The Flying Scotsman:
U.S and Canada Tour (1969 - 1970)
and 50th Anniversary (1973)




From 1969 to 1972, Flying Scotsman, one of the most famous steam locomotives in the world, toured the United States and Canada. This post shows souvenir covers of the tour as well as other covers highlighting events in the locomotive's history.

[This is a much expanded version of an earlier post]

History of Flying Scotsman

The Flying Scotsman locomotive was built by the London North Eastern Railway at Doncaster works (Yorkshire) in 1923 and became famous by setting several records. In 1928, she hauled the first non-stop train from London to Edinburgh, the longest non-stop run in the world at that time. In 1934 the Flying Scotsman reached a speed of 100 mph on a trip between Leeds and London.

Flying Scotsman continued to be in service until 1963 when she was bought from British Railways by Mr. A. E. Pegler, a private investor who restored her. From 1969 to 1970, the locomotive toured the United States and Canada. The locomotive was sold in 1973 and continued to run for many years.


1969 London North Eastern Railway Society Summer Tour


August 31, 1969, York
Carried aboard Flying Scotsman, London to York cachet



United States and Canada Tour (1969- 1970)

The Flying Scotsman was shipped to North America from Liverpool on September 19, 1969 and toured the United States and Canada until October 1970. The Flying Scotsman remained in storage in North America until her return to Liverpool on February 13, 1973.


Departure Liverpool





Liverpool, September 19, 1969

Phase I : U.S. 1969

Tour Opening : Boston





Boston. October 13, 1969


Hartford





Hartford, October 13, 1969


New York


October 17, 1969


Philadelphia





Philadelphia, October 21, 1969


Baltimore




Baltimore, October 24, 1969


Washington





Washington, October 27, 1969


Atlanta




Atlanta, October 31, 1969


Atlanta to Dallas


Alabama






Dallas


Dallas, November 7, 1969


Fort Worth





Fort Worth, November 9, 1969


Houston, Tour Closing





Houston, November 14, 1969


Phase II : U.S. and Canada 1970

Slaton, Texas to Green Bay Wisconsin (June-July 1970)

Oklahoma





Kansas






Illinois






Wisconsin





Green Bay


Green Bay Wisconsin, July 26, 1970






August 13, 1970



1970 Canada Tour

Itinerary




Toronto


Toronto, September 3, 1970


Canadian National Exhibition post office handstamp




Ottawa


Ottawa, September 10, 1970


Montreal


September 27, 1970


Niagara Falls


Niagara Falls, October 3, 1970


BRITISH STEAM LOCOMOTIVE
'FLYING SCOTSMAN' VISIT TO
NIAGARA FALLS OCTOBER 1970



Niagara Falls, N.Y., cancellation,


North American Storage : October 1970 - February 1973

The Flying Scotsman remained in North America until February 1973 due to financial difficulties.
She returned to England aboard the "California Star" which docked at Liverpool on February 13, 1973, in time to participate in 50th anniversary celebrations.


Return to Liverpool 1973



Liverpool, February, 12, 1973


50th Anniversary : May 1973


Doncaster, May 2, 1973


50th anniversary souvenir cancellation










1988 to the Present Day

In October 1988 the locomotive arrived in Australia to take part in that country's bicentenary celebrations. During its 18 month stay in Australia, Flying Scotsman travelled more than 45,000 miles. On August 8 1989, Flying Scotsman set another record, travelling 442 miles non-stop, the longest such run by a steam locomotive ever recorded.

In 2004, the National Railway Museum (NRM) purchased Flying Scotsman, and is carrying out a full overhaul of the locomotive.

Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee 2012
A Rerun of the 1897 Issue
Emergency Engraving Fix Needed!


A model of a $2.00 stamp commemorating Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee was unveiled in Ottawa recently. The stamp copies the design of the famous 1897 Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee series. Unfortunately the engraving of the "2012" Queen is dreadful and must be changed before the stamp is issued.



It appears that the well-known and lovely engraving by Silas Robert Allan for the 1954 "Wilding" definitive issue has been used as a model for the engraved image on the left. The new engraving is adequate but not particularly inspiring. A different photograph of the 1952 Queen should have been selected for the engraving.

Silas Allan's Wilding issue (1954) engraving

The most serious problem lies with the image of the "2012 Queen", on the right, engraved by Jose Peral . The engraving is unflattering and unappealing. Mr. Peral has engraved several stamps and banknotes in the past and has produced good work with landscapes, animals, and anonymous faces.


Jose Peral engraved the design of the $10 whale definitive

However, it is apparent that Mr. Peral's forte is not the human face:




It is ironic that the Canada Post Office had the same problem (ugliness) in 1953 when it released the Coronation commemorative (The Coronation Issue : A New Low in Attractiveness) and the first Elizabethan definitives (Karsh Isssue) in 1953. Perhaps this time Canada Post can do it right.


A postscript

Not surprisingly, Canada Post ignored my post and did issue the stamp "engraved" by Mr. Peral.  

International Mail Edward VII Period
Redirected and Insufficiently Paid



In this post covers from 1910 and 1904 are shown to illustrate the application of UPU regulations with respect to redirected and insufficiently paid international mail.


Redirected Mail

Redirected international letters were not liable to additional postage unless redirected to an address requiring a higher rate of postage than the first address. The additional fee was either prepaid when the letter was redirected or postage due charges collected on delivery to the redirected address. Only the single deficiency was to be collected.

The letter below was mailed from Como, Quebec to Croydon, England, and was properly prepaid 2 cents, the rate to Britain. The letter was redirected to Lausanne, Switzerland, for which the rate from Canada would have been 5 cents. A charge of 15 centimes was levied by the Swiss post office which represented the difference between the amount of postage already paid and the postage which would have been paid if the letter had been originally sent to Switzerland.

Rate to Great Britain...................................2 cents
Rate to Switzerland (from Canada)..............5 cents
Rate difference.............................................3 cents
Rate difference in centimes.........................15 centimes (1 cent= 5 centimes)


Como, P.Q., to Croydon, England, September 10, 1910 (2 cents rate to Great Britain)
Redirected from Croydon to Lausanne, September 21, 1910
Taxed 15 centimes for the redirection at Lausanne
Further redirection to Lugano


"Parti" label affixed
The addressee had left


"ANNULE" (Void) handstamp on postage due stamps

The letter was returned to Canada (Lugano September 26, 1910) . Montreal receiver October 9, 1910 and forwarded to the Ottawa Dead Letter Office on October 17, 1910




Ottawa Dead Letter Office handstamp
October 18, 1910


Insufficiently Paid (Not Redirected)

The tax on short paid letters and post cards was double the deficiency. Until 1907, the country of origin marked the letter with a "T" and the insufficiency (single amount) was expressed in centimes. The destination office charged the article with twice the insufficiency, converting centimes into its local currency, if necessary. In October, 1907, the terms of the UPU Convention of Rome came into effect. The method of marking short paid items was changed. The country of origin was to mark the short paid item with a T and double the amount of the insufficiency in centimes.

The post card below from Montreal to Milan posted in 1904 was short paid 1 cent. What is interesting to note is that the "T" marking was not applied in Canada but by the British post office in London.


Montreal to Milan, April 8, 1904
2 cents post card rate
Shortpaid 1 cent and taxed single deficiency, 5 centimes


5 [centimes] : single deficiency


London taxe handstamp

Italian Due

The amount to be collected in Italy was double the deficiency, i.e. 10 centimes. Since 25 centesimi (Italian) = 25 centimes, the amount due was 10 centisemi.