Press Office
All fired up for Mallard mania 70 years on
This week the National Railway Museum (NRM) is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the breaking of the world speed record by National Collection icon Mallard.
Just days before it stages its ‘Great Reunion’ event demonstrating the scale of renowned engineer Sir Nigel Gresley’s achievement with his streamlined locomotive design, the NRM will be reliving the moment Britain clinched the speed crown on July 3 1938 in the Museum’s Great Hall.
Actor Chris Ford from Platform 4 theatre, the museum’s in-house acting troupe, will be recreating the moment daring driver Joseph Duddington and fireman Tommy Bray reached 126mph on the downwards slope of Stoke Bank near Grantham on the footplate of the famous steam giant.
He will be joined by Mallard experts from across the North. EWS driver David Court from Doncaster has firsthand experience of driving an A4 locomotive at speed and has a real idea of what drove Joseph Duddington to push Mallard to the limit. 78 year old Ronnie Walker from Leeds who has been fireman on board all of the Gresley–designed A4s, including the mighty Mallard, will also be on hand to explain what it is like to fire these magnificent machines.
Ken Willetts who has also fired Mallard like his father before him, will also be attending, along with Chris Nettleton from the Gresley Society who can describe in detail the events of that historic Sunday 70 years ago. Life-long A4 aficionado and Director of the National Railway Museum Andrew Scott will be joining his fellow Mallard fans.
On 5th and 6th July, the NRM will be reuniting Mallard with three more of its streamlined fellows – a sight unheard of in modern times. The world record holder will take pride of place in a line-up of all four of the A4s remaining in the UK. This ‘Great Reunion’, will see Mallard, Bittern, Sir Nigel Gresley and Union of South Africa brought back together for the first time since their heyday, and will demonstrate Gresley’s legacy to world history.
Chris Nettleton, Secretary of the Gresley Society said: “It is testament to Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley’s brilliance that 70 years on Mallard’s record is still unbroken.
“Gresley is one of the greatest engineers the world has ever known and it is only fitting that the NRM are taking this opportunity to demonstrate the sheer genius of his work with the upcoming Great Reunion.”
Andrew Scott, Director of the National Railway Museum added:
“Aside from Gresley’s pioneering designs, it was the crews on board Mallard 70 years ago that made the breaking of the record possible.
We’re glad these four Mallard experts could join us to mark the magnitude of British achievement 70 years ago as we look forward to our historic Great Reunion event.”
June 2008