Sarner International, the leading experiential design expert, has been chosen by the Science Museum Group, alongside Figment Productions, to create a new immersive experience, celebrating the centenary of the iconic Flying Scotsman locomotive.
The Flying Scotsman was unveiled in 1923 and went on to make history in 1934 when it became the first steam locomotive to reach 100 miles per hour. With a cinema car, cocktail bar and even a hairdressing salon on board, the train service came to symbolise all that is speed and style. It also appeared in one of British cinema’s first ‘talkies’ in 1929.
The brief for the new attraction is to tell the story of the Flying Scotsman, as well as celebrating its engineering brilliance and exploring the science behind steam power. It will feature a highly-themed physical environment where visitors can enjoy an AV pre-show, as well as a free-roam VR experience using cutting-edge untethered VR technology.
Celebrating an engineering marvel
The multisensory experience will show how museums and cultural heritage organisations can bring subjects to life in fresh new ways, in order to entertain and educate a new generation of guests. After undertaking a centenary tour of the UK, it will become a permanent attraction at York’s newly transformed National Railway Museum.
Bradley Wynne, creative director of Sarner International says: “Flying Scotsman is central to the history of railways in the UK, and it is a great joy to be able to explore this legacy in this new groundbreaking attraction. The design will set a new standard in STEM education through innovative immersive storytelling as well as world-class levels of accessibility, ambitions that drive our teams at both Sarner and Figment”.
Simon Reveley, CEO of Figment Productions adds: “In its day the Scotsman was a celebrity – literally a movie star – and it was an engineering marvel. We think it’s fitting to celebrate its centenary using the very latest technology. We’ll be doing things with this experience that we’ve never been able to do before; exciting new techniques that have unique relevance to the museums and heritage sector.
“Using our own Hyphen hyper-reality platform, we’ll enable guests to ‘step inside the movie’ – seeing all aspects of Flying Scotsman’s story. It’s no surprise that the Science Museum Group understand the power of VR and how it can be applied to stories of science and history. We’re delighted to be working with our partners at Sarner with their outstanding track record of immersive storytelling in this sector”.
Telling authentic stories
“The Science Museum Group is committed to telling authentic stories in innovative ways, and this immersive experience will allow us to share Flying Scotsman’s 100 years of history in a completely unique way,” adds Mark Cutmore, head of commercial experiences at the Science Museum Group.
“Audiences will be able to get closer to Flying Scotsman than ever before, meet the people involved in its incredible history and understand why this engineering marvel is regarded by many as the world’s most famous locomotive. We’re really excited to be working with Sarner and Figment on the project to create a truly inspiring celebration of the Scotsman, its history, engineering and the science behind steam locomotion.”
The attraction is due to open in 2023 at the National Railway Museum, York and at Locomotion in Shildon County Durham.
Sarner also recently announced that it has been working with Mid Ulster District Council to conduct a masterplanning and feasibility study for The Hill of the O’Neill, a significant historical site in Northern Ireland.
The company will be exhibiting at IAAPA Expo Europe 2022, where the team can be found at booth #1950.
Top image: Flying Scotsman’s 2016 inaugural run at York station, © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, National Railway Museum
