The street light shines through the magnificent roof at York, as No. 91114 Durham Cathedral waits to leave on the rear of the 15.30 Edinburgh-Kings Cross on March 7, having just run in from Darlington. A start-to-stop average speed approaching 95mph is required for this part of the journey.
PAUL SENIOR/RCTS
WHEN the A1 Locomotive Trust’s Peppercorn ‘A1’ Pacific No. 60163 Tornado was permitted to undergo high-speed tests on the East Coast Main Line between Doncaster and Newcastle in April 2017 it became the first steam locomotive to be authentically recorded at 100mph for 50 years.
This remarkable event occurred in the early hours of April 21 between Thirsk and York, a racing ground often eclipsed by the Stoke Summit to Essendine stretch, but one that was on level or with easy gradients as opposed to the 1-in-200 of Stoke Bank.
Back in 1967 it was the Bulleid ‘Merchant Navy’ Pacifics that last ran this fast, but not with a special train, rather timetabled expresses packed with passengers.