The Royal Scot was a named London Midland & Scottish Railway passenger express train that operated between London and Edinburgh on the West Coast Main Line. Similar to the service of the Flying Scotsman on the East Coast Main Line, two Royal Scot trains departed daily at 10 am from their respective stations at Euston and Waverley. This fabulous Scot Passes Scot poster captures the moment, at about 1 p.m. when the two trains pass each other. The passing point, somewhere near Skelmersdale, is about halfway through their extensive 400-mile and six-hour-long journey.
The vintage Royal Scot poster was created by the British artist, whose precarious vantage point offers us a dynamic and dramatic image of the 6110 Grenadier Guardsman hurtling headlong towards our right at over 100mph. The locomotive wheels are a blur of motion and the smoke escaping from the chimney aerodynamically hugs the roofs of the coal tender and railway carriages as it speeds ever onward.
Simultaneously, a second LMS train passes by on the left matching the Grenadier Guardsman for speed. Travelling at great speed, passengers on board gaze in amazement at the splendid sight of the crimson lake coloured train as it swiftly dashes by.
Grineau’s stunning Scot Passes Scot poster illustrates the LMS Royal Scot class locomotive 6110 ‘Grenadier Guardsn’ in action. It showcases the powerful 4-6-0 express engine billowing steam as it pulls a line of passenger carriages. It was originally published in 1937 by the London Midland & Scottish Railway to promote the services between Edinburgh, Glasgow and London Euston stations. The poster text reads Scot Passes Scot by Bryan de Grineau. It also provides the railway service’s important departure times as – 10 am Euston to Glasgow and Edinburgh. 10am Glasgow and Edinburgh to Euston.
Flying Scotsman Railway Posters
The Flying Scotsman passenger train service began in 1862 as the Special Scotch Express. The Flying Scotsman train was officially named in 1923 after the passenger service from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley on the East Coast mainline. Its unmissable green livery, record-breaking achievements, and iconic railway posters soon made the train extremely popular with the British public.
The Flying Scotsman continues to be a symbol of British engineering and a beloved piece of railway history, captivating enthusiasts and tourists worldwide. This famous train has left its mark in various forms of media, gracing the pages of books, the screens of films, and even adorning coins, postage stamps, and jigsaw puzzles. Its iconic presence extends to everyday items like cups, mugs, and coasters, making it a beloved symbol that permeates both history and popular culture.
Vintage posters featuring the Flying Scotsman are especially popular among collectors due to their rarity and nostalgic appeal. These posters capture the essence of the train and are highly valued by those who appreciate history and art. The posters are a testament to its enduring legacy, the Flying Scotsman continues to inspire and captivate generations, becoming a cherished symbol of the golden age of rail travel.
Some of our favorite Flying Scotsman posters include an anonymous poster for the LNER who in conjunction with the Cunard shipping line produced a poster to encourage transatlantic travel from America and Canada to the British shores and onto the Continent. The Cunard LNER poster depicts the famous train waiting patiently on Liverpool docks while its passengers disembark from the RMS Aquitania.
Another well-known and popular poster was produced in 1932 by the British artist A.R. Thomson. The Take Me By Flying Scotsman poster depicts a small child standing on a railway platform looking up at a train driver in his cab. The poster mimics Southern Railways ‘Early Holiday poster‘ by Charles Brown. However, the size of the child compared to the locomotive, and the train driver needing to use a megaphone to communicate with the child, seems to be a playful way to show that LNER trains were bigger and faster than Southern’s.
Leo Marfurt‘s 1928 Flying Scotsman poster is an Art Deco classic that barely features the famous locomotive or train. Instead, the bright and contemporary graphic, almost abstract design depicts a large crowd of passengers leaving the platform having alighted the train whilst others wait patiently to board. The image accompanies the message that the train leaves Kings Cross station in London at 10 a.m. every weekday.
A personal favorite features the iconic train winding its way through the rugged Scottish scenery in the Monessie Gorge in Inverness-shire, Scotland. The stunning By Rail to the Highlands print was created by the renowned artist Terence Cuneo who was renowned for his incredible railway posters and fine art paintings.
For our final highlight, we have chosen a series of posters that were created to celebrate the Flying Scotsman turning 100 years old. Each of the twenty Centenary posters marks one of the mainline centenary runs that took place between March and December 2023. The runs include East Lancashire, Royal Duchy, Keighley and Worth Valley, Cardiff Express, the Cheshireman, the Portsmouth Flyer, the Salisbury Express, the East Coast Mainline, and the Highland Express.
We currently list over 200 vintage railway posters in our collection with new ones introduced on a regular basis. More than a dozen of these include superb reproduction prints and original Flying Scotsman posters. Take a trip over there and see where the journey takes you!
