How Gresley's A4 Pacific's became the World's Fastest Steam Engines (Reworked)

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  • Опубліковано 29 гру 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 96

  • @herseem
    @herseem 3 місяці тому +24

    According to my Dad also, when different railway companies exchanged engines after nationalisation, the GWR found that some engines from other railways could be dramatically improved by using optical instruments to improve the accuracy of adjustments that were lacking in the maintenance by other railway companies.

  • @The_Penguin_Overlord
    @The_Penguin_Overlord 3 місяці тому +17

    been enjoying the "reworked" episodes, thank you 😃

  • @jackmellor5536
    @jackmellor5536 3 місяці тому +12

    I've been waiting to watch this one again. Thanks for reuploading.

  • @tulyar1043
    @tulyar1043 3 місяці тому +40

    Mallard hit 126mph at 90m16ch. The lineside sign commerating this feat is at 90m12ch. If this sign had been put at 90m16ch it would have been at the foot of a 40ft high embankment.
    DP 1 ran on the East Coast route from 1959 to 1961. Its BR service was ended when it hit a pway wheelbarrow at Essendine South. The leading oil tank was punctured and the Deltic prime mover it fed seized up. After DP1 was returned to Vulcan Foundary, at night, where it was decided,on cost basis, to withdraw this locomotive and put it in the Railway Museum at Clapham.

    • @Nimboid-20
      @Nimboid-20 3 місяці тому

      It was donated to the Science Museum, South Kensington, in 1963.

    • @tulyar1043
      @tulyar1043 3 місяці тому

      @@Nimboid-20 Thank you for the correction.

    • @berndf0
      @berndf0 3 місяці тому +3

      The documented measured top speed was 125mph. 126 was mentioned in a footnote as the highest number he saw on the speedometer, which wasn't accurate enough. The difference is important because 125mph is just 0.5mph above the previous record by the German 05.2. The Germans never recognised the new record because the two sections where 124.5mph and 125mph were measured, respectively, both had a significant downhill gradient while 05.2's record was achieved on a level track. Another reason was because a bearing overheated and Mallard couldn't finish its journey on its own power. According to their interpretation, a record is only valid if the locomotive is still in working condition at the end of the trajectory. This was in line with how car records were measured at the time where a record was only deemed valid if the car managed to complete the return trip.

    • @duncancurtis5108
      @duncancurtis5108 3 місяці тому

      Ah the thrashin Thirties jolly music trilbies and talkies. I ought to have mailed the Marx Brothers😅

    • @michaelnaisbitt7926
      @michaelnaisbitt7926 3 місяці тому

      Mallard only exceeded the mark set by a German streamlined locomotive by around 2 mph and in the effort burned out the centre cylinder bearings

  • @joshslater2426
    @joshslater2426 3 місяці тому +8

    It’s still my favourite class of steam locomotive, and Mallard is still the best. Ever since I saw it in the National Railway Museum back when I was about 2, I’ve always thought it as a magnificent engine that deserves its claim to fame, and hopefully won’t have its record stolen before it’s 100th birthday. I saw the great gathering at York back in 2013, and last October had the pleasure of riding behind Sir Nigel Gresley on the NYMR.

  • @esdv4296
    @esdv4296 3 місяці тому +18

    1:37 was not aware that any footage of the LNER P1 Mikado existed.

    • @Nimboid-20
      @Nimboid-20 3 місяці тому

      I said "Coo!" too, and I recognised the pine trees from my youth! Now within Stevenage, in the 1960s I used to pass them coming home from school, just north of Langley Troughs.

    • @00Zy99
      @00Zy99 3 місяці тому +1

      Holy Crap! It IS!!
      At first, I thought that you had mis-typed and were referring to the footage of the P2s. But then I checked that time-stamp, and confirmed it. That does indeed appear to be a P1, even without remembering what road numbers they had, just the shadowy shape of the running gear is enough.

