LNER Class A4 2509 Silver Link
Encyclopedia
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
.
(LMS) into 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Allocated to Kings Cross shed, it was withdrawn from service in 1963 when the East Coast Main Line
express services were taken over by Deltic
diesel locomotives. It was not preserved after withdrawal and was broken up at Darlington Works.
The locomotive made a brief appearance in the film Oh, Mr. Porter!
. It was also the subject of art deco
posters for the Silver Jubilee.
For a number of years, one of its sister locomotives, Bittern
was painted to represent Silver Link in its original silver and grey livery.
Two instances of the Silver Link nameplate are on display at the National Railway Museum
, York
, UK.
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(LNER) A4 Class
LNER Class A4
The Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive, designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognizable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, still claims the...
locomotive, built in 1935 to pull a new train called the Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee (train)
The Silver Jubilee was a named train of the London and North Eastern Railway . It commenced service on September 30, 1935, the train travelling between London King's Cross and Newcastle. It did this at an average speed of 67 mph, taking four hours to complete the journey.The train was made in...
.
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 the LNER and their chief rival the London, Midland and Scottish RailwayLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(LMS) into 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 East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
express services were taken over by Deltic
British Rail Class 55
The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
diesel locomotives. It was not preserved after withdrawal and was broken up at Darlington Works.
The locomotive made a brief appearance in the film Oh, Mr. Porter!
Oh, Mr Porter!
Oh, Mr Porter! is a British comedy film starring Will Hay with Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt and directed by Marcel Varnel. While not his most commercially successful, it is probably his best-known film to modern audiences...
. It was also the subject of art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
posters for the Silver Jubilee.
For a number of years, one of its sister locomotives, Bittern
LNER Class A4 4464 Bittern
4464 Bittern is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 steam locomotive. Built for the LNER in 1937 at Doncaster Works as works number 1866, it was originally numbered 4464. It was renumbered 19 on 16 August 1946 under the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme and after nationalisation in 1948 BR added...
was painted to represent Silver Link in its original silver and grey livery.
Two instances of the Silver Link nameplate are on display at the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, UK.