The world's steam locomotive speed record was set 75 years ago today

[mahatmakanejeeves]

July 3, 1938: LNER Mallard hits 125.88 mph (202.58 km/h). Admittedly, it was on a downhill grade.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4_4468_Mallard

Record

Mallard is the holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives at 125.88 mph (202.58 km/h). The record was achieved on 3 July 1938 on the slight downward grade of Stoke Bank south of Grantham on the East Coast Main Line, and the highest speed was recorded at milepost 90¼, between Little Bytham and Essendine. It broke the German (DRG Class 05) 002's 1936 record of 124.5 mph (200.4 km/h).

At the time, the Milwaukee Road was the railroad in the U.S. setting steam speed records. I found this video of some Milwaukee Road 4-4-2s. Sorry, no speed records here, but these are the first videos I've even seen of their 4-4-2s.

"Grainy" doesn't even begin to describe this footage:

This is in better condition. It's from a year before the record-setting run.

[Populist_Prole]

1. 100+ MPH steam was fairly common in the US

Milwaukee Road and C & NW also had streamlined even more powerful hudsons ( 4 -6 - 4 ) and they used to slug it out in competition for the Chicago - Milwaukee market, each one trying to out-do the other in speed.

New York Central Hudsons would routinely break the 100 MPH barrier on their crack passenger trains

Pennsylannia too, when they rolled out their more modern homebuilt steam.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. "was" - not common anymore.

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Both Canada and the USA have let their tracks deteriorate to the point where even 60mph is dodgy.

I worked for CP Rail in Canada, have rode in the locomotives, and even at 20 mph in some spots they literally rock and roll.

Yet Europe and China have High-Speed trains that do well over 150 miles an hour.

What's wrong with North America? -

OH - I know -

we spend too much of our money bombing the shit out of other people's countries to have the money to be able to improve our own . . . .

(sigh)

CC

[MicaelS]

7. I worked as a Freight Brakeman / Conductor for 17 years.

The RRs back then did NOT want passenger trains on their tracks. AFAIK, they still don't. The only reason they tolerate Amtrak is because the US Government gives them so much money to allow trackage rights. Frankly, we freight crews hated Amtrak back then. Because oft times we had to wait for Amtrak, and that delayed us getting over the road, and either getting home, or getting to the terminal at the other end of the road, and getting our rest. The one who really hated Amtrak were Maintenance of Way people who could only come out, work for a few hours, then stop, and clear Amtrak one direction, then repeat the process for Amtrak the other direction.

In the US we have High-Speed passenger rail traffic in the only places the population density is high enough, which is the Northeast Corridor with multiple main lines, and the West Coast. If we want widespread High-Speed passenger rail in this country, then we will have to spend the money to build dedicated High-Speed passenger only rails lines and all that entails. That means no rail crossing at grade. No chances of any car / truck and train ever colliding. Ever. Bridges / overpasses everywhere train and surface roads meet. How much will that cost to build per mile? I have seen estimates from $20 million a mile to $2 billion a mile.

And think of the legal bullshit that would entail. Everyone would have both hands out thinking they won the Lottery because the government was going to buy their land for rails lines. Then there would be the NIMBYs who would try to stop they whole thing because it ruined their quality of life or their view, or some other excuse. Then the environmentalists would get into the act claiming animals would be driven to extinction or the local ecology would be irreparably damaged, or some other excuse.

We can't even build wind turbines to help us become energy self sufficient without someone whining and crying about THEIR view being spoiled, or birds being slaughtered, or the desert ecology being destroyed, or someone suffering from some nervous complaints because of noise from wind turbines, and you think we're going to get widespread High Speed Passenger rail in this country?

[ConcernedCanuk]

8. I was with BMWE at CP Rail

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That was our Union - Brotherhood Of Maintenance and Way.

I was what they called maintainer - worked on the machines that repaired the track.

Went out on many gangs, and as you mentioned - would have to skedaddle off the track into a siding to let a train come through with our thumbs up our - - well you know.

they would run those machines like hell on the gang until they practically fell apart, then us maintainers had to work into the wee hours of the night, or even next morning, to get them ready for the next shift.

Good bucks, but living in them boarding cars was sure no luxury.

It was work, sleep, work - and the first day off (we usually worked 9 on 5 off) was travel home and sleep.

I get your points - we'll never see high-Speed rail in North America unless somethings change drastically - and it ain't gonna happen in my lifetime methinks.

Good post!

CC

[Auggie]

9. Have you heard of plans in California to link the north and south with high speed rail?

San Francisco to Los Angeles, 432 miles in 2 hours 38 minutes ... roughly 164 mph.

LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High-Speed_Rail

While I support mass transit, I voted against this initiative since I think upgrades and expansion of local public transit are a much higher priority. Imagine the local improvements that could be accomplished with billions of dollars.

[MicaelS]

10. Had not heard of that, thanks for the link.

Will have to take time to study it more extensively.

[EdwardSmith74]

3. The first record (14 mph) was set in 1830 by the Tom Thumb leaving Ellicott Mills, now Ellicott City

The first train station in America was in Ellicott Mills (still there). The Tom Thumb was up against a horse-drawn rail carriage on the 13 mile journey to Baltimore (which didn't have a station at the time - they built it the following year).

The steam engine was way ahead and on its way to victory when a band on the boiler broke at about the 7 mile mark. History shows that the horses won, but reality shows the Tom Thumb did. Are there any horses on the rail lines now?

Baltimore claims to have had the first station, but records in the attic of the Ellicott Mills station prove it was built in 1829 and had the first turn table in the nation as well. Still, the replica of the Tom Thumb is housed in the Baltimore station - probably because they have more room. The Ellicott Mills station is smaller than my house and in serious disrepair.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. They may not have the colonies anymore, but that's no reason not to celebrate.

http://nrm.org.uk/mallard75

http://nrm.org.uk/PlanaVisit/Events/artgallery_itsquickerbyrail.aspx

http://nrm.org.uk/PlanaVisit/Events/artgallery_itsquickerbyrail.aspx#gallery



The Four Streamliners
Poster, London & North Eastern Railway, c.1937

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. More fuel for the fire

WAS GERMAN 05 002 THE WORLD'S FASTEST STEAM LOCO?

Has links to Milwaukee Road and other things.

[Orrex]

6. Very cool!

[trof]

11. My railroadin' days...

Great aunt Lucia was an office worker with the AGS (Alabama Great Southern railroad) in Birmingham, Alabama. Among her other responsibilities, she ran the pass department. Employees and relatives could ride for free. Kind of like airlines today.
So she knew all the crews.

When I was 8 or 9, she'd take me on a train trip.
Along with her sister, Mattie.
This would be around 1950.

Grandpa (their older brother) would drive us to the terminal.
It was an amazing piece of architecture.




We'd board about 8 a.m.
About 30 minutes later, breakfast in the dining car.


White linen and heavy silver cutlery.
I had either a jelly omelet (grape jelly) or the ham and cheese omelet.
Toast or biscuits, and (what else?), grits.

Of course the entire staff; waiters, cooks, etc. were black men, as were the Pullman porters.

After breakfast Aunt Lucia would find the CONDUCTOR.
I learned that he was the train 'boss'.
Not the engineer.

The conductor would take me on a tour of the whole train.
Places regular passengers weren't allowed.
Kitchen, baggage cars, caboose, and right up into the locomotive.
I sat on the engineer's lap and 'drove' the train.
Blew the whistle at crossings.
I was in heaven.

I miss the old days of trains.
Just thought I'd share.