    • @esdv4296
      @esdv4296 3 місяці тому

      ​​@@00Zy99 I must have missed the footage of the P2. Indeed the Gresley A1 boiler paired with the 2-8-2 wheel configuration is a dead giveaway, along with there unique 6 wheeled tender(at least I think the P1 tender is a unique one, may be wrong though). No. 2394 being the second and final P1.

    • @yoville73
      @yoville73 3 місяці тому

      @@esdv4296 Yep! Can confirm, it is engine No. 2394, one of the two P1’s

    • @demonx995
      @demonx995 20 днів тому

      Mikado was also a name for a steam loco produced by Skoda Plzen in CS...

  • @ianbigsand7
    @ianbigsand7 3 місяці тому +5

    Prior to Mallard going to the NRN, it was at a small museum in Clapham, which is where I first saw it as a child and was captivated by its shape and colour

  • @threepea1151
    @threepea1151 3 місяці тому +15

    Well time to delay my sleep by 27 minutes! (I live in the USA and right now it’s midnight)

    • @MirzaAhmed89
      @MirzaAhmed89 3 місяці тому

      It's 3:30 am on the east coast, and I am still watching.

  • @Shark30006
    @Shark30006 Місяць тому +2

    60014 Silver Link wasn’t lucky enough as Mallard for preservation, ashamed that it was scrapped

  • @kermitefrog64
    @kermitefrog64 3 місяці тому +1

    Thank you for sharing the Art Deco design on these U.K. steam locomotives. I have great admiration for this technology. My Grandfather was a fireman when they were still using steam trains in the U.S. My wife and I would went to the Sacramento train museum several times over the years. Currently California has a great project taking place with putting in the tracks for high speed rail.

  • @mattjones1992
    @mattjones1992 3 місяці тому +3

    The 400 series southern emus, Vep cep cig etc were everywhere for years. Now seem almost forgotten. I’d love to see a video on them!

  • @herseem
    @herseem 3 місяці тому +4

    I think the story of the train hitting the points too fast at Crewe is a separate one from the story my Dad told me. In that story a train took part in an unofficial race with another train, and hadn't slowed down enough when it reached the curved approach to the station the engine, so it actually leaned over onto one set of wheels before falling back onto the track.

  • @bullnukeoldman3794
    @bullnukeoldman3794 3 місяці тому +1

    Very good, well done as always.

  • @lukegreen5341
    @lukegreen5341 3 місяці тому +1

    18:38 GREAT SCOTT. It's LNER Gresley A3 Pacific No.4472 Flying Scotsman In Action In Australia. Thanks Mate. Xxxx ❤

  • @davidgapp1457
    @davidgapp1457 3 місяці тому +1

    Superb. Beautifully put together video, interesting and, of course, nostalgic.

  • @apislapis
    @apislapis 3 місяці тому +1

    To my eyes, the most beautiful looking loco, especially in blue, ever.

  • @Shark30006
    @Shark30006 Місяць тому +1

    Only seven Gresley Pacifics remained in service in 1966: 60004 William Whitelaw, 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, 60009 Union of South Africa, 60019 Bittern, 60024 Kingfisher, 60034 Lord Faringdon and 60052 Prince Palatine

  • @eddieking7736
    @eddieking7736 3 місяці тому +1

    Always a good day when a new Ruairidh railway video is released. Thank you very much for this very informative and entertaining video. 😀👍

  • @professorjamesmoriarty5191
    @professorjamesmoriarty5191 3 місяці тому +15

    When T1 5550 is running it will be intresting to see if they have a go at the record, in theory it can push 140mph.

    • @warmstrong5612
      @warmstrong5612 3 місяці тому +5

      They're intending to have a crack at it. Should be fun to watch.

    • @Mounhas
      @Mounhas 3 місяці тому

      Interesting project of which I have only just become aware of. Hardly a beauty and I notice the fuel is oil and not coal, but there we are. Anyone here been in the vicinity of a wood burning loco? Delicious!!

