- “Speed's nothing to me. Why, one of my Doncaster cousins went at 126 miles per hour.”
- ― Gordon, Gordon the High-Speed Engine
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Mallard is the world's fastest steam engine, holding a speed record of 126 mph. He is a very popular exhibit at the National Railway Museum and is very well looked after.
Bio
Mallard was built on March 3rd, 1938, at Doncaster, where his cousins Gordon, Flying Scotsman, Green Arrow, and Flying Thistle were built as well as his brother, Spencer. On the 3rd of July that year, while undergoing tests, he established a world speed record of 126 mph. He was renumbered to 22 by Edward Thompson's number scheme in 1946, then E22 in the Locomotive Exchange Trials and finally to 60022 in British Railways days.
After the decline of steam, Mallard was immediately preserved and put on display at the Museum of British Transport in Clapham, London. In 1975 he was taken to the National Railway Museum, where he remained until 1986, when he was overhauled and taken onto the main line. In 1988, the 50th anniversary of his record, he was retired and put back on display. He hasn't run since.
It was announced in March 2010 that Mallard was to be moved to Locomotion, the National Railway Museum in Shildon, on June 23rd, 2010. He was pulled by the brand new steam locomotive Tornado; his departure from the museum was a result of the planned redevelopment of the NRM's Great Hall, which was cancelled due to unsuccessful funding.
Mallard returned to York in July 2011. He was due to travel to the DB Museum in Nuremberg, Germany for a speed exhibition later in the year, but due to expenses, the event was cancelled. Mallard was one of the engines at Railfest in June 2012.
Mallard celebrated the 75th anniversary of his world speed record in 2013, with all of his preserved A4 siblings. As well as Mallard receiving a new coat of LNER Garter Blue, his two transatlantic A4 siblings, No. 4489 Dominion of Canada and No. 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower were both temporarily shipped back to the United Kingdom to take part in the anniversary (both returned in spring 2014). The event was also attended by fellow siblings No. 4464 Bittern, No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley and No. 60009 Union of South Africa.
Basis
Mallard is an LNER A4 4-6-2, like Spencer from the Television series.
Livery
Mallard is currently painted in the LNER's Garter Blue with red wheels and steel rims. He has black nameplates with his name in gold and plaques on both sides of his boiler commemorating his world record. In BR service, Mallard first wore BR Garter Blue, followed by Express Passenger Blue. It then wore BR Brunswick Green for the rest of it's working life and, for a brief period in August 2012, was painted in Wartime Black.
Appearances
Railway Series
Mallard also appeared in the 1979 Annual in "A Diary of Railway Dates: 20th Century".
Voice Actors
- Tokuyoshi Kawashima (Japan; Hashire! The "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" Steam Locomotive is Alive!)
Gallery
| Locomotives | Flying Scotsman* | City of Truro | Boxhill | Green Arrow | Duchess of Hamilton | Mallard | Stephenson's Rocket | Iron Duke | Puffing Billy | Eurostar |
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| Coaches | Open-topped Carriages |