Crowds Gather as Iconic Flying Scotsman Steams Back Onto Historic UK Railway Line 70 Years After It Last Ran

The Flying Scotsman has returned to the Great Central Railway Nottingham in Nottinghamshire, UK, as crowds gathered this week to see the historic locomotive run again on a line it last served in the early 1950s.

BBC reported that the visit marks part of the Flying Scotsman tour of 2026 and brings the steam engine back to a stretch of track it last operated on more than 70 years ago.

Preparations were completed for a series of special heritage services scheduled across late May, with the locomotive arriving on Friday ahead of public runs at the weekend and later dates. The engine, now based at the National Railway Museum in York, was moved to Nottinghamshire specifically for the commemorative events.

Flying Scotsman Returns With Strong Local Roots

The Flying Scotsman is no stranger to the East Midlands.

For context, it previously hauled passenger services on what is now the Great Central Railway Nottingham during the early 1950s, when the line formed part of the wider Great Central Main Line before its closure under British Rail in the 1960s. The reopening of a section of that route in the 1990s by volunteers eventually created today's heritage railway, which now hosts visiting steam locomotives and themed services.

Speaking about the locomotive's return, Great Central Railway Nottingham chairman Andy Fillingham said, 'We are thrilled to be welcoming Flying Scotsman back to the East Midlands.' He added that volunteers had worked hard to reopen the railway to visitors and hoped the visit would bring wider attention to the line and its attractions.

The locomotive itself carries a long and well-documented history. It entered service in 1923 and was named the following year after the London-to-Edinburgh express passenger service. Its reputation grew quickly, helped by appearances at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924 and later by its milestone achievement in 1934, when it became the first steam locomotive officially recorded reaching 100mph (160.9km/h).

The 1950s Return to Familiar Tracks

In later years, the locomotive was used by British Rail following the nationalisation of the railways, including on the Great Central Main Line. Its presence in the region has additional local significance. The engine was based in Leicester during the early 1950s, and it was during this period that it regularly ran on the same Nottinghamshire route now being reopened for heritage services.

Its survival story is as dramatic as its engineering legacy. After being withdrawn from service in 1963 and earmarked for scrap, it was purchased by Nottinghamshire businessman Alan Pegler for £3,000. Pegler later took the locomotive on a tour of the United States in 1969, a venture that ended in financial difficulty and left the engine stranded abroad.

It was eventually rescued when businessman William McAlpine stepped in to settle debts and bring the locomotive back to the UK in 1973. Restoration work followed in Derby, returning the engine to working condition and ensuring its preservation for future generations.

Today, the Flying Scotsman sits under the care of the National Railway Museum, but continues to appear on special tours and heritage lines across the country. Its latest visit to Nottinghamshire forms part of that ongoing programme, which curators say is designed to allow as many people as possible to experience the locomotive in motion.

Andrew McLean, head curator at the National Railway Museum, said the aim is to 'ensure as many people as possible have a chance to see and be driven by this incredible locomotive.'

The Great Central Railway Nottingham will host services featuring the locomotive on selected dates in May, including weekend runs and additional scheduled appearances later in the month, as interest builds around one of Britain's most recognisable steam engines returning to a line deeply tied to its past.