What improved?
Three cylinders share the work. A corridor in a special tender allowed crews to change during a long journey.
THE ENGINE ROOM / 13
Small parts. Big discoveries.
A little steam. A clever machine. Let’s see what makes it move.
ON THE WORKBENCH4-6-2 · Three cylinders1923 · 4-6-2 · Three cylinders
Explore the steam history timeline
3D MODEL
Flying ScotsmanOur model shows the later A3 appearance: BR green, No. 60103, smoke deflectors and a double chimney. This is not its original 1923 A1 appearance.
Drag to turn · Scroll or pinch to zoom · Right-drag or two-finger drag to panTap a part to discover it
Ready when you are
FROM THE HISTORICAL RECORD · 1923 · 4-6-2 · Three cylinders
THE ENGINE’S STORYMeet Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman was built in 1923. It hauled express passenger trains and became famous around the world. In 1934 it achieved an officially recorded 100 miles an hour. The engine has been repaired and changed many times.
Original, replica or teaching model?
Read the source Our model shows the later A3 appearance: BR green, No. 60103, smoke deflectors and a double chimney. This is not its original 1923 A1 appearance.
How did life change?
Long-distance rail travel linked families and businesses. Drivers, firemen and workshop teams worked together to keep trains moving.
In the archive
Select a photograph to look closer. Captions distinguish originals, replicas and related examples.
Flying Scotsman as BR 60103 at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, 17 March 2016.
Charlie Jackson · CC BY 2.0Archive record ↗
YOUR NEXT DISCOVERY
Look closer. Have a go. Find out.Think like an engineer.
Water on the move
Plan a long express journey. Lower the water scoop only while the tender is over the water trough.
Move through all 12 tiles. Each move uses 8 water units. Lower the scoop on blue trough tiles to collect 22. Set the scoop for the tile the train is on, then move.
Current tile: 1 · Dry track — keep the scoop raised.
No timer. Try as often as you like. These puzzles explain ideas; they are not instructions for operating a real engine.