Today, July 3rd, 2013, marks the 75th Anniversary of LNER A4 4468's world record run at Stoke Bank on the East Coast Mainline.
To celebrate, all six surviving "Streaks" are in York, at the NRM. NRM's website is down as I write this, but here's a picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/allan5819/9203122024/in/pool-nationalrailwaymuseum
Wow! What a spectacle!
Just goes to show how different the British preservation movement is compared to ours. If, say, a Milwaukee Road Class F7 broke the record, we would be lucky to have one example survive. The Brits have six.
Trivia for anyone that didn't know: two of those locos came from North America to participate in the event.
Happy anniversary Mallard! How about a re-run of the event?
Sadly, Mallard has been inoperable since 1986, and was actually damaged enough during the run that another locomotive had to take her train to London.
It would be fun to see another "Streak" at full speed, though.
NorthWest Sadly, Mallard has been inoperable since 1986, and was actually damaged enough during the run that another locomotive had to take her train to London. It would be fun to see another "Streak" at full speed, though.
Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUnjQh8XuAo#at=16
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Glad Bittern is back in her as built appearance...I thought she was in BR Green and missing her valances...Looks good!
Aren't three of them running? I think Union of South Africa runs, as well as Sir Nigel Gresley. I remember a youtube video of the three of them in a race of some sort.
This Yank got goosebumps just looking at the Great Gathering photo of the 5 Mallards (is the collective noun properly "a flock of Mallards"?). Also, LOVED the run-by clip.
You Brits! The Great Gathering and, in a few days, a new heir to the Throne! What a wonderful July for you good folks.
I am thinking these Mallards are the most beautiful steam locomotives that I've ever seen. They look almost like art deco limousines with those curving fenders and so on.
The British have the right idea about heritage, and not just when it comes to railways. I hope to see lots more photos and movies of the Great Gathering both in this forum and on YouTube.
Rule Britannia!
One of my enduring memories was as a small child was holding my Grandfathers hand as I Saw Mallard for the first time and Being Awe Struck I think I can safely say that visit to the National rail museum was when the railway bug bit.
And I remember reading some ware the collective noun For mallard and her sisters is "Is a Stable of A4"
A4 being the class name a a stable well because they were the LNER's and later BR's East coast mainline racehorses
Apologies in advance for any use of UK RailRoad Terms
"there is the wrong way the Right way and then there is Great western railway Way"
Glad I saw A-4 Kingfisher serviced at Aberdeen Shed summer 1962 and then rode behind her south to Furth.
I was there.
The Flikr photo was the only angle from which all locomotives could be photographed together with a 28mm equivalent lens, and then with difficulty. Surely if you go to that much trouble to get them there, put them with their noses together...
I waited till the end of the day, and got the same shot with three guys in black preparing for an evening function and one official yelling at me to leave (not bad really...)
I also watched 4464 leave Kings Cross, on the 29th June, the nearest to the actual run. There were far fewer fans than I expected and it looked good.
Since I flew from Australia (via the USA) I was a bit disappointed by the difficulty of photography.
"Tornado" worked the Cathedrals Express to York on the 3rd and was serviced just outside the museum, and could be seen and photographed just by turning 180 degrees from the photo linked above and walking to the glazed wall.
Since none of the A4s were working that day and "Tornado" was said to have an A4 whistle, that was appropriate.
I rode down to Doncaster where the A4s were built, and was able to photograph there a silver EMD loco 67026 "Golden Jubilee". The first A4 was built for the Silver Jubilee of the Queen's grandfather, so that was appropriate.
I have five model A4s, a Trix Merlin in BR green, a Bachmann boxed set of "Commonwealth of Australia", three locomotives in LNER Blue, BR Blue and BR Green and a Bachmann "Union of South Africa in BR green.
So I have locos in all the schemes seen in York on the 3rd July.
M636C
I saw the Union of South Africa at the NRM in 2004. Out in the yard, I was talking to some of the men who worked there and were looking it over after a run. There was one man on a ladder who was waxing the side of the locomotive using Simoniz! I did see the Bittern last summer at the Severn Valley and was able to ride behind it on a run up to Bridgenorth. In a few weeks, there again and will check out the Bluebell and the Kent and East Sussex. Oh to be in England!
Hi Northwest, Many thanks for that link to the photo of the remaining Gresley A4`s gathered together at the NRM for Mallard`s 75th year reunion of the world steam speed record run. As a young lad I used to watch the A4`s on the East Coast Main line passing by at my favourite loco spotting point near Will`s cigarette factory on the Newcastle Coast Road near Wallsend on Tyne, that was in the days just after WWII when the A4`s were painted in the wartime black livery. I`m now retired and living in New Zealand and still feel a bit peeved that the NZ government refused the offer by British Rail to ship the A4 "Dominion of New Zealand" over for permanent display here which would`ve probably meant that there would`ve been seven A4`s at York for the reunion!
Cheers, Gunneral
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