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Mallard: How the "Blue Streak" Broke the World Speed Record
In July 1938, the superbly streamlined A4 Pacific class steam locomotive "Mallard" set a world speed record of 126 miles per hour, a record that still stands. This engrossing history covers the rise of the Mallard, a tale that goes back to the late 19th century when the rival railway companies first began to vie with one another to set speed records. It charts the technological development of the steam engine through the early decades of the 20th century into a hugely powerful and truly locomotive machine. Above all, it focuses on the singular and larger-than-life character of Sir Nigel Gresley, the Mallard's designer and one of history’s most gifted engineers. Packed with interviews with surviving crew members and their relatives, this account also provides an hour-by-hour timeline of the first time the “Blue Steak” attempted to break the record and thunder into the record books.
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 27, 2014
A few years ago I went to the National Rail Museum in York and came away stunned by one exhibit. This one item, amongst a collection of wonderful rail icons and ephemera, was the Mallard.
What stunned me was the shape and beauty of what is in essence a steam engine/locomotive; but it is a steam locomotive that shouted not only sheer size, weight and power but also fabulous and beautiful streamlined design - and it told me through that design without saying a word that it was from the 1930s.
To that point I had had a only passing interest in trains. More to be honest I was interested in railways, and this was from their building in terms of the planning, construction and social impacts including involvement in trade, war, crime and holidays and the advertising that accompanied these from various railway companies.
The Mallard as I learnt that day was an A4 Pacific class built by a chap called Sir Nigel Gresley who designed her. Neither of whom had I head of until that day. Moreover it was the fastest steam locomotive in the world and it achieved that record in 1938.
After my visit I became more interested in steam engines; again it is fair to say not the inner workings of them but the design and their use on the railways of Britain and became a little familiar with others names such as the Flying Scotsman and the streamlined Coronation engines.
This book then was one I grabbed with both hands at my library as the cover had a stylish illustration of Mallard. That illustration shows Mallard rushing through countryside and I though this would give me the story of not just how the blue streak broke the speed record but more on how she was designed, built, tested and serviced.
The book does this but for me in briefer detail that I expected even fro a 170 page account. Don't mistake me though this is a very good book that tells a interesting and absorbing story.
That story is really more of the inter-rival between British railway companies as well as European ones in terms of brand and passengers and through that speed as a service and company designator.
I had no idea that Ettore Bugatti (the car designer) had such involvement in railways or indeed with Gresley. Mr Hale the author covers that nicely and outlines the developments and competitions that drove speed higher and improved locomotive design, and including Nigel Gresley's career and his abilities and relationships with other railway professionals. There is much on how the British shared information and arranged exchange visits with German and French engineers, many of them friends who gave freely information and encouragement; even as the Nazi regime encroached and pushed for its own speed record attempts. Within this story too is a fine overview of the railways in the 1920s and 30s including the rivalry and competition between the LNER and LMS.
Finally then we come to the Mallard, which doesn't really appear until 2/3rd into the book. I was surprised that so many A4 Pacifics were built - some 100 and that Mallard was not the first or even one of the first. There is little on her building although the wider story of the A4s is covered well, including how a kink in a plasticine model changed the design of the funnel. Disappointingly there is little depth or detail on the men who drover her that July day: Driver Joe Duddington and Fireman Tommy Bray.
The speed trial and record is covered and zips along at speed just like the loco and you get the sense of the excitement and skill. I learnt that engineering works had played part, and had the crew not had to slow to 15 mph for a short time for track safety reasons but been at a more regular 60mph it was strongly believed by Duddington and other experts that she would have reached 130mph.
After the record there is a shortish piece on her post-record career including war work and passenger service duties before finally being given a preservation order (although this was not a sure cert at the time with most A4s going to the scrap yards).
The Mallard completed 1.41 million miles in service and today sits serenely in the museum at York. She retains her record of 126 mph and aside from the Eurostar there is no other train on the modern 21st century rail network in the UK that goes faster than Mallard.
That such a piece of heavy engineering design can look also so beautiful and also hold such a record for so long makes for a great story and is also a testament to the design and engineering abilities of Sir Nigel Gresley and his workforce at LNER.
http://www.nrm.org.uk/OurCollection/L...
What stunned me was the shape and beauty of what is in essence a steam engine/locomotive; but it is a steam locomotive that shouted not only sheer size, weight and power but also fabulous and beautiful streamlined design - and it told me through that design without saying a word that it was from the 1930s.