  • @lukegreen5341
    @lukegreen5341 2 місяці тому +1

    3:30 You Doing A Marvellous Job About The Story About The London And North Eastern Railway Or LNER Gresley Streamlined A4 Pacific Main Line Express Steam Locomotives. Thanks A Lot Ruairdh MacVeigh Buddy Amigo Dude Mate. XXxxx❤ 🇬🇧 🇦🇺 🇺🇸

  • @charlotteistance4386
    @charlotteistance4386 3 місяці тому +1

    Ahhh, love that chime whistle!!

  • @pavo45
    @pavo45 3 місяці тому +1

    Superb video, never to be forgotten.

  • @ManxAndy
    @ManxAndy 3 місяці тому +1

    My all time favourite Steam Engine…the epitome of steam powered travel from that era, I still have great memories of visiting York National Railway Museum….as a young lad, mid 70s, and seeing “The Sir Nigel Gresley Pacific” …👍👌🇮🇲

  • @scofab
    @scofab 3 місяці тому +1

    Beautiful stuff, thanks again.

  • @Danger_mouse
    @Danger_mouse 3 місяці тому +2

    Nice video.
    Particularly your piece of footage at the end, old passing new 👍

  • @drstevenrey
    @drstevenrey 3 місяці тому +1

    You did it again. I feel totally sad about being born too late. Again.

  • @Shark30006
    @Shark30006 3 місяці тому +2

    Ashamed that Silver Link, Quicksilver, Silver King and Silver Fox weren’t saved for preservation

  • @colbypupgaming1962
    @colbypupgaming1962 Місяць тому +1

    Dwight D. Eisenhower was repainted into the true color. The National Railroad Museum had repainted her but accidentally used the wrong color so for years she was in the wrong color.

  • @user-oh6ze3dq6p
    @user-oh6ze3dq6p 3 місяці тому +1

    I am amazed at how clean Sir Nigel steams. What type of fuel does it use? What type of fire box design does it use? In thec US, several hard coal hauling railroads used engines using the Wooten firebird burning hard coal to have such a clean stack!!

  • @lukecarruthers
    @lukecarruthers 3 місяці тому +2

    @rorymacve thanks foe a great video giving some background to a story where the headline is well known. Sorry to do this, but I fear you've made an unfortunate error in your narration at 13:40. You appear to mention "Jay Duddington" as the driver of 4468 for the July 3rd record run. I'm pretty certain his name was Joe Duddington. Thanks again for your hard work.

    • @00Zy99
      @00Zy99 3 місяці тому +1

      I suspect that it was "Jay" as in the initial "J", as ink, "J. Duddington".

    • @lukecarruthers
      @lukecarruthers 3 місяці тому

      @@00Zy99 Of course it is! Didn't think of that 😳😆

  • @PaulSmith-pl7fo
    @PaulSmith-pl7fo 3 місяці тому +1

    Hi Ruairidh. Two questions: 1) Austerity black livery - was the black livery only applied when a new paint job was necessary, or just applied for uniformity? 2) Somewhat off topic: In a TV programme (I forget the name) it was pointed out that, instead of two bogies per coach, a single bogie between two connected coaches was a better (safer?) arrangement. Although this practice was adopted on some train services, the usual double-bogie system is still greatly in use. I do understand that the double-bogie system is more convenient in making up trains (especially in terms of maintenance), but are there further reasons that the single-bogie system is not more common?

    • @Samstrainsofficially
      @Samstrainsofficially 3 місяці тому +1

      The black was applied as needed, so if the loco goes for overhaul it gets the black all over.
      If you go and find it there is a video the LMS did shortly before the war which states about a week to apply the paint job to a Princess with all the lining and such so this seems to have been just as much a process dictated by need for fast turn around of overhauls and repairs as it was related to supply of paint.
      The GWR for example managed to keep many of its express passenger engines in green throughout the conflict likely by taking what stock pile of pigments they had and setting them aside for use on these locomotives and other means available to keep them as such, the traffic levels of different areas would also impact how time constrained things were for any given locomotive to be turned around from repair or overhaul at any given time.
      From what I've seen there doesn't appear to have been an overt order to avoid painting things in colours when supplies/time allowed it seems to have been a time issue and then later a supply issue as the pigment in the black paint used was essentially soot which as you can imagine wasn't in short supply.
      The A4s likely would have got a coat of black sooner than others the garter blue likely wasn't kept in huge quantites, the greens would have been next to go as and when they got a bit tired.

