The Elizabethan
By: The story of the 09:30 Non Stop Train, a Top Link between Landon Kings Cross Station and Edinburgh, 'The Elizabethan'.
Caution: For Gricers, Rivet Counters, Admirers of the Genre and the cognoscenti among us only. It's definitely not for any Tire/Tyre Kicker's.
The LNER Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognisable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, holds the record as the world's fastest steam locomotive. Thirty-five of the class were built to haul express passenger trains on the East Coast Main Line route from London Kings Cross via York to Newcastle, and later via Newcastle to Edinburgh, Scotland. They remained in service on the East Coast Main Line until the early 1960s when they were replaced by Deltic diesel locomotives; they themselves proving to be worthy successors to the A4s. Several A4s saw out their remaining days until 1966 in Scotland, particularly on the Aberdeen – Glasgow express trains, for which they were used to improve the timing from 3.5 to 3 hours. They were powerful machines and only entrusted to the best Top Link Drivers and Firemen.
It's interesting to watch how they operate the great fiery beast laying down the power for up to six hours with the Fireman shovelling a ton of coal every
half-an-hour.
There's too many excellent points of this old BTF Classic (British Transport Filums) to mention (for it's a cinematic masterpiece - should you be that way inclined) so here are a few..
09:05 the Scottish Crew prepare to take over from the English lads who had brought it so far.. you see them entering the loco through a small tube like passage in the Fuel Tender to get to the footplate. It was this new fitting which allowed for Non Sop Running. (Apparently, Sir Nigel Gresley the designer of the beast
had his children make a small passage from Upturned dining room chairs to see if he could fashion this tunnel).
Keep your eye on Mungo Scott the Scottish Fireman - with the highly polished brogues. 09:45 a smooth take-over at 90 mph.. 10:23 Fireman Mungo signals the fast approaching water troughs where he has to do his stuff to pick-up about 1000 gallons of water at the trough sign 10:29.. they had to communicate through hand signals because of the noise.. he also gave the driver the signals which were situated where he could see them first..
11:07 watch the Engelish pair taking their rest.. notice the Driver has Belt and Braces at 11:10.. usually the sign of Senior Top Link Drivers and Maintenance Gaffers..
14:33 Rap before it's creation..
15:04 look at those shoes! And the run down to Edinburgh continues apace..
'And she's running on time!