Description

This £2 coin commemorates the Centenary of Flying Scotsman.

Flying Scotsman is one of the most famous locomotives in the world. Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster works in 1923, this iconic locomotive holds a host of records, including being the first locomotive to complete a non-stop London to Edinburgh run. Flying Scotsman locomotive 4472 was the first steam engine to achieve a fully authenticated speed of 100mph. In 1989 a tour of Australia resulted in two new world records – the longest non-stop run by a steam engine (422 miles), and the first locomotive to circumnavigate the globe when travelling back to the UK via Cape Horn. No stranger to breaking railway records, it currently holds the title of the oldest working locomotive still operating on the United Kingdom’s mainline railways.

Deriving its name from the daily 10.00 am London to Edinburgh rail service, Flying Scotsman is an impressive feat of British engineering that endures as a living symbol of the great age of steam.

Issue date: 3 January 2023