The Great Goodbye - at Shildon Museum

Over the last 6 months or so the National Railway Museum has been celebrating the 75 anniversay of Mallard breaking the world speed record for steam traction. Mallard is an A4 Class locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for high speed running along the East Coast Mainline from Kings Cross to Edinburgh. The class was significantly different from other locomotives being streamlined.

There are still 6 A4 Class locomotives in existence. Four in the UK and two in North America. Dwight D Eisenhower was in the USA and Dominion of Canada in, of course, Canada and both were bought over to the UK, cosmetically restored and shown alongside the 4 other engines from the UK: Mallard (not in steam) Sir Nigel Gresley, Bittern and Union of South Africa all 3 of which are in steam and operating regularly.

Here are 5 of the 6 locos on display, giving enthusiasts the opportunity to be up close and personal with the engines and take a look inside the cabs. Sir Nigel Gresley was giving brake van rides in the yard so was not part of the line-up.

The event was called the Great Goodbye as it was the day that these 6 remaining locomotives would ever be seen together again as the two North American locos were due to go back home in the near future. It seems that over 120,000 people attended this event at this outpost of the the National Railway museum.