Race to the North
Encyclopedia
The Race to the North is the name given to two summers in the late 19th century when British passenger trains belonging to different companies would literally race each other from London
to Scotland
over the two principal rail trunk routes connecting the English capital city to Scotland - the West Coast Main Line
which runs from London Euston via Crewe
and Carlisle
and the East Coast Main Line
route from London King's Cross via York
and Newcastle
.
in 1888, and the second was between night trains from London to Aberdeen
in 1895. The actual 'finishing post' of the latter race was Kinnaber Junction, 38 miles (61 km) south of Aberdeen, where the Caledonian Railway
and the North British Railway
routes joined- the last section being run on Caledonian-owned track. On the approach to Kinnaber Junction the two routes ran on either side of the Montrose Basin
, with trains often racing for the junction within sight of each other - a spectacle widely reported by the journalists who rode on the trains during the height of the races.
Great Northern Railway GNR
used the 4-2-2
Stirling Single
(eight-footer) constructed by Patrick Stirling
for their express. GNR Stirling No 668 brought the East Coast express over the 105.5-mile (170 km) track from King’s Cross to Grantham in 1 hour 41 minutes with an average speed of 62.7 mph (101 km/h). After engine change in Grantham GNR Stirling No 775 made the 82 miles (132 km) to York in 1 hour 16 minutes, average speed of 64.7 mph (104 km/h). The total distance from London to Edinburgh was covered in 6 hours 19 minutes (for a speed of 63.5 mph, 102.2 km/h) and the extended 523-mile (842 km) distance of London to Aberdeen in 8 hours 40 minutes (average speed 60.4 mph (97.2 km/h), or 51.9 mph (83.5 km/h) for the final section).
Two days later, on 22 August 1895, London North Western Railway (LNWR) train with Precedent No. 790 Hardwicke
2-4-0
took 2 hours and 6 minutes for the 141-mile (227 km) run from Crewe
to Carlisle
, with an average speed of 67.1 mph (108 km/h).
A serious derailment at Preston in 1896 resulted in public calls for safety rather than speed. It was also realised that the race trains caused great inconvenience to passengers precisely because of the speed of the journey- instead of arriving at Aberdeen at around 7am (as before) trains were arriving in the early hours of the morning, leaving passengers with an awkward wait on a deserted station for any connecting local trains. Because of this the racing was abandoned in favour of more realistically timetabled services. There followed an agreement on speed limits, which was revoked in 1932.
from London to Edinburgh. Speeds respected the old agreement and so were low, but time was gained through making the run non-stop over the whole distance of 393 miles (632 km). This was done by means of a special corridor tender which allowed engine crew changes at speed. However to show that the old rivalry was not dead, just prior to the inaugural date of the LNER train, the LMS
thwarted them by running separate "non-stop" trains from London to Glasgow
(401 miles/645 km) and London to Edinburgh (399 miles/642 km). These were operated respectively by one of the new Royal Scot locomotives
and by a standard LMS Compound 4-4-0
locomotive both with volunteer crews.
Following the successful launching of the German Flying Hamburger high-speed diesel railcar set in 1933 and the Bugatti cars in France, the LNER began to examine the possibilities of introducing similar trains for key services. On examining German specifications, management concluded that better speed and accommodation should be possible using steam locomotive powered trains. To test the feasibility of this a high-speed trial was run in 1934 between London and Leeds using locomotive no. 4472 Flying Scotsman, then in modified A1 condition. During this run the first fully authenticated speed of 100 mph (160.9 km/h) was reached. On a similar test run from London to Newcastle and back, A3 No 2750 Papyrus reached 108 mph (174 km/h), a world record for a non-streamlined steam locomotive. When the streamlined London-Newcastle and Silver Jubilee service was inaugurated, the specially-built A4 improved Pacifics pulverised all records, starting with a maximum of 112 mph (180 km/h) on the inaugural run. The high-speed service was extended to Edinburgh in 1937 with the introduction of the Coronation train.
The LMS again countered in 1937 with the London-Glasgow Coronation Scot
streamlined train for which an updated Pacific locomotive type, the Princess Coronation Class
was also specially developed, These locomotives proved fully equal to the A4 and on a press run between Euston and Crewe, 6220 Coronation briefly snatched away the world speed record with a top speed of 114 mph (183 km/h).
set a new record of 3 hours 52 minutes on the 401-mile (645 km) length of the WCML between Euston and Glasgow with its revolutionary Advanced Passenger Train
(APT). This record for the northbound run still stands, although the southbound record was broken in 2006 by the APT's spiritual successor, the Class 390
"Pendolino" with a time of 3 hours 55 minutes, and an average speed of 102.4 mph (164.8 km/h). However these times cannot normally be achieved on the WCML under normal operating conditions as it requires other services on the line to be specially re-timed in order to provide a train path for a non-stop express from Glasgow to London.
In contrast the advertised Flying Scotsman
service on the East Coast route can be achieved within 3 hours 59 minutes within a normal service pattern, and with stops at York and Newcastle
- however, still making for an average speed of 98.7 mph (158.8 km/h).
in the mid 1990s, the West Coast and East Coast routes were now once again operated by two different companies - now Virgin Trains
and East Coast
. Unlike the pre-1948 era however, the two operators have played down the fact that they are in effect rivals on the Anglo-Scottish routes, and have rarely been seen to advertise themselves as direct competitors meaning that a re-emergence of the Races To The North is unlikely.
C.David Wilson: Racing Trains, Sutton Publishing 1995.
A comprehensive review of the participants in the 1895 Railway Races to the North
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
over the two principal rail trunk routes connecting the English capital city to Scotland - the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
which runs from London Euston via Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
and Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
and 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...
route from London King's Cross via 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...
and Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
.
First and second race
The first Race to the North was between day trains from London to EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1888, and the second was between night trains from London to Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
in 1895. The actual 'finishing post' of the latter race was Kinnaber Junction, 38 miles (61 km) south of Aberdeen, where the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
and the North British Railway
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...
routes joined- the last section being run on Caledonian-owned track. On the approach to Kinnaber Junction the two routes ran on either side of the Montrose Basin
Montrose Basin
The Montrose Basin is part of the estuary of the South Esk forming a tidal basin near to the town of Montrose, Angus, on the north-east coast of Scotland....
, with trains often racing for the junction within sight of each other - a spectacle widely reported by the journalists who rode on the trains during the height of the races.
Great Northern Railway GNR
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
used the 4-2-2
4-2-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle....
Stirling Single
GNR Stirling 4-2-2
The Great Northern Railway No. 1 class Stirling Single is a class of steam locomotive designed for express passenger work. Designed by Patrick Stirling, they are characterised by a single pair of large driving wheels which led to the nickname "eight-footer"...
(eight-footer) constructed by Patrick Stirling
Patrick Stirling
Patrick Stirling was Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Northern Railway.His father Robert Stirling was also an engineer. His brother James Stirling was also a locomotive engineer...
for their express. GNR Stirling No 668 brought the East Coast express over the 105.5-mile (170 km) track from King’s Cross to Grantham in 1 hour 41 minutes with an average speed of 62.7 mph (101 km/h). After engine change in Grantham GNR Stirling No 775 made the 82 miles (132 km) to York in 1 hour 16 minutes, average speed of 64.7 mph (104 km/h). The total distance from London to Edinburgh was covered in 6 hours 19 minutes (for a speed of 63.5 mph, 102.2 km/h) and the extended 523-mile (842 km) distance of London to Aberdeen in 8 hours 40 minutes (average speed 60.4 mph (97.2 km/h), or 51.9 mph (83.5 km/h) for the final section).
Two days later, on 22 August 1895, London North Western Railway (LNWR) train with Precedent No. 790 Hardwicke
LNWR Improved Precedent Class
The London and North Western Railway Improved Precedent Class or "Jumbo" Class is a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotive originally designed for express passenger work....
2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
took 2 hours and 6 minutes for the 141-mile (227 km) run from Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
to Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
, with an average speed of 67.1 mph (108 km/h).
A serious derailment at Preston in 1896 resulted in public calls for safety rather than speed. It was also realised that the race trains caused great inconvenience to passengers precisely because of the speed of the journey- instead of arriving at Aberdeen at around 7am (as before) trains were arriving in the early hours of the morning, leaving passengers with an awkward wait on a deserted station for any connecting local trains. Because of this the racing was abandoned in favour of more realistically timetabled services. There followed an agreement on speed limits, which was revoked in 1932.
Later rivalry
With the end of specially staged train races, later rivalries between the West Coast and East Coast routes centred on timetabled services based largely on improvements in traction technologies.LNER and LMS
In 1927 LNER started the famous non stop express train Flying ScotsmanFlying Scotsman (train)
The Flying Scotsman is an express passenger train service that has been running between London and Edinburgh—the capitals of England and Scotland respectively—since 1862...
from London to Edinburgh. Speeds respected the old agreement and so were low, but time was gained through making the run non-stop over the whole distance of 393 miles (632 km). This was done by means of a special corridor tender which allowed engine crew changes at speed. However to show that the old rivalry was not dead, just prior to the inaugural date of the LNER train, the LMS
London, 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...
thwarted them by running separate "non-stop" trains from London to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(401 miles/645 km) and London to Edinburgh (399 miles/642 km). These were operated respectively by one of the new Royal Scot locomotives
LMS Royal Scot Class
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Royal Scot Class is a class of 4-6-0 express passenger locomotive introduced in 1927. Originally having parallel boilers, all members were later rebuilt with tapered type 2A boilers, and were in effect two classes.-Background:Until the mid-1920s, the LMS...
and by a standard LMS Compound 4-4-0
LMS Compound 4-4-0
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Compound 4-4-0 was a class of steam locomotive designed for passenger work.- Overview :One hundred and ninety five engines were built by the LMS, adding to the 45 Midland Railway 1000 Class, to which they were almost identical...
locomotive both with volunteer crews.
Following the successful launching of the German Flying Hamburger high-speed diesel railcar set in 1933 and the Bugatti cars in France, the LNER began to examine the possibilities of introducing similar trains for key services. On examining German specifications, management concluded that better speed and accommodation should be possible using steam locomotive powered trains. To test the feasibility of this a high-speed trial was run in 1934 between London and Leeds using locomotive no. 4472 Flying Scotsman, then in modified A1 condition. During this run the first fully authenticated speed of 100 mph (160.9 km/h) was reached. On a similar test run from London to Newcastle and back, A3 No 2750 Papyrus reached 108 mph (174 km/h), a world record for a non-streamlined steam locomotive. When the streamlined London-Newcastle and Silver Jubilee service was inaugurated, the specially-built A4 improved Pacifics pulverised all records, starting with a maximum of 112 mph (180 km/h) on the inaugural run. The high-speed service was extended to Edinburgh in 1937 with the introduction of the Coronation train.
The LMS again countered in 1937 with the London-Glasgow Coronation Scot
Coronation Scot
The Coronation Scot was a named express passenger train of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway inaugurated in 1937 for the Coronation of King George VI which ran until the start of the war in 1939...
streamlined train for which an updated Pacific locomotive type, the Princess Coronation Class
LMS Princess Coronation Class
The London Midland and Scottish Railway Coronation Class is a class of express passenger steam locomotives designed by William Stanier. They were an enlarged version of the LMS Princess Royal Class. Several examples were originally built as streamlined, though this was later removed...
was also specially developed, These locomotives proved fully equal to the A4 and on a press run between Euston and Crewe, 6220 Coronation briefly snatched away the world speed record with a top speed of 114 mph (183 km/h).
British Rail
In 1979, British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
set a new record of 3 hours 52 minutes on the 401-mile (645 km) length of the WCML between Euston and Glasgow with its revolutionary Advanced Passenger Train
Advanced Passenger Train
The Advanced Passenger Train was an experimental tilting High Speed Train developed by British Rail during the 1970s and early 1980s....
(APT). This record for the northbound run still stands, although the southbound record was broken in 2006 by the APT's spiritual successor, the Class 390
British Rail Class 390
The Class 390 Pendolino is a type of train used in Great Britain. They are electric multiple units using Fiat's tilting train pendolino technology and built by Alstom. Fifty-three 9-car units were originally built for Virgin Trains from 2001 to 2004 for operation on the West Coast Main Line , with...
"Pendolino" with a time of 3 hours 55 minutes, and an average speed of 102.4 mph (164.8 km/h). However these times cannot normally be achieved on the WCML under normal operating conditions as it requires other services on the line to be specially re-timed in order to provide a train path for a non-stop express from Glasgow to London.
In contrast the advertised Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman (train)
The Flying Scotsman is an express passenger train service that has been running between London and Edinburgh—the capitals of England and Scotland respectively—since 1862...
service on the East Coast route can be achieved within 3 hours 59 minutes within a normal service pattern, and with stops at York and Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
- however, still making for an average speed of 98.7 mph (158.8 km/h).
The Two Routes Today
When Britain's railways were privatisedPrivatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
in the mid 1990s, the West Coast and East Coast routes were now once again operated by two different companies - now Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
and East Coast
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
. Unlike the pre-1948 era however, the two operators have played down the fact that they are in effect rivals on the Anglo-Scottish routes, and have rarely been seen to advertise themselves as direct competitors meaning that a re-emergence of the Races To The North is unlikely.
See also
- Top Gear's Race to the NorthTop Gear Race to the NorthThe Top Gear Race to the North was a three way race between a Jaguar XK120 car, a Vincent Black Shadow motorbike, and railway locomotive 60163 Tornado – a brand new mainline steam engine completed in Britain in 2008. The race saw the car, bike and locomotive, race from London, England, to...
a 21st century interpretation by Top Gear pitting a car, bike and steam locomotive in a race from London to Edinburgh.
External links
C.David Wilson: Racing Trains, Sutton Publishing 1995.
A comprehensive review of the participants in the 1895 Railway Races to the North