    • @PaulSmith-pl7fo
      @PaulSmith-pl7fo 3 місяці тому

      @@Samstrainsofficially Thanks, Ruairidh. 😃And single- vs double-bogie coaches?

    • @Samstrainsofficially
      @Samstrainsofficially 3 місяці тому +1

      @@PaulSmith-pl7fo couldn't really say other than the issues you've mentioned of maintainance and easy of altering formations so as to avoid carrying extra capacity for no reason.
      As with anything LNER and express passenger at that point there will also have been some aesthetic consideration into the mix either interior to allow different gangway set up for easier mingling between carriages or exteiror cause it looks cool or both

    • @robertbalazslorincz8218
      @robertbalazslorincz8218 3 місяці тому +1

      I think those are technically Jacobs bogies? Theoretically the shared bogie makes it harder to derail the train and split it up in the process, though its not too practical from maintenance as if one car needs to be replaced the whole thing needs to be taken apart first

  • @doggerbendrailway6002
    @doggerbendrailway6002 3 місяці тому +2

    The realy sad thing the comaworth of Australia was offered but no one wanted her

  • @zepheris_
    @zepheris_ 3 місяці тому +1

    I remember shovelling coal in the tender when I was a little, while it was in Carnforth.

  • @dxutube
    @dxutube 3 місяці тому +4

    Remove the apostrophe from the subtitle text please.

  • @michaelstaley2241
    @michaelstaley2241 25 днів тому

    Fabulous LNER garter blue..

  • @Shark30006
    @Shark30006 15 днів тому

    It was claimed that the PRR S1 and T1s were capable of breaking Mallard’s speed record

  • @drstevenrey
    @drstevenrey 3 місяці тому +1

    Sir Nigel Gresley was one of a very few British engineers that dared to look at stuff outside of Britain. The other bigwigs from automobile and motorcycle and aircraft industry would never dare to do that, due to finding out that you are building a total turd. My deep respect to the great man.

    • @Samstrainsofficially
      @Samstrainsofficially 17 днів тому

      Very untrue, there was almost always awareness and discussion of designs and engineering matters from all over. The more unusual mind set is to lock yourself in a shed and pretend the world doesn't exist behind Britain. This openness can be found time and again in locomotive, automotive, aircraft and marine engineering.

  • @ENIGMAXII2112
    @ENIGMAXII2112 14 днів тому

    Splendid..

  • @Rom3_29
    @Rom3_29 3 місяці тому

    Thank You - Jeremy Clarkson quipped - Every middle aged man has nine year old mind inside of him.
    Westinghouse engineers - We are here to test the braking system. - Nah. Let’s see how fast this baby can do, flat out!

  • @kieranel6299
    @kieranel6299 3 місяці тому +8

    Tornado isn't a replica, she's an official member of her class.

    • @duncancurtis5108
      @duncancurtis5108 3 місяці тому +1

      Yes but built from scratch as the last one 60145 met its end at Hull in 1966.

    • @andrewyoung749
      @andrewyoung749 3 місяці тому +1

      clearly a replica.
      built by enthusiasts out of their love of the class and because one wasn't preserved, for as railway which has no need for her other than to be an excursion plaything (not a bad thing ,just a fact), 50 years after the class was last required for 'real' service.
      as for 'official member' what does that mean? who designated that? the company the a1s were built for, br, hasn't existed since the early nineties,the company that ordered them hasnt existed for 75 years the lner, the place they were built didn't build her and in fact doesn't build anything anymore, the man who designed the a1s died something like 6 decades ago.so whose decided this replica is just another a1? if that's the case there's basically no such thing as a replica. i could knock together a new Ferrari 250 and declare it 'not a replica but an official next member of the type', wouldn't be the case though...

