the bridge. Nothing if not organised, but it was just as well as my camera failed me miserably and the Flying Scotsman, despite its great age, showed that it was still just as capable as it ever was of travelling like a bat out of hell. It could certainly give our ageing diesels in North Wales a run for their money. In fact, we would probably be better off with it than with the 'new' (second hand tube trains) that we are soon going to be using round here. (But that is a whole other rant for another day.)
The last time I saw this engine was in 1969 when I was travelling back to college in Hull from Bristol. It still looks just as impressive, having been through a lot of ups and downs in between, of course.
Some day, Keith and I would love to treat ourselves to one of these trips on the Flying Scotsman, but tracking them down before they're fully booked is harder than one would think. So if anyone knows of a website where we can actually get to book a trip, do please let me know.
