My British Model Railway Locomotives

Mallard

What can you say about this world famous Steam locomotive? Even today Mallard still holds the World Speed Record set in 1938 for a Steam Train at 126mph or 202kmph! No steam locomotive (and very few other types of locomotive) have ever gone faster!

LNER locomotive numbered 4468 Mallard is a Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster Works, England in 1938.

Mallard is historically significant as the holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives at 126 mph (203 km/h).

The A4 class was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley to power high-speed streamlined trains. The wind-tunnel-tested aerodynamic body and high power allowed the class to reach speeds of over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) although in everyday service it rarely attained this speed. While in British Railways days regular steam-hauled rail services in the UK were officially limited to a 90 mph 'line speed' pre-war the A4s had to run significantly above 90 mph just to keep on schedule and trains such as the Silver Jubilee and The Coronation reached 100 mph on many occasions.

Mallard covered almost one and a half million miles (2.4 million km) before it was retired in 1963.

The locomotive is 70 ft (21 m) long and weighs 165 tons, including the tender. It is painted LNER garter blue with red wheels and steel rims.

Mallard is now part of the National Collection at the United Kingdom's National Railway Museum in York.


Further reading:-
Mallard