To that point I had had a only passing interest in trains. More to be honest I was interested in railways, and this was from their building in terms of the planning, construction and social impacts including involvement in trade, war, crime and holidays and the advertising that accompanied these from various railway companies.
The Mallard as I learnt that day was an A4 Pacific class built by a chap called Sir Nigel Gresley who designed her. Neither of whom had I head of until that day. Moreover it was the fastest steam locomotive in the world and it achieved that record in 1938.
After my visit I became more interested in steam engines; again it is fair to say not the inner workings of them but the design and their use on the railways of Britain and became a little familiar with others names such as the Flying Scotsman and the streamlined Coronation engines.
This book then was one I grabbed with both hands at my library as the cover had a stylish illustration of Mallard. That illustration shows Mallard rushing through countryside and I though this would give me the story of not just how the blue streak broke the speed record but more on how she was designed, built, tested and serviced.
The book does this but for me in briefer detail that I expected even fro a 170 page account. Don't mistake me though this is a very good book that tells a interesting and absorbing story.
That story is really more of the inter-rival between British railway companies as well as European ones in terms of brand and passengers and through that speed as a service and company designator.
I had no idea that Ettore Bugatti (the car designer) had such involvement in railways or indeed with Gresley. Mr Hale the author covers that nicely and outlines the developments and competitions that drove speed higher and improved locomotive design, and including Nigel Gresley's career and his abilities and relationships with other railway professionals. There is much on how the British shared information and arranged exchange visits with German and French engineers, many of them friends who gave freely information and encouragement; even as the Nazi regime encroached and pushed for its own speed record attempts. Within this story too is a fine overview of the railways in the 1920s and 30s including the rivalry and competition between the LNER and LMS.
Finally then we come to the Mallard, which doesn't really appear until 2/3rd into the book. I was surprised that so many A4 Pacifics were built - some 100 and that Mallard was not the first or even one of the first. There is little on her building although the wider story of the A4s is covered well, including how a kink in a plasticine model changed the design of the funnel. Disappointingly there is little depth or detail on the men who drover her that July day: Driver Joe Duddington and Fireman Tommy Bray.
The speed trial and record is covered and zips along at speed just like the loco and you get the sense of the excitement and skill. I learnt that engineering works had played part, and had the crew not had to slow to 15 mph for a short time for track safety reasons but been at a more regular 60mph it was strongly believed by Duddington and other experts that she would have reached 130mph.
After the record there is a shortish piece on her post-record career including war work and passenger service duties before finally being given a preservation order (although this was not a sure cert at the time with most A4s going to the scrap yards).
The Mallard completed 1.41 million miles in service and today sits serenely in the museum at York. She retains her record of 126 mph and aside from the Eurostar there is no other train on the modern 21st century rail network in the UK that goes faster than Mallard.
That such a piece of heavy engineering design can look also so beautiful and also hold such a record for so long makes for a great story and is also a testament to the design and engineering abilities of Sir Nigel Gresley and his workforce at LNER.
http://www.nrm.org.uk/OurCollection/L...
January 18, 2022
Nothing short of pure emotion, joy and fascination. I’d been fascinated by the A4 locomotives ever since I was a kid, and whilst having a decent general knowledge of them, I’d never quite found the time to do a full read up of their conception and development. As an engineer myself, my perception of Nigel Gresley is nothing short of divinity. He comes from a breed of engineers including Joe Sutter, Brunel and George Stevenson, innovators I have no words to describe but the original Dons. In this era they had no computational aids, no CFD or CAD design packages and no super computers to do the complex calculations that made grand ladies like Mallard work and yet it was aspects such as the innovative aerodynamics and robust cylinder design that contributed to pushing Mallard to limit and beyond. And all of it was by hand, pen and paper!
Don Hale writes with delicious emotion, narrating the different stages of Gresley’s life, his work and his various developments in the railway field. I picked a book up, expecting to read about the A4 and yet I was given an overview of the A1, the race with the German Reich and even a snippet on diesel development. The entire premise is one that soaks the reader in the golden age of railways, and all with shrouding backdrop of what would eventually become world war 2.
Would thoroughly recommend for the fledging railway enthusiast, engineer or anyone who just has a general interest in industrial history. Definitely one of my favourite books to date.
Don Hale writes with delicious emotion, narrating the different stages of Gresley’s life, his work and his various developments in the railway field. I picked a book up, expecting to read about the A4 and yet I was given an overview of the A1, the race with the German Reich and even a snippet on diesel development. The entire premise is one that soaks the reader in the golden age of railways, and all with shrouding backdrop of what would eventually become world war 2.
