The steam locomotive Flying Scotsman was named for a service between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh.
The service was the LNER’s prestigious Flying Scotsman express, connecting London King’s Cross with Edinburgh Waverley along the East Coast Main Line. The train’s name had been used informally since the nineteenth century before the London and North Eastern Railway officially adopted it in 1924.
The locomotive itself received the name in February 1924, shortly after entering service. It was displayed at the British Empire Exhibition and became a powerful symbol of the LNER. The route covered roughly 392 miles between the two capitals.
A common mix-up is Glasgow, another major Scottish city served by famous railway routes. The Flying Scotsman’s named service, however, ran between London and Edinburgh. In 1928, it became a scheduled nonstop service, and locomotive 4472 hauled the inaugural run.