Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Sunday 25 August 2019

Zephyrinus Is Off To Scotland To Visit Friends In The Highlands. He Travels Overnight On “The Coronation Scot” And Leaves Perkins To Look After The Motor Car.



The “Coronation Scot”.
Illustration: PINTEREST



The “Coronation Scot”.
Available on YouTube at


The National Railway Museum's former London Midland and Scottish Railway Locomotive. It is a “Stanier 7P¨ 4-6-2 Coronation-Class Locomotive (Number 6229) “The Duchess of Hamilton”. On display in The Great Hall at The National Railway Museum, York. This is a Streamlined Coronation-Class Locomotive, used for The Coronation Scot Service. The first five Locomotives were painted Blue, with Silver Lines; the next fifteen Streamlined Locomotives were painted Crimson and Gold, as shown here.
Photo: 1 June 2009.
Source: FLICKR
Author: DAVID INGHAM
(Wikimedia Commons)



The “Coronation Scot”.
Available on YouTube at


The “Coronation Scot”.
This was one of the first tunes I remember hearing on the wireless, I was about three.
“Coronation Scot” was the the theme tune to the detective series called “Paul Temple”, and was the most requested piece of music on the BBC between 1949 and 1951. When I grew up I tried to buy the record, but it wasn't available, so I recorded my own at Strawberry Studio in about 1980. I just found it on an old cassette (a bit wobbly), I think I still have the master tape, must be in the attic.
Available on YouTube at



Paul Temple and The Madison Mystery.
(With “The Coronation Scot” as the Theme Tune).
Available on YouTube at


The Coronation Scot was a named Express Passenger Train, of The London, Midland, and Scottish (LMS) Railway inaugurated in 1937 for The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, which ran until the start of World War II, in 1939.

It ran on The West Coast Main Line between London (Euston Station) and Glasgow (Central Station), stopping at Carlisle for a Crew Change and to pick up and set down Passengers to and from London, only.

The Service was designed to compete with the rival Services on The East Coast Main Line, for prestigious London to Scotland traffic. It was scheduled to complete the journey from London to Glasgow in six hours and thirty minutes.

The Streamlined Coronation Class Locomotives were specially developed for the Service, and were amongst the most powerful Steam Locomotives to operate on British Railways. On a Press Run, preparatory to the introduction of the Service, in June 1937, London, Midland, and Scottish Railway's Princess Coronation Class 6220 “Coronation”, newly-built, achieved a speed of 114 miles per hour (183 km/h) near Crewe.


Three Train Sets were formed from existing Carriages and given a Blue Livery, similar in colour to that previously used by The Caledonian Railway (The LMS' normal Livery was Crimson Lake of the former Midland Railway). The first five of the Coronation Class “Pacific Locomotives” were also turned out in Blue, with Silver “Cheat Lines”.

The Coronation Scot Train ran only on weekdays and during Summer weekends. Two of the Carriage Sets were used on other Trains. The spare Set was kept at LMS's Wolverton Works.

All Passenger Cars were equipped with air-conditioning ventilation, adjustable by individual Passengers to give any desired temperature within the provided range.

A popular piece of Light Orchestral Music, celebrating this Train, was composed by Vivian Ellis. This was used as the Theme Tune for The BBC Radio Programme, Paul Temple.


“The Coronation Scot”.
Illustration: FINE ART AMERICA

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