what was the worlds fastest steam train?

Answer 1

Isn't it interesting to see that although 4468 "Mallard" did the record-breaking trip in 1938, what's the normal speed for a so-called "High Speed Train" in Great Britain almost seventy years later ! ! !

Answer 2

Steam. The highest speed ever recorded by a steam locomotive is 126 M.P H. by the London & North Eastern Railway 4-6-2 No. 4468 Mallard ( laternumbered 60022), which hauled seven coaches weighing 240 tons gross, near Essendine, down Stoke Bank, between Grantham, Lincolnshire, and Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England on July 3,1938.

Answer 3

The answer is the LNER Pacific locomotive named "Mallard" which achieved 126 mph. Prior to that the LMS had managed to raise the record to 114 mph on the West Coast Mainline

Mallard had the advantage that the LNER mainline had a longer stretch of straight track to enable the engine to reach 126mph and gain the record. I often wonder what the true record speed would have been if the LMS engine had used the same track as Mallard for the record.

The record attempt by Mallard resulted in the big ends being worn out and the engine faced a major overhaul after the attempt

Answer 4

The Mallard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mallard

Answer 5

Somebody asked this question yesterday. It was an engine(not a train) A gresley semi streamlined loco named Mallard,operated by the London and North Eastern railway that achieved a speed of 126 mph.

Answer 6

LNER Class A4 No.4468 Mallard
202.6 km/h
3 July 1938

No attemt was made to break the "Steam speed record" after that, for public safty reasons.

(today the Maglev is the current record holder with 581km/h)

Answer 7

A4 Class locomotive Mallard.

Answer 8

Gresley streamlined A4 name of Mallard. This is an engine and on the occasion of setting the record was hauling a short train.
The A4 became known as 'Streaks'.

Answer 9

The Mallard, it still holds the world record at 126 mph. Can you imagine how fast the pistons and cranks were going. It's mind blowing.

Answer 10

Here's the Mallard site:

http://www.o-keating.com/hsr/mallard.htm

There's a certain amount of controversy (and nationalistic pride) involved with this "record," and the web site discusses this quickly and effectively. Happy researching.