The National Railway Museum has announced a new custodian for world-famous locomotive, Flying Scotsman.
Stockton-on-Tees based Northern Steam Operations Limited (run by Northern Steam Engineering Limited) have been selected as the next custodians of Flying Scotsman in a contract that will run until January 2032.
The previous agreement with Riley & Son (E) Ltd ended on the 31st December 2023 with a tender to find the next custodian opening back in March 2024.
When the tender was released, it did include the provision for the locomotive to be converted to a single chimney locomotive and a livery change if requested.
However, the NRM says that the locomotive will remain the same livery and configuration for the time being.
The contract includes 30 days of static display, 15 heritage railway visits and 20 main line excursion days each year.
A plan for the rest of the year is now being drawn up with more details to be released soon. However, the locomotive is expected to visit Locomotion in Shildon over the summer.
Flying Scotsman is due an overhaul in 2029 and Northern Steam Operations Ltd will be responsible for overhauling the locomotive.
“After a comprehensive procurement process, I am pleased to announce that we have selected Northern Steam as preferred supplier to take over the day-to-day maintenance and operation of Flying Scotsman. This will ensure a positive and sustainable future for the locomotive and enable us to reach a wide audience of Flying Scotsman fans across the country and to work with a wide range of partners.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the previous custodians, Riley & Son (E) Ltd for their efforts over the past decade. Without their tireless hard work and commitment, last year’s centenary programme would not have been possible and the locomotive would not be in the condition it is today.
“I look forward to working with Northern Steam and the new team as we plan a calendar of activity for 2024 and beyond.”
Judith McNicol, Director of the National Railway Museum
Responses
It could be that NRM felt that awarding the contract to Northern Steam will allow them to make Scotsman accessible to a wider audience (as Judith McNicol suggests). It could also be that they want to try out (hopefully successfully) a new contractor so that they have a back-up in times of need or can introduce an element of true competition between potential providers in the future. Having all your eggs in one basket is risky if your contractor gets into financial (or other) hot water. Having real competition can, yes sometimes, drive a race to the bottom. In the case of a well structured tender invitation, it should aim to increase the quality and flexibility of the service provider (not that it seems as though Riley’s have failed in any respect here). Fingers crossed that this !ew contract period will be as successful as the last one!
I am in agreement with the manority of views expressed here. Why ditch a proven engineer and operator for what appears to be an unknown quantity? Beware..bean counters at work.
I thought this was going to be someone better than NRM (and by extension the broader incompetent Science Museum Group) looking after her. Sadly my prayers have gone unanswered.
Time will tell.
Ian Riley and his guys are more capable of looking after Flying Scotsman than any other outfits. They have proved that beyond and doubt. Ian Riley and his team of excellent engineers always turn out a clean, presentable, highly reliable and impeccably well maintained locomotive. I knew of Riley and Son nearly 30 years ago. I have never heard of Northern Steam. What is their track record? How many other high profile locomotives do they maintain? I have always supported the NRM and have always contributed to the Flying Scotsman. How long will it be before they are passing the cap round for our loose change? Ian Riley wouldn’t have to do that!
Well said Robin! An unknown and unproven new custodian has disaster written all over it. More decisions made by grey suited accountants with no knowledge of the requirements. How many times do we have to see this “cheapest is best” attitude go wrong. I worked I the MoD and they were always falling for it. They moved work away from MoD fitters to private companies that didn’t do a good job. On one occasion they bent the airframes on a squadron of Tornados that were then quietly decommissioned- hush hush and no fuss. Cost the taxpayer millions!
Well done NRM … but you are making a mistake!
Sounds very much like an accountants choice as apposed to an engineers!
Let’s hope it doesn’t all go wrong, might it be a dear Mr Riley do you think you could fix this please!
There’s no chance of publishing the Tenders, I suppose ?
Peter Dew makes a very good point. Everyone should be able to access all public tenders. It’s our money!
Good luck to the new custodians.
You can submit a FOI request
You’re very right, it should be transparent
Few big assumptions going on here around NRM’s decision to award before the ink has dried. Remember Rileys were once first time awardees!
Good to see Rileys lost.
I seem to remember that the NRM passed the Flying Scotsman to Riley’s in the first place to “fix it” & make it an operational loco!
Well they had to do it at some point… I don’t see why we are all being negative. Do you want the Flying Scotsman or not!?
Should be left as it not converted or repainted in differantcoluor u less wartime is the new contract goi g to a British owned company .
No such thing as loyalty, money talks shame Riley’s by all accounts have really looked after this near priceless assets, the beancounters at NRM have other ideas…sometimes less is more, why upset something when it was going so well?
Can’t help feeling this is not good news. Riley’s have been excellent custodians. Why change ? Can only be Northern Steam Operations are doing it on the cheap.
Very surprised that the custodianship of this ironic locomotive taken away from Riley’s as they have looked after her brilliantly over the years. Time will tell whether this decision is the right one.
So move from a contractor who knows all there is to know about the loco to a new entity, presumably decided by bean counters. This is a flagship heritage item and it’s operational integrity must come first. My guess is there will soon be another public appeal for funds ………
Who are northen steam
ENGINEERING DESIGN, FABRICATION, MACHINING AND PRESSURE VESSEL SPECIALISTS.
Incorporated two months ago
That’s not fair – all they have done is to ring fence the FS operations in a subsidiary limited company – the real question is … why not extend Riley’s contract – or may be they did not want to etc – at least FS will be running soon and on display as well – we should be thankful for “small mercies” etc