LNER Class A4 2509 Silver Link

"Silver Link" was the first London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) A4 Class locomotive, built in 1935 to pull a new train called the Silver Jubilee.

History

"Silver Link" made its inaugural journey from King's Cross on 29 September 1935. It reached a speed of 112mph, breaking all previous records. The record provoked LNER and their chief rival London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) to enter a highly competitive speed war, each attempting to outdo the other by building ever faster locomotives. The main protagonists were Sir Nigel Gresley, LNER's chief mechanical engineer, and his counterpart at LMS, Sir William Stanier.

Allocated to Kings Cross shed, it was withdrawn from service in 1963 when the Top Link east coast express services were taken over by Deltic diesel locomotives. Silver Link was not preserved after withdrawal and was broken up at Darlington works.

For a number of years, one of its sister locomotives, " Bittern" was painted to represent "Silver Link" in its original silver and black livery.

The locomotive made a brief appearance in the Will Hay film " Oh, Mr. Porter!". It was also the subject of the iconic art deco posters for the Silver Jubilee.

External links

* [http://www.yorkshirehistory.com/trains.htm Information on Silver Link]
* [http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/speedmachines/steamtrains_timeline.html Position in a timeline of locomotives]