It is a sad day. Alan Pegler died Sunday at the age of 91. He was instrumental in reviving the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales, and he brought the locomotive Flying Scotsman with an exhibition train from the UK to the US for an epic tour. I met him briefly on the footplate of LNER Number 4472 in Dallas.

Glen Brewer
Railroad Glory Days
http://railroadglorydays.com

Sad news. He was the classic British gentleman. I had the privilege of riding aboard the Flying Scotsman as his guest during its American tour and was able to reciprocate some years later by having him as my guest aboard C&O 614.

He was a staunch steam enthusiast with a great sense of humor.

R.I.P.

Ross Rowland

Sad indeed. I too had pleasure of meeting him. A few times in a business/social context, once at the Ffestiniog and once by total happenstance on a station platform boarding a train.

The Scotsman tour of the US was certainly worthy of note. Somewhere there is a family photograph of my son and his big sister standing on a station platform staring into that beaver tail saloon as the train paused for a few minutes to change pilots.

As important as is his bringing the train itself here is to remember the degree of personal sacrifice that resulted and the fact that he rebounded and went on to other projects which were just as magnificent.

I suspect the news has it wrong. He is actually sitting in a pub somewhere planning his next venture.

GME

While I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Pegler, I'll forever be grateful to him for bringing his beautiful engine and train to North America.

As a twelve year old, it was simply amazing to experience British steam in Brockville, Ontario, on a day when CN 4-8-4 #6218 was sitting (cold) across from the station at the shop. I was well used to CN's fantrip Northerns, but 4472 and her train were so different, and so gorgeous.

Thank you, Mr. Pegler!

Steve Hunter

I was stationed at Ft. McClellan, Alabama from late 1969 to mid-1970. Sometime in the late spring of 1970 (IIRC) the Flying Scotsman came calling at Anniston, Alabama the town adjacent to Fort Mac. There to greet the Scotsman were two Southern steam specials (4501 & 722?). Three steam locomotives in town--surreal!

Thanks!