3 July 1938

Here's a couple of interesting old photographs I've shamelessly borrowed from my copy of O.S.Nock's "The Gresley Pacifics" omnibus edition. It's long out of print but you can get a secondhad copy - take a look here.

The photo at the top is Mallard lurking in the 'up' loop at Barkston just north of Grantham on Sunday 3 July 1938 with Nigel Gresley himself aboard. This was supposed to be a routine brake test of new rolling stock comparing air and vacuum brakes but the coach slipped in behind the locomotive suggests all is not what it seems. It's the old N.E.R dynanometer test coach, now in the National Railway Museum at York.

A few minutes later the train pulled out onto the main line towards Peterborough and London. It stormed up to Peascliffe tunnel on full throttle and as it began the descent of Stoke Bank that regulator stayed full open and everyone hung on for dear life. Some miles down the bank at Tallington the train reached the world speed record for steam which still stands today - 126.7 m.p.h

Below is a picture of the crew in charge of this risky enterprise - a bunch of pretty fearless Yorkshiremen eh? From left to right Fireman Bray, Driver Duddington and Inspector Jenkins. I've got a cap like that too.



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