Very special steam train chugs through Melton

The 46100 Royal Scot steam train on a Christmas festive charter train to York, pictured it at Wymondham Crossing.
PHOTO PAUL DAVIES EMN-171219-143219001 — The 46100 Royal Scot steam train on a Christmas festive charter train to York, pictured it at Wymondham Crossing. PHOTO PAUL DAVIES EMN-171219-143219001

Reader Paul Davies captured this stunning image of the train at Wymondham Crossing.

It became famous when it was exhibited along with some LMS carriages at the Century of Progress Exposition held in Chicago in 1933. The loco then toured the USA and Canada to show off British expertise and engineering skill. It’s nameplate displays details of this visit.

In the early 1960s, it was based at Nottingham to work the daily Robin Hood express to London until it was replaced by diesels in late 1962.

After being taken out of service it was bought by Billy Butlin and moved to his holiday camp at Skegness where it was displayed on a plinth until 1971 where many people from the Melton area would have seen it on their holidays.

It was finally restored back for use on the mainline in late 2015 and today it travelled much of the route that it did in the 1960’s when based at Nottingham.