Press Release:
The National Railway Museum have announced that HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron of Mallard 75, the museum’s spectacular season of events and activities in 2013/14 marking 75 years since Mallard broke the world steam speed record.
The announcement comes as tickets have become available for the museum’s series of ancillary events celebrating the 75th anniversary of No.4468 Mallard’s world-record breaking run down Stoke Bank near Grantham in 1938.
The centrepiece of the celebrations will be the Great Gathering – a spectacular fortnight-long international family reunion in July which will fulfil the dreams of rail fans across the globe. Mallard and her five surviving sister A4 Pacific Class locomotives will be gathered together around the Great Hall turntable in the National Railway Museum in York – a sight never seen before. Two of the Doncaster-built locomotives, Dominion of Canada and Dwight D Eisenhower have been temporarily repatriated from North America to take part in the anniversary celebrations of Mallard securing the world speed crown for all time.
The duo are on loan to the National Railway Museum for two years from the National Railroad Museum in Wisconsin, USA and Exporail, the Canadian National Railway Museum in Montreal.
Jacqueline D Frank, Executive Director at the National Railroad Museum, speaking last year said about the loan: “We hope the British public enjoy the chance to see Dwight D Eisenhower, which although built in Doncaster, now occupies a special place in the hearts of the American people due to it being re named after one of our presidents.”
Anthony Coulls, Senior Curator of Railway Vehicles at the National Railway Museum said:
“We’re so excited about showcasing all six survivors of the A4 class with the Great Gathering and Royal Patronage for our year of Mallard-themed events is the icing on the cake. Celebrating Mallard’s world record-breaking run is definitely a reason to get excited in July and we hope people will join us to mark this milestone in railway history.”
On the third of July 1938 Mallard became the world’s fastest steam locomotive, marking a pinnacle in British engineering design. The steam legend was recorded as reaching the awe-inspiring speed of 126mph on the East Coast Main Line, breaking the existing German record of 124 mph set in 1936.
No 4468 Mallard built at LNER’s Doncaster Works was chosen for the latest attempt on the world steam speed crown because it was the first of the class to be fitted with a double chimney. Due to the subsequent evolution of diesel traction and the outbreak of the second world war, Mallard’s record still stands as a marker in global history and to this day inspires a sense of National pride that a British steam locomotive is still recognised as the fastest in the world.
Preparations for the anniversary are on track with the restoration work on Mallard and Dwight D Eisenhower complete and a Mallard-style makeover is well underway on Dominion of Canada in the workshop of Locomotion, the National Railway Museum at Shildon, Co Durham where visitors can view the workshop team get to grips with the cosmetic restoration work.
The ‘Great Gathering’ of Mallard and its sisters takes place 3 July – 17 July at the National Railway Museum in York. For more information on the National Railway Museum’s 75th anniversary plans for 2013/2014 including how to book tickets for gala dinners, photography events and free curator talks visit nrm.org.uk/mallard75. For regular updates follow the museum on twitter.com/railwaymuseum or join facebook.com/nationalrailwaymuseum.
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