Date: 03/07/2013

Three-quarters of a century ago, a locomotive built in Doncaster set a world speed record for steam rail travel on a stretch of track just south of Grantham. That 1938 record - of 126 miles per hour - remains to this day. To mark the 75th anniversary of the achievement, the National Railway Museum in York has arranged for Mallard to meet its five surviving sister locomotives from the A4 Class - which ran on the East Coast Mainline from the 1930s to the 1960s. Ahead of the museum's Great Gathering on Wednesday 3 July - look back at how the record was set, with one of the museum's curators Ed Bartholomew. [From Andrew Wilson]

External links

Magnificent Mallard: The world's fastest steam locomotive

At the speed of steam - the Yorkshire-built locomotive that has held a world record for 75 years.

Related images

Admiring looks across the tracks at Kingmoor shed as immaculate looking A4 Pacific no 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley pays a visit in May 1968. [See image 21259]
Location: Carlisle Kingmoor Shed
Company: Caledonian Railway
/05/1968 Robin Barbour Collection (Courtesy Bruce McCartney)

A4 Pacific no 60022 Mallard photographed following arrival at Newcastle Central on 17 June 1961 with the 10.00 London Kings Cross - Edinburgh Waverley.
Location: Newcastle Central
Company: Newcastle and Berwick Railway
17/06/1961 K A Gray

60019 Bittern stands alongside 60024 Kingfisher at Ferryhill Shed in September 1966.
Location: Ferryhill MPD
Company: Aberdeen Railway
03/09/1966 John Robin