Royal Mail and the National Railway Museum are marking the 100th anniversary of steam locomotive Flying Scotsman with a set of 12 Special Stamps.
The images feature Flying Scotsman in various locations across the UK:
- Pickering Station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
- The ‘Christmas Dalesman’ steam special in the Yorkshire Dales National Park
- The ‘Cathedrals Express’ crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct in the Yorkshire Dales National Park
- Steaming through the town of Blyth in Northumberland
- In a blizzard at Heap Bridge on the East Lancashire Railway
- The ‘Cathedrals Express’ excursion crossing the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick-upon-Tweed
- At London’s Victoria Station
- In close-up at Locomotion in Shildon, County Durham.
A further four stamps presented in a miniature sheet feature images of Flying Scotsman and London North Eastern Railway (LNER) poster artwork from the 1920s and 1930s.
Flying Scotsman’s stamp issue will be the last to feature the silhouette of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
The silhouette has been in constant use on Special Stamps since 1968 (55 years).
The first version of Queen Elizabeth’s silhouette to appear on Special Stamps was adapted from a 1953 design by sculptor and medallist, Mary Gillick, used on coinage from 1953 to 1967. It was first used on the Landscapes stamp issue in May 1966.
Stamp illustrator David Gentleman, re-worked the Gillick Head silhouette. The updated design was first used on the British Bridges issue in 1968 and has remained in use until today.
The stamps are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/flyingscotsman and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 12 stamps in the set is available on general sale and priced at £17.70.
