World Steam Speed Record 75 years on

Oberon · 07-02-13, 09:36 PM

Today will mark 75 years since Gresleys A4 Pacific number 4468 'Mallard' broke the World Speed Record for a steam locomotive whilst hauling a special service from Edinburgh to Kings Cross...and then subsequently broke herself. Alas Mallard did not make it all the way to Kings Cross, being taken out of service at Peterborough due to an overheated Big End bearing on the middle cylinder, a weakness on the A4.
However, the damage was minor and she was returned to service and thankfully preserved along with five other A4s which will gather in York for a fortnights reunion, the first time the six surviving A4s have been seen together since the end of steam in Britain.

Although I'm not particularly an LNER man, I cannot deny the gracefulness of Gresleys work on the A4s, who have carried his legacy into the 21st century and beyond.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_C...4_4468_Mallard

07-02-13, 09:36 PM	#1
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	World Steam Speed Record 75 years on Today will mark 75 years since Gresleys A4 Pacific number 4468 'Mallard' broke the World Speed Record for a steam locomotive whilst hauling a special service from Edinburgh to Kings Cross...and then subsequently broke herself. Alas Mallard did not make it all the way to Kings Cross, being taken out of service at Peterborough due to an overheated Big End bearing on the middle cylinder, a weakness on the A4. However, the damage was minor and she was returned to service and thankfully preserved along with five other A4s which will gather in York for a fortnights reunion, the first time the six surviving A4s have been seen together since the end of steam in Britain. Although I'm not particularly an LNER man, I cannot deny the gracefulness of Gresleys work on the A4s, who have carried his legacy into the 21st century and beyond. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_C...4_4468_Mallard