dischuffed....

[Postman Prat]

Brilliant

[LNER Fan 60008]

Thanks, guys! Perhaps I should start a different thread for such silly pictures.

Always surprised the GWR never went in for double side-window cabs...

Probably thought they looked "too modern". Then again, let's imagine a Caslte or King with such a cab...

[Blink Bonny]

Nah, don't. I'll have nightmares....

[LNER Fan 60008]

Fair enough.

Anyways, back to topic... Anything more on the supposed MN claims?

[Postman Prat]

Hi,

It's just been pointed out to me that, even if 'Truro' exceeded Mallard's record speed it would not have counted - there's no Dynomometer car

PP

[Blink Bonny]

We are forgetting one major point here. Piston speed. Mallard's pistons were moving at close to the speed of sound to do 126. An MNs would have to be going at over the speed of sound to get anywhere near that and with then engines in a run down condition - no way. The track was up to it, thanks to electrification work but that's it. Its also a fact that the MNs went like the wind up to 90 then struggled a bit.

Although, having said that I once timed City of Wells on the stretch between Church Fenton and York at 95mph. I couldn't believe my stopwatch. Neither could the two lads on the opposite table. Methinks a greasetop was hung over the speedo...

[S.A.C. Martin]

I'm left in no doubt that many of the Pacifics British Railways inherited were very capable of doing the ton, if not damned close to it, on a regular basis. It is rather hard to believe that any of them, bar the A4s, were capable of doing anywhere near the 120mph mark simply on the basis of the required jump in horsepower from 100 to 120mph. That's before we get into the clear advantage the A4s had of being streamlined (a minor advantage, all things considered, but an advantage nevertheless).

In short, I can believe MNs did 100, as much as I can believe the A1s, Duchesses, and Princesses were possibly capable of this too. I don't think, based on the evidence (not anecdotal - timings and writings on their mechanical and steam raising abilities from a number of time keepers and engineers of the era) that any of these were capable of 126mph, and certainly not MNs.

I refuse to give any credence to the notion that a GWR Saint did 117mph, frankly!

[strang steel]

And I've found some rare evidence of Truro really doing over 100 MPH!



It would appear the GWR staff gave up on powering it on steam, so they borrowed a few rocket boosters and jammed those into the tender!

Was that the Cheltenham Flyer?

[harvester]

Regarding preserved steam running on the mainline, what is the highest speed unofficially recorded in recent years? (or alleged) . On "Mallards record" what credence is given to Bill Hooles claim he could beat the record and would have if not raining back 60007 on its post war 112mph.

[73D]

We are forgetting one major point here. Piston speed. Mallard's pistons were moving at close to the speed of sound to do 126.

Are you sure, can we see your working out? That's 1,125 feet per second, which means the wheels would be doing 15,500 rpm! I think that's right, but if I'm wrong someone will let me know!

[Andy W]

Love the rocket power! Top stuff!

I do wonder where people get their info. from - 126mph on a very loose (long out of shops) pacific = highly improbable. We know that the rebuilt MN/WC did run well over the ton in their last years and there is a nice picture of the speedo of one, at speed, on the Nine Elms website. The Kings used to get pushed on the Birmingham run in their last years and getting past 100mph was something that every Old Oak Crew wanted to achieve, at least once. A couple of them ran it a bit close and ruined the crockery in the restaurant car as a result but that is another set of stories!

But that is over 100mph, not way over 110mph and certainly not on a regular basis. You have to very confident of your engine and your braking distance to try anything spectacular and I just don't buy engines going at huge speeds at that time in their lives. Too risky.

[James Brodie]

we had pe
roblems stopping trains at 20,
mph!

[Coboman]

This subject has cropped up many times on many forums. It generally accepted that most GWR front ends started to cause real restrictive problems on speeds over 90 mph. So I've heard that it was very easy to get a castle or a king to 90, but to push it to a ton took skill and nerve. Look what happened to Pendennis Castle on its rail tour with top notch welsh steam coal and it tried to do a ton, melted firebars! So to suggest that a Saint did 117 for such a long distance, and a King did 130 are just stupid.

[Bill Bedford]

Look what happened to Pendennis Castle on its rail tour with top notch welsh steam coal and it tried to do a ton, melted firebars! So to suggest that a Saint did 117 for such a long distance, and a King did 130 are just stupid.

The very high speeds attributed to GWR engines are a when working light engine on running in turns.

[Blink Bonny]

Look what happened to Pendennis Castle on its rail tour with top notch welsh steam coal and it tried to do a ton, melted firebars! So to suggest that a Saint did 117 for such a long distance, and a King did 130 are just stupid.

The very high speeds attributed to GWR engines are a when working light engine on running in turns.

Or are they "speeds" reached when slipping on greased track to test hammer blow? I seem to remember that, by those lights, a Jubilee was capable of 130mph!