    • @kieranel6299
      @kieranel6299 3 місяці тому +2

      @@andrewyoung749 Have you never watched 'Simply Chuffed'? Peppercorns widow announced that Tornado is an official member of the A1 Class, therefore not making her a replica. Yes none were preserved so a new one was built with the intention of her being the 50th member of the class. Where this replica nonsense came from I will never know.

    • @Daniel-S1
      @Daniel-S1 3 місяці тому

      @@andrewyoung749 Not a replica, you may find a dictionary useful in understanding that.

  • @jp-um2fr
    @jp-um2fr 3 місяці тому

    I lived near Woking and was quite a steam enthusiast as I was a heavy engineering apprentice (tanks). I well remember the day in early 1960 I stood on the bridge overlooking the main line. A diesel went through, and the stink was bl**dy awful. That ended my train spotting days. I did go to see the Deltic, but they even bu**erd that up. It also started our decline into buying our pint beer glasses from France. Challenger 3, our main battle tank, is being made in Germany with a German engine and not Rolls-Royce. We have no arms industry left - nothing. We even buy our ammunition from abroad.
    GOD HELP US if the poo hits the fan. Back handers ?

  • @rob5944
    @rob5944 3 місяці тому

    I don't mind admitting that I felt quite emotional at the evocative sight of the Great Gathering, even though it was just on film. However I'm not sure that the prewar record should stand, considering the damage sustained after the various runs, assuming of course that the German locomotive achieved this without issue.

  • @itzmespencer
    @itzmespencer 2 місяці тому

    I was wondering where this video went

  • @stephengreenwald5271
    @stephengreenwald5271 3 місяці тому

    The side panels covering the wheels were not present when I saw the A4s as a kid in the late 50s. Any idea why? I think the locos looked better without them, especially when they were moving.

    • @bryemycaz
      @bryemycaz 3 місяці тому +2

      They were removed during the war to make maintenance easier.

  • @MrTonyHeath
    @MrTonyHeath 3 місяці тому +1

    Superb and memorable video but what a strange speech way of ending each sentence.

  • @scottgiles7546
    @scottgiles7546 3 місяці тому

    Milwaukee Road was running their steam powered Hiawatha trains faster than this although they were never recorded to the record standards, which are often finicky. The peak speed in everyday service were in 1941 when they were routinely going past 125 mph in daily (nightly?) service. This was in 1941 and "other issues" soon made it unimportant. It was also well past the speed limit and speed recorder tapes exposed what the engine crews were doing
    Official or not their F-7 Hudson's were most likely the fastest steam in operation. 300 psi and very well counterbalance 84" drives will do that. ALCO was also good at that kind of thing. (then, Diesels happened)

    • @alans9806
      @alans9806 13 днів тому +1

      So this is something you believe but can't prove, 80 years after the supposed event and thousands of km away. Don't go into law.

    • @stephenpage-murray7226
      @stephenpage-murray7226 10 днів тому

      Fanciful!

  • @ygberg
    @ygberg 3 місяці тому +2

    With the measuring systems of the time (a certain uncertainty in measuring) the German Br05 could have been just as fast or even faster. The Br05 fastest speed being less than one % slower and did this over a much longer stretch of track than Mallard. And it did not have to go into the workshop to be fixed after the run. And the Pennsy Duplex was never timed but made runs that must have been faster than Mallard to make some of the runs timed from stop to stop.

  • @buddmetroliner200gaming3
    @buddmetroliner200gaming3 3 місяці тому +1

    Basically mallards sister

  • @markcaldwell2831
    @markcaldwell2831 3 місяці тому

    Beautiful steam locomotives. The British did make the best after all.

  • @maxcleveland3446
    @maxcleveland3446 3 місяці тому

    I wonder...
    Has there ever been a Flying Frankfurter?

