Joined
·
2,613 Posts
Hey all,
I would like to present to you my most beloved train a Hornby Live Steam Locomotive class LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard in HO/00 scale.
Yes a real working steam engine in HO/OO scale not no 7 1/2 gauge locomotive. she's a real beauty of a locomotive with quite a history.
Here's her history
Mallard is the holder of the official world speed record for steam locomotives at 125.88 mph (202.58 km/h). The record was achieved on 3 July 1938 on the slight downward grade of Stoke Bank south of Grantham on the East Coast Main Line, and the highest speed was recorded at milepost 90¼, between Little Bytham and Essendine. It broke the German (DRG Class 05) 002's 1936 record of 124 mph (200.4 km/h).
Mallard was the perfect vehicle for such an endeavour; one of the A4 class of streamlined locomotives designed for sustained 100+ mph (160 km/h) running, it was one of a small number built with a double chimney and double Kylchap blastpipe, which made for improved draughting and better exhaust flow at speed; the remainder of the class were retro-fitted in the late 1950s. The A4's three-cylinder design made for stability at speed, and the large 6 ft 8 in (2.032 m) driving wheels meant that the maximum revolutions per minute was within the capabilities of the technology of the day. Mallard was five months old, meaning that it was sufficiently broken-in to run freely, but not overly worn. Selected to crew the locomotive on its record attempt were driver Joseph Duddington (a man renowned within the LNER for taking calculated risks) and fireman Thomas Bray[2].
The locomotive had had problems with the middle big end previously, so a "stink bomb" of aniseed oil was placed inside the big end, that would be released if it overheated. Shortly after the attainment of this record speed, Mallard suffered an overheated inside big end bearing and had to limp back to Peterborough after setting the record, it then travelled to Doncaster for repair. This had been foreseen by the publicity department, who had many pictures taken for the press, in case Mallard did not make it back to Kings Cross. The Ivatt Atlantic that replaced Mallard at Peterborough was only just in sight when the head of publicity started handing out the pictures. Inaccuracies in the machining and setup of the Gresley-Holcroft derived motion (which derived the valve motion of the inside cylinder from those of the other two, avoiding a hard-to-maintain valve gear linkage between the frames) meant that the inside cylinder of the A4 did more work at high speed than the two outside cylinders; this overloading was mostly responsible for the failure.
Mallard builder's plate with works' number 1870.Stoke Bank had a descending gradient of between 1:178 and 1:200. Mallard, with six coaches plus a dynamometer car in tow, topped Stoke Summit at 75 mph (121 km/h) and began to accelerate downhill. The speeds at the end of each mile (1.6 km) from the summit were recorded at: 87½, 96½, 104, 107, 111½, 116 and 119 mph (141, 155, 167, 172, 179, 187 and 192 km/h); half-mile (800 m) readings after that gave 120¾, 122½, 123, 124¼ and finally 125 mph (194, 197, 198, 200 and 201 km/h). The speed recorded by instruments in the dynamometer car reached a momentary maximum of 126 mph (203 km/h).
Her Specs
Power type Steam
Designer Sir Nigel Gresley
Builder LNER Doncaster Works
Serial number 1870
Build date 3 March 1938
Configuration
4-6-2
UIC classification
2'C1'h3
Gauge
4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading wheel diameter
3 ft 2 in (0.965 m)
Driver diameter
6 ft 8 in (2.032 m)
Trailing wheel diameter
3 ft 8 in (1.118 m)
Length 70 ft (21.34 m)
Locomotive weight 102.95 long tons (104.6 t)
Locomotive and tender combined weight 165 long tons (167.6 t)
Boiler pressure 250 psi (1.72 MPa)
Cylinders
Three
Cylinder size 18.5 × 26 in (470 × 660 mm)
Top speed 126 mph (203 km/h)
Tractive effort
35,455 lbf (157.7 kN)
Locomotive brakes Steam
Train brakes Vacuum
Career LNER, BR
Class
A4
Withdrawn 25 April 1963
Restored 1986 until 1988
Disposition Displayed at National Railway Museum, York
Some photos of her in real life
![]()
By gc53dfgc at 2010-10-22
![]()
By gc53dfgc at 2010-10-22
and the link to her in scale live action on my workdesk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0QnHp88FvI
More videos of her to come on my layout hauling passengers around town.
