Potential 100mph mainline steam run on June 2nd

The engine depicted in my avatar above, 18 201, is booked for a high speed mainline run on June 2nd.

Meiningen's other big green pacific, 18 201 is doing 2 runs in June for it's 50th anniversary.

June 2nd 11am from Leipzig to Berlin and return to Leipzig for 6pm, this is the 50th anniversary run for 18 201 and is booked as a line speed (ergo high speed) run.

The actual times are not being published, but it is being openly advertised as the fastest steam run this millenium. (18 201 also owns the current 21st century speed record of 102mph).

The second run is June 4th is a 500 mile round trip to Darmstadt starting at the crack of dawn and arrives back very late evening.

URLs below:

http://www.zugparty.de/us_fahrtprogramm.html#110602

http://www.dampfplus.de/deutsch/index2.php?netfolderID=10554&subfolderID=10558


120 tickets available, 175 Euros must book by April 17th. (Coincidentally the same day as the open day at Schöneweide [3x BR52, BR78 + 1 booked in steam )

 

€175! Better be a ton up for that sort of money.

 

Have heard that it will run up to 130kph and then if it 'feels right' will push for faster. No guarantee of the ton at all!

 

Its time this nation stopped been a bunch of pussies and got mallard out.........

 

I just hope they dont push it to 127.............

 

And why not? If that nice Mr. Hitler hadn't started all that war nonsense, Sir Nigel Gresley was aiming for 130 mph in 1939. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick and you're referring to 18 201?

 

Purely from a biased LNER perspective I wouldn't like to see 4468's record broken after all these years.......

 

Get the 05 out of the museum and point it downhill, then we'll see the record smashed, not broken!

 

http://www.germansteam.co.uk/FastestLoco/fastestloco.html

and have fun

 

If a UK designed locomotive were to be selected for a 'high speed' run is the A4 still the most appropriate choice of locomotive? Sure, the class holds the current steam speed record, but that happened before certain loco types such as the BR pacifics were even thought of.

In the current climate the A1 would perhaps be the obvious choice, but I wonder whether in fact a rebuilt MN would be capable of more? There were mutterings a couple of years back that 71000 was to go to Poland(?) but that never materialised. Perhaps when 35027 is given the treatment we can find out what the class was fully capable of. The class was famed for their ability to knock out 100mph+ runs in their dying days. What for a fully overhauled, tip-top loco, on the right line with the right conditions and given the nod...

 

Drop it off a cliff?:rockon:

 

The external design of the locomotive becomes increasingly more important as you strive for higher speeds and if you wanted to respond to this event you would be far better using a design with a well proven record. Both the A1 and 71000 would need to produce 100s of additional horsepower to equal the A4 at high speeds. The Bulleid pacifics are in a similar situation, interestingly all non-streamlined pacifics in the UK appear to have achieved much the same maximum speed. So, if you wanted to play (and were allowed to) there is no real choice if you were being serious in intent. In the future the 5at should, all being well, make things much more interesting.

We can but dream.

 

Nearly was on the occasion of the SLS Special of 1959(?) - As 60007 reached 112mph down Stoke Bank - Famous quote to the driver by Inspector Jenkins(?) - "Ease your arm, we don't want to see Mallard's record broken".

Apologies for any (slight) inaccuracy - do not have access to my "Bible" at the moment.

 

No need, the 05 managed 125 for a sustained period on the flat, it's the A4 that needed the help of gravity....

 

Jenkins was the footplate inspector on Mallard's run. Can't see it being the same man 21 years later but could have been a different Jenkins of course if that was the inspector's name. As I remember reading it, as 60007 approached 112, Bill Hoole told those on the footplate they needed to decide within a very short space of time if they were to go for the record (I forget just how long he said they had) and the decision to shut the regulator was made by Alan Pegler who was on the footplate in his capacity as a BR(E) board member. If only he'd thrown caution to the wind.