  • @andrewdarley8988
    @andrewdarley8988 3 місяці тому +1

    The most overhyped transport record ever. So they beat the german record of 125 on the level by possibly 1mph going downhill and breaking down so that they had to be towed home. Was this such a fantastic achievement? And let's not forget that on the day LNER published 125 they re-examined the logs and decided they had really gone 126.
    Thats not to say the A4s weren't terrific locos and were masters of the task they wer designed for - high-speed running over the LNER race track - but in a preservation era trial they also put up a good effort up against a princess coronation on shap. Also Gresley deserves the credit for their design. Once he had learnt his lesson from the Pendennis castle exchange he never looked back

    • @LuckyFlanker13
      @LuckyFlanker13 3 місяці тому

      I do wish the A4s had gotten the chance to get more runs at the record, WW2 messed up so much

    • @Samstrainsofficially
      @Samstrainsofficially 17 днів тому

      ​@@LuckyFlanker13 more broken down A4s coming up.
      They were okay, but as noted cheaty as heck to go down hill on purpose. That's ungentlemanly. The worst crime there is.

  • @BeckyMarvin-l7t
    @BeckyMarvin-l7t 2 місяці тому

    Kris Flats

  • @Hacienda_27
    @Hacienda_27 3 місяці тому

    Nah, seriously though is this AI now or has your voice just grown different ?

  • @danielflower2365
    @danielflower2365 3 місяці тому +6

    Sorry, this speed records was downhills. The German 05 reached 200 km/h in plain conditions 🙂

    • @1earedwolf
      @1earedwolf 3 місяці тому +7

      Doesn't matter. At its steepest Stoke Bank is only 1:178. It's not *that* steep.

    • @ChristheXelent
      @ChristheXelent 3 місяці тому +5

      The stretch where the record was broken varied between 1in240 and level.

    • @zepheris_
      @zepheris_ 3 місяці тому +6

      That's slower than the Mallard. as the 'Downhill' area you mentioned, is barely there, it's practically level.

    • @23GreyFox
      @23GreyFox 3 місяці тому +2

      You can't say that. Or that the British dynamometer showed strange glitches. Brits don't like to hear that.

    • @andrewyoung749
      @andrewyoung749 3 місяці тому +1

      @@23GreyFox other way round, its german and americans who you 'cant 'say' reality to else it hurts their feelings, as these comment sections prove every time.
      reality is the fastest speed proven attained by a steam loco was mallard on that day, end of. period, finished, done. that's all she wrote folks.
      but Germans cant handle that so never stop talking about 'downhill' as if 1- that matters (speed attained is what counts ,by definition) and 2-germans couldn't have thrown the 05 down hill if they wanted and 3- as if stoke bank is like the pepsi max big one rollercoaster. all very tiresome.
      as for americans with their endless fantasies of being no1 at everything, this is a people who lost the space race (first satellite ,first life in space, first human in space, first woman in space, first person to orbit Earth all going to the ussr)and so redefined it as a moon race instantly in order to 'win', none of their stuff has any proof;
      "My grandaddy met a guy called Red Nose Larry and ol Re'nose he used to say that he'd used to know a guy called Danger Davy, who was a PRR driver in the ol days and ol Davy , once you'd bought him a few shots, would tell of flying along the pennsey main at 150 wit thosa big drivas a' flyin' as the T1 lurched side to side..."
      isn't evidence, its a c movie car/train chase scene setup.

  • @radiosnail
    @radiosnail 3 місяці тому

    Often wondered why this was a record. it was downhill, one way only and a peak speed. it is possible the Americans had faster locomotives but never bothered to measure the speed properly. I'll get my coat..ll

    • @voidjavelin23
      @voidjavelin23 3 місяці тому

      there was no such thing as downhill wont allowed

  • @TurboTapper
    @TurboTapper 3 місяці тому

    No matter how interesting this video is………. that voice!!!!!! I’m off, sorry!

  • @steveworthington930
    @steveworthington930 3 місяці тому +5

    A Duchess would have smashed that record on the racing stretch, Stoke Bank, without front end failure. No conjugated abortion on the 4 cyclinder Duchess.

    • @tankmicr00man
      @tankmicr00man 3 місяці тому

      As an LMS fan myself, sadly we will never know.