Flying Scotsman and the Star of the Show

Rail tickets booked and adrenalin flowing in anticipation, we were soon back at the National Railway Museum for the long-awaited Flying Scotsman shindig. The party girl was not at home. All dressed up, at last, she has found she has got plenty of places to go, so she is off flaunting herself, here, there and everywhere, it seems. Back at the main venue, the celebrations go on without her. Under the subdued, ambient lighting of the Station Hall Gallery, an imaginative, uncluttered and carefully presented display of her historical importance to the nation awaits the lady’s return.

Following her momentous and triumphant journey from Kings Cross to York in February, when hundreds of thousands of well-wishers crowded the lineside - some of them even invading her personal space and getting a bit too close for the comfort of those trying to run a railway – now everybody wants a piece of her. No wonder, then, that for the moment at least, she can only be the flightiest of hosts during her own Flying Scotsman jamboree.  

For those surprised by her temporary absence, there is at least one previously unseen gem amongst all the goodies she has left behind back at base. After being hidden away for decades, it is now being given a right good airing and not before time, seizing the limelight during the celebrity’s continued meanderings.

Eminent twentieth century painter, Frank Mason, best known for his maritime scenes, was commissioned many times by the London and North Eastern Railway and later by British Railways. They employed his skills to promote travel by train to a range of UK locations and most notably to those along the North Sea coast.

The quad royal size poster, “East Coast by LNER It’s Quicker by Rail,” shows the Flying Scotsman locomotive in her 1930’s, apple green livery at the head of the crack London to Edinburgh express of the same name, emerging from a tunnel and with yet another section of the magnificent coastline that typifies Northumberland and Berwickshire stretching out ahead of her.

It is a dramatic and powerful image. Speed and purpose are effortlessly conveyed, as connecting rods and pistons thrash. A red glow from the firebox flickers off the smoke and steam, trapped momentarily inside the tunnel mouth. The train bursts out into golden sunlight as passengers settle back to enjoy the wonderful coastal scenery that provides the highlight of the same trip north today. It is a masterpiece, capturing a moment in time with dynamism and poise.

This poster is certainly rare, if not unique. It belongs to my friend, John Beck, and it has been in his possession since 1988, when he acquired it from one of the leading specialist auction houses. The poster does not show up on the website of the Science and Society Picture Library, which oversees historical posters on behalf of the National Railway Museum and the other centres within the National Science Museums group. The NRM informed John that they do not have a copy, hence their eagerness to pursue the loan in this instance. Their representative dealing with the current arrangement said they had not seen it before.

A poster of the same description, apart from the addition of the word “Route” after “East Coast” in the main title, was sold at a Legbourne, Lincolnshire, auction in May 1999. Both forms of this title were used across a range of posters during the 1930s and they made use of a variety of different images, in addition to this one.

It is certainly a very special survivor. John has had it professionally conserved and backed to linen. It usually shares pride of place in the hallway of his home, taking its turn with some other notable quad royal examples, behind an easy-access, draw-down, Perspex display frame.

This is the poster’s first outing in nearly 30 years and that provides an opportunity for it to be much more widely admired. It will not disappoint. If you are contemplating a visit to the Starring Scotsman exhibition, which is open until June 19^th 2016 as part of the Scotsman Season at the National Railway Museum, it awaits your attention. Even if you find that the lady of the house is still doing the rounds of her well-wishers, the new “Star of the Show” will ensure that your attendance is a fulfilling experience.