Entertainment

This guy waited 90 minutes to see the Flying Scotsman, only for his trip to be derailed last minute

As the 19th century train trundled into view, an unwelcome blockage appeared at the all-important moment.
As the 19th century train trundled into view, an unwelcome blockage appeared at the all-important moment.

Getting a glimpse of the Flying Scotsman is a trainspotter’s dream.

But imagine waiting, and waiting, only to have your view blocked by a high-speed Virgin train at the crucial moment.

That’s what happened to Graham Linay, who waited an hour-and-a-half to see one of the 19th century locomotives pass through Station Lane, Offord Cluny, in Huntingdonshire.

Just as it was approaching, a Virgin East Coast train blew its horn and zoomed past the steam train, obstructing it completely.

Standing alongside pals, Linay and the disappointed group can be heard groaning in disbelief, with one exclaiming “Oh, would you believe it” and another going “Aww, bloody hell”.

His 17-second clip went viral, racking up more than 200,000 views in one day.

Linay told the Press Association: “We were there for about an hour – we knew that it was arriving at about two, so we got there for 2pm and waited.

“We did hear a whisper from neighbours that it was going to be delayed, so we waited 15 minutes and when it didn’t come, we thought we’d wait another 15 minutes before going. And then it came.

“I’m not a railway enthusiast, but I am of an age where I remember steam trains were the norm and diesel and electric were the novelty, now it’s the opposite.

“It doesn’t happen every day so my friend Len was taking pictures, and I thought I’d take a video to do it more justice.”

Linay admitted he did laugh at the moment, which has earned him the sympathy of many viewers.

The Flying Scotsman and Virgin Trains' new Azuma travel
(David Parry/PA Wire/PA Images)
The Flying Scotsman and Virgin Trains’ Azuma in the North Yorkshire countryside (David Parry/PA)

A similar incident happened to Ryan Alley in 2016.

The Lincolnshire resident was filming the Scotsman’s inaugural run following a 10-year refit, only for his view to be obscured by a Virgin train.

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson apologised for the incident and compensated Alley with flights to Atlanta, US.

But a spokesman for Virgin Trains said a compensatory gift would be unlikely in Linay’s case.

The Flying Scotsman was not named as such until 1924, but set off for the very first time in 1862 from London Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley simultaneously. The service is now run by Virgin Trains.