I would like to present to you my most beloved train a Hornby Live Steam Locomotive class LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard in HO/00 scale.
Yes a real working steam engine in HO/OO scale not no 7 1/2 gauge locomotive. she's a real beauty of a locomotive with quite a history. Here's her history
Mallard is the holder of the official world speed record for steam locomotives at 125.88 mph (202.58 km/h). The record was achieved on 3 July 1938 on the slight downward grade of Stoke Bank south of Grantham on the East Coast Main Line, and the highest speed was recorded at milepost 90¼, between Little Bytham and Essendine. It broke the German (DRG Class 05) 002's 1936 record of 124 mph (200.4 km/h).
Mallard was the perfect vehicle for such an endeavour; one of the A4 class of streamlined locomotives designed for sustained 100+ mph (160 km/h) running, it was one of a small number built with a double chimney and double Kylchap blastpipe, which made for improved draughting and better exhaust flow at speed; the remainder of the class were retro-fitted in the late 1950s. The A4's three-cylinder design made for stability at speed, and the large 6 ft 8 in (2.032 m) driving wheels meant that the maximum revolutions per minute was within the capabilities of the technology of the day. Mallard was five months old, meaning that it was sufficiently broken-in to run freely, but not overly worn. Selected to crew the locomotive on its record attempt were driver Joseph Duddington (a man renowned within the LNER for taking calculated risks) and fireman Thomas Bray[2].
The locomotive had had problems with the middle big end previously, so a "stink bomb" of aniseed oil was placed inside the big end, that would be released if it overheated. Shortly after the attainment of this record speed, Mallard suffered an overheated inside big end bearing and had to limp back to Peterborough after setting the record, it then travelled to Doncaster for repair. This had been foreseen by the publicity department, who had many pictures taken for the press, in case Mallard did not make it back to Kings Cross. The Ivatt Atlantic that replaced Mallard at Peterborough was only just in sight when the head of publicity started handing out the pictures. Inaccuracies in the machining and setup of the Gresley-Holcroft derived motion (which derived the valve motion of the inside cylinder from those of the other two, avoiding a hard-to-maintain valve gear linkage between the frames) meant that the inside cylinder of the A4 did more work at high speed than the two outside cylinders; this overloading was mostly responsible for the failure.
Mallard builder's plate with works' number 1870.Stoke Bank had a descending gradient of between 1:178 and 1:200. Mallard, with six coaches plus a dynamometer car in tow, topped Stoke Summit at 75 mph (121 km/h) and began to accelerate downhill. The speeds at the end of each mile (1.6 km) from the summit were recorded at: 87½, 96½, 104, 107, 111½, 116 and 119 mph (141, 155, 167, 172, 179, 187 and 192 km/h); half-mile (800 m) readings after that gave 120¾, 122½, 123, 124¼ and finally 125 mph (194, 197, 198, 200 and 201 km/h). The speed recorded by instruments in the dynamometer car reached a momentary maximum of 126 mph (203 km/h).
Her Specs
Power type Steam
Designer Sir Nigel Gresley
Builder LNER Doncaster Works
Serial number 1870
Build date 3 March 1938
Configuration
4-6-2
UIC classification
2'C1'h3
Gauge
4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading wheel diameter
3 ft 2 in (0.965 m)
Driver diameter
6 ft 8 in (2.032 m)
Trailing wheel diameter
3 ft 8 in (1.118 m)
Length 70 ft (21.34 m)
Locomotive weight 102.95 long tons (104.6 t)
Locomotive and tender combined weight 165 long tons (167.6 t)
Boiler pressure 250 psi (1.72 MPa)
Cylinders
Three
Cylinder size 18.5 × 26 in (470 × 660 mm)
Top speed 126 mph (203 km/h)
Tractive effort
35,455 lbf (157.7 kN)
Locomotive brakes Steam
Train brakes Vacuum
Career LNER, BR
Class
A4
Withdrawn 25 April 1963
Restored 1986 until 1988
Disposition Displayed at National Railway Museum, York
Some photos of her in real life
By gc53dfgc at 2010-10-22
By gc53dfgc at 2010-10-22
and the link to her in scale live action on my workdesk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0QnHp88FvI
More videos of her to come on my layout hauling passengers around town.
