Rosemary and I took a trip with Cathedral Express on the Flying Scotsman.  The trip we booked should have gone from Victoria, Cambridge, Ely and then back.  Due to operational details, and I have heard two versions, the trip was changed to take a circular trip around Surrey.  The original excuse was the Flying Scotsman going to Ely would pass along high speed lines, and that previous trips had incurred track incursion from fans along the tracks.  While we were in the carriage travelling, I asked an official.  He said the route was changed because of operational details.  The electrification of the line, modification of platforms, meant the locomotive was too large to pass through some of the stations.

We had bought Pullman tickets which included a good meal, with doggy bags to take home the cheese course.   The trip was 4 hours.  We were delayed half way around when the train stopped to take on water.  This took longer than expected, a water bowser should have been in attendance.  It did not arrive, and a slower water take-on from a hydrant took place.  Delayed, we needed to catch up and were often travelling at 70 mph. The speed was measured by my mobile phone.

This is the route taken by the Flying Scotsman, starting in Victoria Station and progressing around the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction.

 

Flying Scotsman Gallery