U.S. Bound
That famous locomotive, the Flying Scotsman, may be following the luxury liners Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth to a permanent resting place in the United States.
The triumph of British steam technology is booked as deck-cargo to arrive at Boston, Massachussets, on a “temporary” trip in the autumn.
From Boston it will haul a train-load of British exporters and their wares, members of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and an expensivelyfitted clubcoach down the Eastern Seaboard, and then west into Texas.
The promotion tour ends at Houston in November. And then? The millionaire British businessman who owns the engine, Mr Alan Pegler, has plans for a West Coast tour, including a link with the expatriate Queen Mary at Long Beach, California, and there have been several inquiries from prospective buyers. “I would always reserve my position about a sale," he told reporters. Asked whether he would be guided by profit or patriotism, he replied “keeping the Flying Scotsman is net a highly profitable exercise.”
Mr Pegler paid £3OOO six years ago to save the 100ton locomotive from the scrapyard. His pre-American tour costs have included a £2OOO bill for repainting the Flying Scotsman in its traditional green livery, and
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19690510.2.203
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31984, 10 May 1969, Page 24
Word Count
201U.S. Bound Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31984, 10 May 1969, Page 24
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.