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The world's steam locomotive speed record was set 75 years ago today [View all]
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.
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