Beverley Flying Scotsman Modellers Need Your Support

The National Railway Museum in York is urging people in Beverley to support a local competition entry which is in the running to scoop a once in a lifetime prize – to travel behind the newly restored Flying Scotsman.

Heather and Sebastian Lorch from Beverley are off to a flying start in the Museum’s model competition which challenged members of the public to make a model of the world famous Flying Scotsman locomotive from any material they could get their hands on. It’s now down to members of the public to visit the Museum’s temporary exhibition of over 30 models or visit an online gallery at this site to vote for their favourite entry to win.

Beverley Guardian readers may remember having a brief encounter with the entry back in April when the model made from an old fleecy sweatshirt, old socks and pants made an appearance in the paper. We’re pleased to announce that the model was successful in knocking the socks off judges and is now through to the next stage of the competition with their suitably named entry, “Fleecy Sockman.” Sebastian and his mother had gone to great lengths to make their cuddly model as lifelike as possible with dyed, rolled up baby socks for axels and carefully cut-out snowflake motifs to depict the spokes on the engine’s wheels.

Helen Ashby OBE, Head of Knowledge & Collections at the Museum, said:

“The competition has been a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to come together and celebrate Flying Scotsman’s return to steam this summer. Similar to the real locomotive, the entries have been lovingly crafted using a wide variety of old and new materials with amazing results. Of course, it’s all down to the public now to determine the winner and we’re urging everyone to visit the exhibition or get online to ensure their local entries are on track to scoop the top prize!”

From this Saturday, thirty four selected models will be placed on display in a temporary exhibition at the National Railway Museum. Visitors to the exhibition will be invited to cast their vote for the one they feel is the most deserving of the once in a lifetime prize- to ride in the carriages pulled by the newly restored Flying Scotsman. To correspond with the opening of the new exhibition, an online gallery will also be launched at www.nrm.org.uk/scotsmancomp, with members of the public having the opportunity to submit their votes via the site.

Those planning to visit the exhibition over the upcoming May bank holiday will also have the opportunity to take in the sight of the real Flying Scotsman as it appears on the Museum’s turntable in its Wartime LNER Black Livery for a special Preview Weekend (28- 30 May). To celebrate the preview event, the Museum will be hosting nine days of Flying Scotsman themed fun this May half term (28 May – 5 June) including daily bagpipe performances, craft activities, a discovery trail to uncover facts about Flying Scotsman and a chance to find out more about the restoration with daily talks and video footage.

Members of the public will have just over 3 weeks to vote for their favourite Flying Scotsman model before voting closes on 12 June. The winner will be announced in July and the trip behind Flying Scotsman will take place later in the summer of 2011. The winner will also receive a prize package containing a Hornby Flying Scotsman train set and a variety of other Flying Scotsman goodies.

Admission to the National Railway Museum is free. Voting opens 21 May with the launch of the temporary exhibition and the online gallery at www.nrm.org.uk/scotsmancomp. More information about Flying Scotsman and its return can be found at www.flyingscotsman.org.uk