Memories

I wasn't going to post a blog tonight but instead read the back issues of the Grantham Journal. However when I started I saw there were a few issues with the news of Mallard, the A4 steam engine that broke the world record. My Brother-in-Law had told me there was quite a bit about Mallard in the Journals. He, incidentally built a couple of steam engines. One being a B1. I think 1 to 12 size. It was a fantastic steam engine with plenty of pulling power. He belonged for many years to a model steam society so is quite interested. I know that my Great Niece managed to get onto the cab of Mallard. I was told the wait was about 30 minutes.
 It bought back memories to me, it also reminded me just how important Grantham was it those days of steam. Grantham was strategically placed 105 miles from King's Cross and it was ideal to change steam engines, either going to King's Cross or coming from King's Cross to go to York. Newcastle or Edinburgh.
 One may wonder why Mallard was so popular at Grantham. Well Grantham was situated in a little vale and it is hard to believe but leaving Grantham going south about 5 miles away is Stoke signal box just through Stoke Tunnel. It is an uphill drag to there and it is the highest point on the Eastern Region for about 300 miles. From Stoke signal box it is all downhill to Peterborough and speeds in excess of 85mph were often achieved when I was working on express trains to King's Cross.  Incidentally just south of Stoke Signal Box were 2 signs about 50 yards apart. One read London 100 miles pointing south and the othe sign was Grantham 5 miles pointing north. I guess Grantham had a little importance then. Now there is only a sign stating that on this track is where Mallard broke the world record  of about 126 mph in 1938. So  it was on this stretch where Mallard broke the world record for steam which still stands to this day. When it broke the world record it was only pulling a few coaches. In general we had 13 coaches behind us. Now the electric trains have I think 9 and they are talking of spending Billions of £s to increase the volume of passengers. My answer would be get 50% more coaches on each train to start with and see if that helps.
 Grantham was a haven for young train spotter boys. There were many youngsters from around the late 40s to the mid 60s when steam was phased out. Not only Grantham also King's Cross, you would inevitably get a request from someone if they could "cab it" of course this was always denied. They would get as close as they could and peer in just to see what it was like insied the cab of ae express stem engine.
 I didn't expect to read that there was such a large following in fact it was on view for 2 days. Saturday when 7000 people came to see it and on Sunday even more, 8000 came. The picture s not great but it is the best I could do. The Church behind is St. John's Church and is featured in many photos of steam engines and trains in years gone by. Mallard was never based at Grantham, well not to my knowledge but Flying Scotsman was at some time when I was working.
 The A4s if you take a look at Mallards tender you can see it stands a little proud of the cab. Hence there was fitted a sort of tarpaulin this was a permanent fixture but made the footplate a lot hotter than the other express steam engines. To be honest I think I only fired about 3 times on the express trains on an A4. Mostly I fired on A3s. that is the same as Flying Scotsman. I can't remember if I ever fired that steam engine but certainly cleaned it and had been in the cab many times. It must be remembered that they were not icons like they are now. They were just work horses, dirty steam engines pulling express trains up and down the ECML. That is East Coast Main Line. Oh well I am getting old and nostalgic. One forgets the bad days and only remembers the good days. Long may it be so.. More soon.
P.S. Hope I have not bored anyone.