Would thoroughly recommend for the fledging railway enthusiast, engineer or anyone who just has a general interest in industrial history. Definitely one of my favourite books to date.
December 9, 2019
A superb account of not just the record-breaking run itself, but the build up; there's great chapters looking at Gresley's experimental designs, his trips to contiental Europe and his rivalry with Stanier. The writin style is easy to read and a few well-placed photographs help add a spot of context.
As Andrew Martin's review states, it really should be a film! Give me £500,000,000 to build a few locomotives and recreate a stretch of the East Coast Main Line, cast the fantastic Hugo Speer as Gresley, and I'd direct it in a heartbeat!
As Andrew Martin's review states, it really should be a film! Give me £500,000,000 to build a few locomotives and recreate a stretch of the East Coast Main Line, cast the fantastic Hugo Speer as Gresley, and I'd direct it in a heartbeat!
July 11, 2021
An enjoyable read about How Mallard steamed into the history books. Also essentially how her great designer, Sir Nigel Gresley was inspired to create the streamlined design, at the same time pressure being applied from the German Reichbahn with their class 05 locos and scrutiny from the US. All at a time when Europe was preparing for war.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2025
An easy and quick read. Generally very engaging and enjoyable, and I was going to give it 4 stars. However, it lazily repeats the falsehood that the Great Central Railway was built to "continental loading gauge", and it loses a star for that.
January 18, 2026
fascinating story and Nigel Gresley was a genius
February 19, 2026
Nice book about a fantastic engine!
August 14, 2014
Compliment to The Dutchesses - now for Mallard, Full Read Ahead!
Wow - so much I never knew about this chapter of railway history!
I could never understand the 'competition' between LMS and LNER - they can't exactly race between the same start and end points.
No - the book explains company strategies to attract and pamper fare paying customers - and the great overseas rivalry with pre-war German industry.
Having developed a series of ever more powerful streamlined engines, the lead up in minute detail to the 'brake test' of 3rd July 1938 - cover story for the speed trial.
As with The Dutchesses, there is a hint of further potential from the magnificent Mallard - thwarted by the outbreak of war.
A tremendous high speed read, that puts you right up on the footplate for the journey.
Wow - so much I never knew about this chapter of railway history!
I could never understand the 'competition' between LMS and LNER - they can't exactly race between the same start and end points.
No - the book explains company strategies to attract and pamper fare paying customers - and the great overseas rivalry with pre-war German industry.
Having developed a series of ever more powerful streamlined engines, the lead up in minute detail to the 'brake test' of 3rd July 1938 - cover story for the speed trial.
As with The Dutchesses, there is a hint of further potential from the magnificent Mallard - thwarted by the outbreak of war.
A tremendous high speed read, that puts you right up on the footplate for the journey.
September 5, 2014
Mallard was a late, refined A4 class locomotive, designed by Sir Nigel Gresley. The book, despite it’s title, concentrates mainly of the life and career of Sir Nigel Gresley, with only the occasional mention of Mallard until Chapter 10, although there is some mention of the development of the A4 class up to that point. However, the designer and Mallard are intrinsically linked, and so, arguably this only goes to make it all the more readable. The detail of the historical context, and the rivalry between LMS and LNER is both informative and relevant to the story. An inspiring book about British engineering achievements.
January 9, 2017
Great read, tells the intertwined story of rail development, locomotive advancements, countries political shift and how Sir Nigel Gresley was placed in all of that.
He may not be the sole railway man to be praised but an excellent man he was and this books gives a good concise account of, not only the Mallard, as the titles would lead to suggest, but railways in general from conception through to the 1960s and beyond in relation to the Mallard's later life.
Coming in under 200 pages this book is a great read for any one wanting a quick introduction to trains without being bogged down with too much information. Well written, informative, nice pace and a very enjoyable read.
He may not be the sole railway man to be praised but an excellent man he was and this books gives a good concise account of, not only the Mallard, as the titles would lead to suggest, but railways in general from conception through to the 1960s and beyond in relation to the Mallard's later life.
Coming in under 200 pages this book is a great read for any one wanting a quick introduction to trains without being bogged down with too much information. Well written, informative, nice pace and a very enjoyable read.
March 17, 2012
Excellent chronicle of the height of British engineering. A bit confusing in terms of chronology, but a good read nonetheless...
August 17, 2012
An excellent read. Very well written. I found it hard to put down.
October 14, 2014
This book is more a bout sir n graslet then the speed reacord and mallard.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews