Side-by-side Golden Age of Steam Streamliners

‘Mallard’ and ‘Duchess of Hamilton’ on show together.

Icons from the Golden Age at the NRM York

Two icons of the streamlined steam age were displayed side by side at the NRM York in October.

Blue-liveried A4 No. 4468 'Mallard' was lined up with crimson and gold-liveried Princess Coronation class No. 6229 'Duchess of Hamilton' for the first time since 6229 was re-streamlined in 2009. It gave museum visitors a rare chance to compare the two former competing styles of streamlining.

Both locos were built in 1938 during the Golden Age of rail travel in Britain. 'Mallard' was built at Doncaster to haul LNER expresses from London to Scotland via the East Coast main line; 'Duchess of Hamilton' was built at Crewe to do the same along the West Coast main line for the LMS. Both worked the most prestigious trains of the time for their respective companies, with 'Mallard' going on to set the world speed record for steam of 126mph in July 1938.

After withdrawal from service both locos eventually became part of the National Collection. However 6229 had lost its streamlining after World War II and it was only replaced in 2009. So although the two locos had been displayed together before, they had never been so in streamlined form.

The locos were together for ten days only from October 12-21. During this time the turntable in the museum's great hall was unusually opened to visitors to allow a better few of the two locos together.

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