The Flying Scotsman

If ever there was a steam locomotive with nine lives, it is Flying Scotsman. Rescued in the early sixties for preservation just in the nick of time as the rapid rundown of steam saw a sad procession of locomotives to the scrapyard, she has gone through a succession of owners who have taken her across the United States, to Alice Springs at the heart of Australia, even had her hauling the Orient Express. She was nearly abandoned in San Francisco when her American tour ended in bankruptcy, and in 2004 was rescued for the nation at the eleventh hour by the National Railway Museum after an urgent appeal raised millions. Now she is being extensively overhauled again so that in 2008 she may once again steam out onto the main line.
Now, Andrew Roden tells the remarkable story of this magnificent locomotive, from her glory days between the wars to her rollercoaster life as a preserved engine. He has talked to those who have owned her, worked on her and cheered from the trackside as she thundered past, and has discovered extraordinary stories about her.